Beers in the backyard

Pour planning: With so many regional breweries, Sacramentans deserve more places to gather and drink that locally crafted beer. At least, that’s the reasoning behind SacYard Community Tap House (1725 33rd Street), a watering hole that ought to open in East Sacramento in late January with plans to carry 24 taps of regional brews, according to one of the owners, Melody Thebeau.

“We’re going to have a strong representation of IPAs, but we want to cover a variety of palates,” she said, adding that the stouts stocked during the winter opening will likely transition to ales that go down a bit easier in the warmer weather.

So far, they’ve locked down distribution with bigger local players like Bike Dog Brewing Co. and Track 7 Brewing Co. as well as granted a tap to the lauded Moonraker Brewing Co. from Auburn. But SacYard will also stock breweries from San Diego, Oregon and Colorado as well as maintain a “33rd Street Tap” that’s dedicated to the rotating preference of its local connoisseurs, said Thebeau, who, along with the rest of the ownership group, lives only a short walk away.

True to its name, SacYard aims to be a family- and dog-friendly gathering spot for its neighbors. Built in an old automotive garage, the interior features a minimalist, modern vibe, exposed wooden trusses and a communal table made from a decommissioned water tower.

Outside, there’s a sizable biergarten featuring ample seating, a hop trellis, a bocce ball court, cornhole ramps, fire pits and a kids’ section that includes a sandbox and a supersized Connect 4 rack. For food, they plan to use pop-ups, delivery services and food trucks with an emphasis on local, fresh choices.

Chef’s special: Hawks Public House (1525 Alhambra Boulevard) debuted its new monthly late-night happy hour series from 10 p.m. to midnight on January 19. Seeking to showcase what chefs enjoy while off the clock, the first guest chef, Patricio Wise from Roseville’s Nixtaco, whipped up a duck confit carnitas sope and two different types of pork belly tacos ($4.50 each).

In addition, Hawks’ master bartender Zeph Horn created a specialty caramel orange margarita ($8) garnished with crispy wonton salmon poke. This ongoing series will happen monthly on Fridays. Check Hawks’ long-handled Instagram (@hawksprovisionsandpublichouse) for updates.

Wholesome gesture: Sacramento didn’t make the cut to house Amazon’s next warehouse, but on January 11, Amazon’s subsidiary, Whole Foods Market, donated $12,317—or 5 percent of all sales from three regional locations—to local food-based nonprofit Alchemist CDC. The funds will help kick off the Alchemy Kitchen, which will offer planning support and commercial cooking space to help food entrepreneurs launch businesses in Sacramento.