We stopped by English Ales after spending the afternoon in Monterey's aquarium which was pretty nice, I found this place on Google Maps and appeared to be well rated. English-style ales are often either not English-style at all or labeled as such because it's subpar sugar water, so if an entire American brewery was going to dedicate itself to English beers, it was worth checking out. As it turns out, English Ales is a small operation residing in a very small commercial strip, occupying two or three spaces, one for the brewing, one for the bar, and one for some additional dining tables. There is only one guy at the front, presumably the owner, manning the bar and the floor, serving and busing plates. The ambiance is ok, if a bit out of place with the overall location, with British paraphernalia all over the walls. The ceiling was lined with mugs marked with number, date, and name of the mug's owner. $30 gets you in, but it wasn't clear what you get other than a pricey mug.
Menu was half sandwiches, half British fare with some appetizers and salads. I ordered the "fish, bangers, and chips" which actually only came with one lukewarm but generically tasty banger. The Dragon Slayer IPA was an English-style IPA certainly. If they would call that a Dragon Slayer, an American West coast IPA must be the Devil himself. Nose is a pleasant, mild hop but taste is more on par with the average (not Dale's) American pale. Lingering bitter on the finish and sessionable. There isn't much to say about it.
It's not often that I walk away from a brewery or brewpub without any swag, but nothing here really caught my eye nor did I feel compelled to get anything. There were some bumper stickers and apparel along with a sold-out "Women of English Ales" calendar for sale. As far as glass, only a standard pint glass and a standard brown growler were available, neither of which interested me. Usually, I at least walk away with a coaster, but no coasters here, just napkins.
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