Bottle shop · Albany
Ale Tales
Albany's craft beer store, a mile off I-80: a rotating shelf of local beer sold as singles, with Ghost Town, Original Pattern and Barebottle all on its current menu.
A shop built around the singles
Ale Tales calls itself Albany's craft beer store, and it's built for trying things: you can buy everything as a single, so a mixed six-pack is whatever you pick off the shelf. On Wednesdays, double IPA singles are $5 in store. A 2026 reviewer singled out its setup for cold beer, which is what you want for that kind of shelf.
The shop describes its selection as an endlessly rotating lineup of popular local craft beer. InsideHook's Bay Area bottle-shop guide pointed to its IPAs, hoppy beers, meads and wild ales.
The route's beer is here
If you drove the route and missed a stop, this is the place to catch up. On November 4, 2026, its Untappd menu listed Ghost Town (Ossuary, Pena Smrti and Polydactyl among them), Original Pattern (The Full Nelson, Krush Groove, Sheeeeeeesh!) and Barebottle (Gelato Kush, Doctor's Orders, Crystal Waves).
Before you go
It's on Solano Avenue, about a mile up from the Buchanan Street exit. Ale Tales also takes orders online and ships within California, and its Untappd menu is the quickest way to check what's in before you drive over. Wherever you buy, check the packaged-on date before the price, especially on anything hoppy, and pick from the cold shelf when there is one.
Sources
Part of the I-80 corridor bottle shop guide. We describe places; we don't rate them.