Ramble West Brewing Co. is Chico’s newest brewery. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

While Chico isn’t in the top 25 for cities with the greatest number of craft breweries, it does have its fair share.

Last weekend I visited the newest brewery here, Ramble West Brewing Co. It celebrated its one-year anniversary in October.

According to Drink Me magazine, the following cities have the most breweries for every 50,000 people:

1. Portland, Maine – 18 breweries
2. Asheville, N.C. – 17 breweries
3. Bend, Ore.  – 16 breweries
4. Boulder, Colo. – 14 breweries
5. Kalamazoo, Mich. – 10 breweries
6. Vista, Calif. – 10 breweries
7. Greenville, S.C.– 10 breweries
8. Portland, Ore. – 9 breweries
9. Pensacola, Fla. – 9 breweries
10. Missoula, Mont. – 8 breweries.

Sue and I each did the sample menu where you pick any four beers. We both liked First Anniversary, a barrel aged imperial stout, the best. Of course it’s a limited edition so not likely to be able to order it again. Doesn’t matter. I’ll definitely be going back.

A food truck is outside most hours the brewery is open. Otherwise it’s possible to get a bag of chips inside. Of course the food may be eaten at one of the many tables inside, or at the bar.

Ramble West makes its beer on-site at its brewery in Chico. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

It took the founders of the brewery about a year to find a building. They chose a warehouse on West Eighth Street near downtown that used to house heating and air conditioning parts. The irony is the building has neither heating nor a/c. A brewtender said that might change.

They took out 70 yards of concrete and made significant changes before opening their doors. Still, it very much has an industrial feel. The stainless steel tanks used to make the beer add to the ambiance.

The high wood ceilings look like something you would not want to hide with a HVAC system. But I haven’t been inside when it’s hot or cold outside. I’m guessing it would be a more pleasant experience year-round with control over the inside temp.

The name Ramble West comes from the folks involved in the brewery being from the West and self-proclaimed ramblers.

Owner-brewmaster Ryan Eley is a native of Paradise and a graduate of Chico State. The lantern in the logo is based on the lighting devise his grandpa moved out west from South Dakota.

“There is definitely a lot of little things here and there in the logo and story that are tributes to family and friends,” Eley says in a video on the brewery’s website.