The craft brew culture is in full swing in California, and with so many new breweries emerging each year, it's difficult to know which will ultimately succeed and which will fade into further obscurity. Here are three breweries to keep your eye on in the coming year.

First up is Heretic Brewing, located in Pittsburg/Fairfield, whose first kegs were released in mid-2011. Heretic's brewer, Jamil Zainasheff, was something of a homebrew celebrity even before launching the brewery; in addition to winning multiple awards at homebrew competitions, he has hosted a radio show on The Brewing Network and co-authored a book on yeast. His passion for brewing beer, and doing it right, is evident in Heretic's Evil Twin red ale, Shallow Grave porter, Evil Cousin IPA, and more.

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Photo by Eric Pietras