What's On Tap, Oakland - The Trappist

by Mike Pomranz, Posted Nov 19th 2009 @ 3:00PM

A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.

Turning beer-fueled trips through Belgium and Amsterdam into the inspiration behind owning a bar may sound like a lot of guys' dreams. But for Aaron Porter and Chuck Stilphen, the dream came true in December of 2007 when they opened the Trappist in Oakland, Calif., attempting to bring that Belgian feel and Belgian brews to the Bay Area.

"We went to Belgium and Amsterdam for beer festivals," says co-owner Chuck Stilphen, recalling those trips he took with Porter. Upon their return, they would lament that there was "no good place to drink beer around here where we lived."

The Trappist combats that problem. The idea was "modeled around beers we like," so it's no surprise that their primary focus is on Belgian beers. But realizing that California is no small player in the world of making great beer either, they also stock plenty of brews from their home state as well.

Origins aside, one thing is always consistent: "Small brewers stuff," Stilphen says. "No InBev or even giant Belgian brewers."

See the Trappist's draft selection as of Tuesday after the jump. ...

The bar has gone over great in Oakland. "The response we got was mind-blowing," Stilphen says about the early days of opening his pet project. "We're doing really well ... and we just expected to be serving a select people, but we're busy all the time."

Turns out great beer will always help draw people in, but Oakland's scene is especially brew-friendly. "We made the right decision by opening in Oakland."

St. Bernardus ABT 12
Achouffe Houblon Chouffe
Chimay Cinq Cents Triple
Caracole Saxo
Moortgat Maredsous Blonde
St. Bernardus Prior 8
De Ranke Guldenberg
Avery Maharaja Imperial IPA
De Koninick
North Coast Brother Thelonius
Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet
Caracole Nostradamus
Green Flash Double Stout
St. Feuillien Saison
Allagash White Ale
Abbaye des Rocs Triple Impériale
North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout
Russian River Damnation
Firestone Walker Union Jack
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Moonlight Death & Taxes
St. Feuillien Triple
Allagash Fluxus

Filed Under: Lists, What's On Tap?, Drink Recipes, Drinks
Tags: beer, Belgian, Belgian beer, Belgium, California, draft beer, Oakland, The Trappist, Trappist

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

11-19-2009 @5:52PM Eric Tsuei 2 said... Strange!
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11-19-2009 @7:21PM Eric Tsuei 2 said... oops
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11-20-2009 @9:21PM Mike said... Love, love, love the Trappist. The beer's great, the setting's cozy, and the staff really know their stuff. Oakland's needed something like this for a long time.
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