September 9, 2016
THE PRESS
CRAFT BEER & LOCAL PUBS SPECIAL EDITION
Photo by Tony Kukulich
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THEPRESS.NET
SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
CRAFT BEER & LOCAL PUBS
Find the perfect brew at the Craft Beer Festival AMY SCHRADER
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re you looking for the perfect sip of beer?
Beer lovers and those who are just curious for a taste can have their choice of more than 40 different beers from 20 exceptional breweries at the third-annual Downtown Brentwood Craft Beer Festival, on Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Brentwood Community Center. Presented by the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, the event pays homage to the East Bay Area’s craft beer scene and marries artisan craft beers, music and food in the heart of Brentwood. “Craft beer is the new wine, and breweries are really pushing the envelope on what’s possible with incorporating unusual ingredients, techniques and flavors,” said Brentwood Chamber of Commerce President Dan Torres. “This is a great opportunity to sample and narrow down what you like and gain a better understanding of what craft beer is all about.” This year’s event includes an outdoor beer garden, a DJ, food available for purchase from Extreme Pizza and Yum Squared, a home-brewer competition, a home-brewing demo, raffle prizes, business vendors, a selfie station and more. The event is cash-only, so attendees will need to have cash on hand for the food, raffle, T-shirts and other items. According to Torres, the event represents the growing tastes of the community and what residents would like to see more of in Brentwood. “The tastes of the community and what they want to see more of has changed,” said Torres. “Brentwood is a microcosm of the growing movement for the demand of unique places to go and eat and drink.” Many of the breweries participating in the festival are located in the East Bay, so after picking out your favorite brew, guests can actually visit taprooms and expand their palates even further. “Right now, especially because there are so many breweries, brewers are trying to stand out, and experimentation is the way to do that,” said J.J. Phair, president of E.J. Phair Brewing Company in Pittsburg. According to Phair, sours are very big right now, as well as exotic fruits and dessert beers that incorporate cocoa nibs and other sweet flavors into the beer. Phair is looking forward bringing E.J. Phair’s brews to the festival. “It’s great because brewers get to showcase their product to an audience they might not have had the chance to reach, and people get to try different varieties of beer you can’t find at your local store or bar,” he said. Besides putting a spotlight on brews, the annual event is also a fundraiser for
Schedule: 12 p.m.: Will Call & ID Check Open; Remaining tickets will be sold if available 1 p.m.: Event Doors Open 3:45 p.m.: Raffle Closes: Raffle Winners Posted 4:00 p.m.: Homebrew Contest Voting Closes 4:30 p.m.: Beer Tasting Closes 5:00 p.m.: Festival Concludes; Must Pick Up Raffle Prizes
Booths: 1. REPOWER by Solar Universe 2. Sierra Nevada Brewing 3. Track 7 Brewing 4. Sudwerk Brewing 5. Heretic Brewing 6. Altamont Beer Works 7. Morgan Territory Brewing 8. Lost Coast Brewery 9. Drake’s Brewing
the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit organization that presents special community events including The Great American Campout, Hometown Halloween and the Holiday Parade. Proceeds from the event are shared with local service clubs who assisted in producing the festival, including the Brentwood Lions, Kiwanis Club of
10. Renewal by Andersen 11. E.J. Phair Brewing 12. Chrissa Imports 13. Fieldwork Brewing 14. Law Offices of Silky Sahnan 15. Stone Brewing 16. Lagunitas Brewing 17. Trumer Brauerei 18. West Coast Solar
Brentwood and the Soroptomists of the Delta. The festival will be held from 1 to 5 p.m., in the Brentwood Community Center, located at 35 Oak St. Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door and $5 for designated drivers. For those without designated drivers, the chamber encourages the following options to ensure every-
19. Blue Waters Marketing 20. Sand Creek Pub 21. Carneros Brewing 22. Working Man Brewing 23. Ninkasi Brewing 24. Dust Bowl Brewing 25. Saint Archer Brewing 26. Epidemic Ales
one gets home safely: Tri-Delta Transit, which will have free passes available at the event; Uber or Lyft; or local taxis at 925-240-0140, 925-209-8290. For more information or tickets, call 925-634-3344 or visit www.brentwoodchamber.com or www.facebook.com/ brentwoodcraftbeerfestival. To comment, visit www.thepress.net.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
CRAFT BEER & LOCAL PUBS
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It’s all on tap at the Imperiale Beer Cafe AMY SCHRADER
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randon Freel and Jessica Walsh travel all over the West Coast looking for the
best craft beers. Why? Because craft breweries are fueling a flavor revolution, producing an estimated 24.5 million barrels of beer in 2015, which earmarked an astounding 12 percent market share of the overall beer industry. From local pubs to cigar shops and baseball stadiums, craft beers have taken over taps across America. Freel and Walsh want to find the most exquisite craft beer and bring it back to Imperiale Beer Cafe, their craft-beer-forward bar and bottle shop in Brentwood. The cafe has 18 rotating taps of imported and domestic beer,
ON THE COVER: Clockwise from left: Bartender Jason Lay, Imperiale owners Brandon Freel and Jessica Walsh and bartender Nicole Colbert, welcome customers to the Imperiale Beer Cafe, where guests can choose from 18 rotating taps of craft beer and rare, hard to find bottles of beer.
as well as bottled beer from all over the world, which can be served in-house or taken to go. While there are many opportunities to try craft beer, finding a bar that is knowledgeable about how to properly serve the beer can make the experience even more enjoyable. “We’re true fans of beer,” said Freel. “We want to bring variety and knowledge of the best beer to the East Bay and serve it correctly to enhance the full flavor and aroma.” To do that, Freel and Walsh visit small to mid-sized breweries that do self-distribution. According to Freel, breweries are constantly coming up with new hops and beer flavors to meet the growing demand for fuller flavored products. Sour beers, a tradition in Belgium and France, have become a current trend with craft beers. Freel and Walsh’s search for a unique sour beer led them to The Good Beer Company in Santa Ana, where they tried the Perfect Flower, an ale they brought back to the cafe. “It’s a dry, hop-infused ale with hibiscus that almost tastes like tea,” said Freel. After visiting Rip Current Brewing see Beer page 6B
Photo by Tony Kukulich
Bartender Nicole Colbert pulls back on one of the cafe’s beer taps. The popular new cafe offers one of the best craft beer selections in East County.
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SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
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earching for a good place to grab a glass of your favorite craft beer? There’s no need to go very far; plenty of local places are dedicated to bringing great craft beer right to you. There’s a place for every taste right here in town!
BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse This spacious restaurant, located in the Streets of Brentwood, boasts a full bar featuring 50 rotating taps, 30 of which are dedicated to craft beers, including BJ’s own awardwinning brews. With local ingredients for their menu items and a family-friendly atmosphere, BJ’s is a community-driven place that feels welcoming from the moment you step through the door.
Extreme Pizza Located in Brentwood, Extreme Pizza is the place for anybody who loves beer and pizza. Every week, there’s Thirsty Thursday, where four of the 10 taps on site are taken over by a brewery to showcase its best beers. The atmosphere is laid back, yet the extreme sports decor and four televisions broadcasting various games are enough to get the adrenaline pumping. Look for specialty pizzas ranging from vegan to gluten free to accommodate all diets.
Co. Co. County Wine Company
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Located on 1st Street in Brentwood, you’ll find plenty of wines to love here with more than 30 varieties to sip and savor in an environment that is decidedly upscale and welcoming. But this wine boutique also has a nice mix of beers on tap and 12 varieties in the bottle. This popular hangout also features an eclectic mix of live music on the weekends. Co. Co. Wine is available for meetings and private events.
Crown and Crow A self-described artisanal
craft-cocktail bar in downtown Brentwood, Crown and Crow prides itself on quality ingredients and locality. Many of the featured beers hail from local breweries, although the owners have been known to hit the road in search of exciting new beers unavailable in this area. The full bar exudes a quiet aura, where the goal is for people to be able to stop in and enjoy themselves, whether it be in the bar or outside in the courtyard near the fountain. Coming soon will be a small pub menu, but outside food is welcome as well. Their bloody Marys are No.1 on Yelp!
The Game This popular locale, on Oak Street in Brentwood, may have 11 tap handles and a variety of bottled beer and wine, but the sense of community is what makes it really stand out. Between the nine televisions hang memorabilia related to local sports. Whether it’s the high school softball team or a nearby professional team, such as the San Francisco Giants or San Jose Sharks, there is something to represent them on the walls of The Game. The owner has made it his goal to keep The Game a family-oriented place to get a good slice of pizza while watching a game. The restaurant features arcade games, a party room and a fresh salad bar.
Imperiale Beer Café One of the best new places to grab a beer in Brentwood. The cafe’s chalkboard wall and countertop made of bottle caps immediately establish it as a place unlike any other. Its atmosphere is relaxed; patrons play board games and drink beer from one of 18 rotating taps or rare and hard-to-find bottles owner Brandon Freel prides himself on stocking. In fact, Freel often travels out of town, seeking the best beers that are typically not found in the Bay Area. A full calendar of events ensures there’s always a reason to come back.
& LOCAL PUBS
THEPRESS.NET
ss: A Guide to Local Pubs 311 Oak Street Pub
Tailgaters
Billed as an east-coast-style pub, a better description might be to call it Brentwood’s very own Cheers. Norm and Cliff would not look out of place sidled up at the bar, watching one of the five big-screen TVs. The bar features 11 taps of craft and domestic beers, in addition to a variety of wine and spirits and a menu featuring what one customer called the best nachos he’d ever tasted. Arcade games, a pool table, jukebox and outside area complete with fountain make this the type of place where you’d like everybody to know your name.
This bar has two locations in East County – one in Brentwood and one in Antioch. The Brentwood location features 29 tap handles in its full bar, while the Antioch location has 10 of its own. Both pride themselves on keeping their craft beer selection local, featuring breweries as nearby as San Leandro and Pittsburg. Both locations are a mecca for sports fans, with 20 televisions in Brentwood and 34 in Antioch – all tuned in to a variety of games. The list of sports being shown at any given moment is expansive. Fans of good food won’t be disappointed with their delicious, new, homemade menu items.
This Oakley restaurant feels like your friendly, small-town diner. Its full bar features eight taps of domestic and craft beer, and the first Thursday of every month has been deemed Pint Night, with specials on pints of beer. The cuisine is American, with an exciting new menu coming Sept. 5. Although Monday is football night, the owners insist that the most fun to be had is Family Feud Night on Tuesdays, when the popular game show is replicated in the restaurant. Even people who didn’t come in to play can’t help but join in.
Sand Creek Pub Look for this new spot to come to Brentwood very soon. The owner hopes to see it flourish as a familyfriendly spot for hanging out and having a good time. Once open, it will feature a full kitchen and a bar that serves beer and wine. The 20 taps will have a variety of beers, from domestics to stouts and IPA to sours. The menu is unlike any other and will specialize in crepes, salads and panini. Three 55-inch televisions have been installed, and the owner’s experience working in the movie-theater business has inspired him to broadcast largerthan-life NFL games using a projector. Look for this new addition to the community scene later this year.
UnWined Located in Discovery Bay, this quaint, neighborhood wine bar boasts a decidedly casual vibe. Six rotating taps of craft beer are available, with frequent Tap Takeovers – when a specific brewery features its beers exclusively to introduce them to a wider audience. Cheese lovers will enjoy the menu, which specializes in cheese platters, grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese. More than 20 wines are available, and a full calendar of events includes Farmers Market Night on Thursdays; live music during the week; and frequent paint nights for patrons to paint along with an instructor while sipping their favorite wine or beer.
MEDAL LD AWARD
2014
GO
Providence Bar & Eatery
Opening Soon!
50 Sand Creek Road www.SandCreekPub.com Come visit us at the
Craft Beer Festival
Sat. September 17 Brentwood Community Center
Vine + Grain This is another one of the new, exciting places to open in the Streets of Brentwood. The owners describe its casual ambience as having an approachable elegance, with open seating and a large, outdoor patio. Featuring 35 wines, a menu of small bites and 12 rotating taps of craft beer, Vine + Grain is no stranger to variety. The bar will be celebrating its first anniversary on Sept. 17, with a party featuring a DJ and specials all day. –Jake Menez
513-5359
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www.vandgbrentwood.com
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THEPRESS.NET
CRAFT BEER & LOCAL PUBS
SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
Understanding craft brew vs. microbrew JAKE MENEZ
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mong beer lovers, one of the most confusing debates is the difference between craft
brew and microbrew. Do these terms have different meanings, or can they be used interchangeably to mean the same thing? The answer to both is yes. Founded in 1978, the Brewer’s
Association was founded to create a unifying governing body for brewing that regulates technique while promoting the love of beer. The association defines a craft brewery as small, independent and traditional. A craft brewery produces fewer than 6 million barrels of beer annually. Additionally, less than 25 percent of the company may be owned by an industry member that is not a craft brewery itself; in other words, Budweiser, Coors or any other massproducing brewery. As for technique used to create a craft brew, the association maintains that the majority of the ingredients put into the beer must be either traditional or innovative in nature. Flavored malt beverages like Smirnoff Ice and wine coolers are not considered beer. A microbrew is a beer produced by a microbrewery, which is as one that
Beer from page 3B in San Marcos, winner of the 2015 Best American Beer Festival Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year, Freel and Walsh returned with four kegs of Java Break, which tastes like a cold-pressed coffee with chocolate and toffee tones; Rad Mango Wheat, a citrus sip of summer
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produces fewer than 15,000 barrels of beer annually. Like a craft brewery, a microbrewery must use innovative and traditional ingredients, and less than a 25 percent stake may be owned by a major industry player. “The way they define these things is kind of complicated,” said local beer enthusiast Brian Roberts. Roberts should know – he works for a company that is responsible for ensuring stores carry the finest craft beers and microbrews. “It doesn’t really matter what you call them, as long as they’re good beers,” he said. Keeping this in mind, it can be said that all microbrews are considered to be craft beers, but not all craft beers are microbrews. It all comes down to the amount of beer produced annually.
In this regard, there is a subtle difference between the two terms. However, during the beer boom in the 1990s, when these types of small, independently owned breweries found their footing among the giants such as Budweiser and Coors, most of the breweries were producing fewer than 15,000 barrels annually and were considered to be microbrews. As time went on and some of these breweries, such as Sierra Nevada, expanded and outgrew the microbrew label, the name stuck because it’s what they’d been called for so long. For this reason, many restaurant menus and casual beer drinkers who grew to love beer in this era will still refer to one from any brewery smaller than Coors as a microbrew. The generally accepted term used by those in the know is craft beer, because it encompasses both. To comment, visit www.thepress.net.
that pours bright, light orange; Marine Layer Hefeweizen, a hazy golden beer with flavors of banana and clove; and In the Curl IIPA, something all true hop lovers will enjoy. Regardless of the beer ordered, Imperiale Beer Cafe makes sure it is served the way it should be. According to Freel, who is studying to become a certified cicerone, frosted glasses aren’t cool. “Frozen glasses result in ice crystals that water down your beer,” said Freel. Glassware for beer is also important. “The shape of a glass can promote a healthy foam head that enhances flavors and aromas,” said Freel. The combination of finding the best beer and serving it to customers in a way that enhances the experience has attracted a loyal following for the beer cafe. “Imperiale Beer Cafe’s beer selection is top notch,” said Brentwood resident Tony Belo, who has been drinking craft beers for more than 15 years and searches for the most sought-after beers. “Brandon and Jessica work extremely hard to make
sure that they have beers on tap that most people haven’t heard of or have always wanted to try, but didn’t want to travel 500 miles to get,” added Belo. “They cater to all palates.” Another loyal customer, Clayton Peddy of Antioch, has tried 98 different beers at Imperiale and compares the experience to visiting a winery. “Brandon is not only knowledgeable about how the beers were made, but also about the breweries themselves,” said Peddy. “Talking about the intricacies of each beer makes going to Imperiale an actual experience, similar to that which you’d have in the tasting room of a winery.” While Freel and Walsh continue to hit the road in search of the perfect brew, their customers’ palates and knowledge will continue to grow. Imperiale Beer Cafe is located at 2411 Empire Ave., Suite 101, in Brentwood. For more information, call 925-240-9057 or visit www.facebook.com/imperialebeercafe or www.imperialebeercafe.com. To comment, visit www.thepress.net.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
CRAFT BEER & LOCAL PUBS
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Delta Brewing Club taps into craft beer craze JAKE MENEZ
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or the past 25 years, members of the Delta Brewing Club have gotten
together to drink and admire a variety of craft beers. Members may come and go, but one thing that remains unwavering is their shared love of good brews. Founded in 1991, the Delta Brewing Club has established itself as a social club for beer lovers all over the Bay Area. Although its fifteen members are based primarily in Brentwood, some of the club’s members come from as far away as Richmond and El Cerrito to get together to discuss their passion at meetings taking place at EJ Phaire’s Brewery in Pittsburg. Sultana Charania, a member for the past six years, describes the group as an active social club. “We have a strong focus on teaching the community about the art of home brewing,” said Charania. The venue for their next home brewing demonstration is set for Brentwood’s third-annual Craft Beer Festival, where the club will showcase how easy it is to brew one’s own beers. “By teaching others, we hope to expand the craft and encourage others to try having fun brewing some beer of their own,” said Charania. Fred Nelson, a member of the club for nearly 10 years, is equally enthusiastic. Nelson is in charge of the work behind the scenes, maintaining
Photo courtesy of the Delta Brewing Club
Founded in 1991, members of the Delta Brewing Club, above, have established themselves as a social club for beer lovers. the club’s website and newsletter. He hopes to establish a mailing list at the Brentwood Craft Beer Festival to keep like-minded beer lovers in the loop. “What am I looking forward to the most this year?” asked Nelson. “Meeting different brewers, trying good new beers, seeing old friends and showing new faces how to brew. But most of all, the brewing contest.” The brewing contest is a friendly competition held at the festival, during
which local beer gurus compete to create the best-tasting beer. This year, the Delta Brewing Club will put its skills
to the test by bringing three different beers to the competition. To comment, visit www.thepress.net.
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THEPRESS.NET
SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
CRAFT BEER & LOCAL PUBS
Presents
The Brentwood
Craft Beer Festival Sat. Sept. 17 from 1-5 pm in the
Brentwood Community Center 35 Oak Street
Sample locally made, artisan craft brews from 20 breweries with over 40 different beers to sample! Tickets $30 in advance, $40 at the door • Designated Driver only $5
• Paired food menu available for purchase • Outdoor Beer Garden • Home Brewing Demo • Home Brewing Contest • Photo Selfie Station • Music by DLP Entertainment Limited Capacity. Cash Only Raffle, Food, T-shirts and Tickets, if available.
For more info, call the Chamber at (925) 634-3344 To order tickets go to BrentwoodChamber.com
PARTICIPATING BREWERIES & RESTAURANTS:
Also sponsored by