Original Pattern Brewing

Oakland, CA · $$

Inebrious

Beverage Program Score

Editorial review: 2026-08-18

Editor: Micah Rousey

How we score

The editorial take

Original Pattern is an employee-owned Oakland brewery whose whole identity is organized around one outsized ingredient commitment: New Zealand hops. Its founding claim is a place among the largest NZ hop contracts on the west coast, and the current can list backs that up. Yakima Kief mounts HBC 586, Columbus, and Mosaic; Only Good Juju layers Citra, El Dorado, and Idaho 7; and a string of releases lean almost entirely on New Zealand varietals, from Keepin' It Real riding NZ Nectaron to an Island Time hazy built on Motueka, Waimea, and Superdelic. The program moves fast, publishing 5-8 beers every week across German pilsner, Czech pale lager, West Coast pilsner, hazy and session and double IPA, pale ale, and an oatmeal brown porter. That range is not decorative: the brewery holds a 2025 World Beer Cup gold for International Lager, back-to-back GABF medals for session IPA, gold for New Zealand Pale Ale, a Bronze for porter, and a California sour gold, and was named among USA Today's top new breweries in the country. Even the lager shelf is pitched at people who care, with the In Search of Tomorrow pilsner and The Invisible Puzzle Czech pale lager at $16.99 four-packs while most IPAs sit at $19.99. Food comes from rotating pop-ups, most days Citizen Pizza by Jeffrey Amber with Muffin Lab's English-muffin sandwiches on Thursdays, which keeps the room flexible without diluting the beverage focus.

What should I order?: Start with the German pilsner In Search of Tomorrow to gauge the lager work, then isolate the house signature in a hop showcase such as Keepin' It Real, which pairs NZ Nectaron with Citra and Krush. Island Time shows what an entirely New Zealand hop bill does, while Evil Eye, the oat-forward brown porter, covers the malty side of the program. A session IPA such as Knee High to a Grasshopper stretches the evening; Colossal Conundrum is the serious-strength finisher.
Who will enjoy this place?: Beer drinkers who care about hop provenance, followers of the modern New Zealand pale ale movement, lager drinkers who want more than token pilsners, and anyone curious what an employee-owned taproom with a visible national medal record pours on a weekly basis.
When should I go?: The taproom is open every day from noon, but the program is built around weekly drops, so the can and draft selection you see depends heavily on the week. Late-week visits tend to land closest to the newest release, and Citizen Pizza's pop-up runs most afternoons and evenings, with Muffin Lab joining Thursday lunch. Check the current online lineup before you go to plan around what has just landed.
What should I expect to spend?: Current four-pack can prices are published precisely: $16.99 for the German pilsner and Czech pale lager, $18.99 for the oat-brown porter, $19.99 for most IPAs and hazies, and $21.99 for the 8.2% double IPA. Draft-pour prices are confirmed on the tasting-room board rather than itemized online.
What makes the beverage program distinctive?: One of the west coast's largest New Zealand hop contracts turned into a recognizable program language, with 5-8 beers released weekly, published hop bills built around NZ varietals, and medal wins spanning International Lager, Session IPA, pale ale, porter, and sour on an employee-owned floor.

Beverage categories

We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.

Beer

Beer is defined by a deep New Zealand hop commitment, a weekly 5-8 release cadence, published hop bills, genuine lager strength, and a medal record across lager, IPA, pale ale, porter, and sour.

Menu strengths

— One of the west coast's largest New Zealand hop contracts powers hop-bill transparency and rare NZ varietal depth
— Documented medals spanning International Lager, Session IPA, NZ Pale Ale, porter, and sour, including a 2025 World Beer Cup gold
— 5-8 new beers released every week on an employee-owned floor keeps the program permanently in motion

Standout selections

— In Search of Tomorrow — 4.8% German pilsner on GR Tango hops, $16.99 four-pack
— Keepin' It Real — 7.0% hazy IPA on Citra, Krush, and NZ Nectaron
— Island Time — hazy IPA built entirely on NZ Motueka, Waimea, and Superdelic
— Colossal Conundrum — 8.2% double IPA on NZ Nelson Sauvin, Moutere, and Motueka, $21.99 four-pack

Pricing: Online four-packs run $16.99 (German pilsner, Czech pale lager) to $21.99 (8.2% double IPA, gose), with most IPAs at $19.99 and the porter at $18.99; draft-ticket prices are set on the house board.

How it sits with the food

Food rotates through the taproom rather than coming from one permanent kitchen: Citizen Pizza Co. under chef Jeffrey Amber fills most days, with Muffin Lab's stacked English-muffin sandwiches on Thursdays. The crisp German pilsner or Czech pale lager cuts through pizza and cheesy muffin sandwiches, a session IPA holds its own against both, and the oat-forward brown porter matches richer, caramelized toppings when the pop-up leans savory.

Inebrious does not score kitchens, food or the restaurant overall. We review the beverage program only.

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