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Mill Valley, California is a paradise for lovers of the outdoors. Located just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin, Mill Valley is the gateway to Muir Woods National Monument and its gorgeous redwood trees, Mt. Tamalpais, and coastal drives & beaches. There are tons of hiking & cycling trails in the area. Bothin Marsh Preserve not only has both, but it’s also a great place for birdwatching. After a day out enjoying all of the outdoor wonders, Mill Valley also has several excellent craft beer spots to relax at. Here are my favorite places for craft beer in Mill Valley, including beer bars & gardens, restaurants, and bottle shops.

The Best Craft Beer Bars in Mill Valley

The Junction Beer Garden

The Junction Beer Garden has Mill Valley’s largest tap selection, with 30 taps, many of which are from local Northern California breweries. They also offer a selection of cans.

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While it’s a nice spot inside, The Junction Beer Garden is most impressive as a beer garden, in case you didn’t guess by the name. It’s a huge space with loads of picnic tables, heaters, and a couple of fire pits.

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There’s also a sizable children’s play area, which parents will like. It’s nice that kids can keep busy in a corner of the place (though a few parents ignore their kids & let them run around the rest of the premises, introducing a bit of an obstacle course for the staff & anyone else carrying beer).

The Junction Beer Garden is a popular spot with cyclists, as it is right on the San Francisco Bay Trail & other cycling routes.

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On-site, there’s also PizzaHacker serving up delicious pizzas, and on weekends BagelMacher offers fresh bagels.

Address: 226 CA-1, Mill Valley, CA 94941 (map)

Hook Fish Co & Proof Lab Beer Garden

Just down the street from The Junction is another excellent beer garden. Hook Fish Co & Proof Lab Beer Garden is a combination restaurant & beer garden on the premises of Proof Lab, a local surf/skate/outdoors shop.

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The beer garden is huge, with lots of sunshine and a variety of seating.

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Along with local seafood dishes from Hook Fish Co, you’ll find around 40 taps of craft beer, ciders, kombuchas, and non-alcoholic drinks plus a selection of cans. While the menu may not be up-to-date with the exact beer names since there’s plenty of rotation, you can ask the friendly staff or the names are on the taps themselves.

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Address: 254 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley, CA 94941 (map)

Floodwater

Floodwater is an appropriate name for a bar & restaurant in Mill Valley, especially one in this location. The low-lying area is prone to flooding during winter storms or king tides, a problem that will only get worse in the coming years.

Putting aside that future discomfort for now, Floodwater is a bustling gathering spot with a full selection of drinks (including 12 taps of craft beer) as well as a comfort food-focused menu. While Floodwater is attached to the recently refurbished Holiday Inn Express, it’s much better than a regular basic hotel bar/restaurant and draws in more than just hotel guests.

Inside there’s a huge bar space with TVs showing sports, while outside there’s a patio with fire pits, heaters, and another television.

I didn’t expect to be sitting by a fire pit on a frigid night while drinking Pliny the Elder and eating fresh pretzels and matzo ball soup with plentiful chicken in it, but I’m glad it happened.

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Address: 152 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley, CA 94941 (map)

Tamalpie Pizzeria

Tamalpie is a Mill Valley pizza restaurant that also has a good selection of craft beer.

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Their menu features their 48-hour dough rise pizza along with other Italian dishes.

While the beer selection of 7 taps, plus 7 or so bottles & cans isn’t large, the quality is good, including local beers & a house pilsner. There is also a nice wine selection.

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While you can sit inside, outside there is a huge patio with lots of heaters and views of Mount Tam, which of course the restaurant is named after.

Address: 477 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941 (map)

The Best Bottle Shops in Mill Valley

Mill Valley Market

Mill Valley Market is a local, independent grocery store in Mill Valley. They offer an outstanding craft beer selection, featuring over 400 different beers. They even have a beer club that offers new curated selections each month.

Address: 5704 Commerce Blvd, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 (map)

What are your favorite Mill Valley craft beer spots? Let me know in the comments!

Do you love craft beer? Check out more of my recommendations for the best craft beer around the world!

Here are some great San Francisco tours & activities & other things to see & do in Mill Valley.

If you’re looking for a place to stay near Mill Valley, check out these Mill Valley hotels.

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