Hops & Scotch

7001 Sunne Ln #100
Walnut Creek CA 94597
(925) 378-7980
  • PUB QUIZ—Mondays @ 6:00pm
About Hops & Scotch

Whisk(e)y originates from Gaelic for “water of life”. According to author David Broom, the Scots and Irish Gaelic translation of this is uisge beatha. This referred to a proto-whisk(e)y redistilled with spices and herbs and the straight version became known as 'usky'."

Now is it Whiskey or Whisky? In short, the spelling "whiskey" is common in the United States and Ireland. The rest of the world, including Japan, Scotland and Canada, uses "whisky."

Bourbon, Rye, Single Malts, Blends - they're all whisk(e)y. There is no one right way to drink all whisk(e)ys. Whether you drink it neat or on the rocks, whisk(e)y is one of America's most beloved spirits.  Enjoying this beverage is a personal journey that could easily change from week to week, day to day, drink to drink.

You'll find that many whisk(e)ys are greatly enhanced by ice, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't at least try the whiskey neat. Have you tried your Scotch with a few drops of mineral water?  A splash of water can be a great thing as it releases the hydrophobic elements in the glass, allowing you to detect more aromatics on the nose, and by lowering the alcohol content, it can allow you to taste more flavors on your palate.

At Hops & Scotch we have over 450 types of whisk(e)ys ranging from American Bourbon to Japanese Whisk(e)y.  Whether you like your rye neat or your Scotch with a drop of mineral water, or your bourbon with our ice spheres molded at the bar, Hops & Scotch is sure to have something to please your palate!

QUIZ RECAP

Mon Apr 7 2025
| by Quizmaster Aaron Graifman
|

King Trivia Recap – Championship Night at Hops And Scotch

Theme: Doubles, Drama, and Bourbon-Powered Brackets

 

We had a rowdy, packed house this week with the NCAA National Championship on the big screens and Makers Mark in the building handing out free drinks and tote bags—because nothing pairs with trivia like a smooth pour and a little swag.

 

The game started with sparks flying. Teams were gambling early, and when the dust settled, CiA—who had been lurking in the lower ranks—launched to first with 57 points, hitting a triple boom streak of doubles that left the rest of the field scrambling to keep up.

 

Meg Ryan Moments and Full Frontal Brewedity both finished with 50 points, tied for second after a night of smooth, strategic play. So how do you break a tie on a night this wild?

You flip a coin.

And in true dramatic fashion, the coin favored Full Frontal Brewedity, landing them in second place, with Meg Ryan Moments taking a very respectable third.

 

Ménage e Moi and Aegis Grandpas kept things spicy, tying for fourth with 39 points, just a few doubles shy of overtaking the leaders.

 

From there, Enter Sandman (32), J.A.K. (25), The Einsteins (24), and Coogars (19) kept the energy high and the competition tight all the way down the leaderboard.

 

Between the bourbon, the bracket, and the biggest coin flip of the night, it was a trivia evening for the books.

See you next week—maybe fewer sports, but never less chaos.

 

Game Rank Team # Team Name Score Teams Beaten Team Beat Average
1 CiA 57 12 1.000
2 84814 Meg Ryan Moments 50 10 0.875
2 91227 Full Frontal Brewedity 50 10 0.875
4 Ménage e Moi 39 8 0.708
4 148126 Aegis Grandpas 39 8 0.708
6 Enter Sandman 32 7 0.583
7 J.A.K. 25 6 0.500
8 104983 The Einsteins 24 5 0.417
9 Coogars 19 4 0.333
10 Pops 15 3 0.250
11 156511 Choice 0 0 0.028
11 Guest 925 0 0 0.028
11 Bb 0 0 0.028

QUIZ RECAP

Mon Mar 31 2025
| by Quizmaster Aaron Graifman
|

King Trivia Recap – Hops and Scotch Edition

Theme of the Night: Claws, Calls, and Close Calls

 

It was a competitive showdown from the very first question, with three teams successfully doubling or nothing in Round 1—

Aegis Grandpas, Low Ball on the Scrotum Pole, and Mipha and the Cat Ladies all came out swinging!

 

Thankfully for Low Ball, they didn’t stay up there with the Cat Ladies too long—

because let’s be honest, that would’ve been a dangerous spot to hang around.

(Don’t worry, we’re keeping it PG-13… barely.)

 

Mipha and the Cat Ladies clawed their way to the top early and stayed there the whole night, finishing with a commanding 65 points and no intention of letting go.

 

Meanwhile, The Answering Machine and Aegis Grandpas were in a phone-tag style battle all night for second place—flipping spots back and forth round after round. In the end, the machine had just one more ring left, finishing at 47 points, just ahead of the Grandpas at 44.

 

Low Ball held strong early but slid into fourth with a solid 40 points—a respectable finish for a team that started off with… well… a bold name.

 

Chillin, Sillygoose, Scotch and Hops, and Anthony rounded out the scoreboard, some playing more casually, others just along for the vibes—and we respect it. Trivia nights are better with friends, drinks, and at least one questionable team name.

 

Thanks to all the teams for a wild and fun night—see you next week for more battles, more jokes, and hopefully fewer scrotum-related puns. Maybe. No promises.

 

Game Rank Team # Team Name Score Teams Beaten Team Beat Average
1 137718 Mipha and the Cat Ladies 65 7 1.000
2 142491 The Answering Machine 47 6 0.857
3 148126 Aegis Grandpas 44 5 0.714
4 154714 Low ball on the scrotum pole 40 4 0.571
5 Chillin 8 3 0.429
6 Sillygoose 3 1 0.214
6 Scotch and hops 3 1 0.214
8 155962 Anthony 0 0 0.000

QUIZ RECAP

Mon Mar 24 2025
| by Quizmaster Alexander Yee
|

Game Rank Team # Team Name Score Teams Beaten Team Beat Average
1 The Answering Machine 71 7 1.000
2 151139 Team Titans 47 6 0.857
3 Welcome to the Jungle 37 5 0.714
4 The Marshmallows 30 4 0.571
5 DEStiny 28 3 0.429
6 155315 Indiana 17 2 0.286
7 Awk first date 12 1 0.143
8 155310 Good Will Is Hunting 9 0 0.000