Downtown San Jose Beerwalk - April 5th

Beerwalk is coming to Downtown for the first time ever next week. On Wednesday, April 5th, from 6pm-9pm you can stroll around sampling killer brews while checking out art galleries, boutique shops, and our long list of great restaurants.

The check-in area is Local Color at 27 S. 1st Street and tasting locations include 55 South, AFK, Blush, Firehouse, Five Points, O'Flaherty's, Sushi Confidential and more. You really will be walking since tasting locations stretch from the Historic District to San Pedro Square.

Participating Breweries

• 10 Barrel Brewing Company
• Almanac Brewing
• Altamont Beer Works
• Anchor Brewing
• Ballast Point Brewing Company
• Calicraft Brewing Company
• Discretion Brewing
• Elysian Brewing
• Firestone Brewing Co.
• Golden Road Brewing
• Golden State Brewery
• Goose Island
• Heretic Brewing Company
• Lagunitas Brewing Company
• Lost Coast Brewery
• Saint Archer Brewing Company
• Santa Clara Valley Brewing
• Sierra Nevada
• Strike Brewing Co.
• Uncommon Brewers

Tickets cost $30-$38 and benefit the Bay Area Brewers Guild (Designated Drivers are free of course).

Find out more and get your tickets over here.

Hapa Brewery opens at Midtown Arts Mercantile

San Jose just welcomed its newest craft brewery, conveniently located at the Midtown Arts Mercantile (460 Lincoln Ave.). Hapas's Brewing Company is kicking things off with three different beers: a blond ale, and IPA, and a mocha porter. You can sample all three in their 1,000 SQFT taproom and outdoor patio. Eventually the selection will grow to eight beers and Hapa's is planning to bring in food trucks on weekends.

The taproom is open Wednesday-Thursday from 4pm-9pm, Friday from 3pm-9pm, Saturday from 11am-9pm, and Sunday from 11am-6pm. While you are there you can also check out Chromatic Coffee, Good Karma Bikes, and Terra Amico Studios. For more details, have a look at the full press release below or visit the Hapa's Brewing Company website.

Hapa’s Brewery, Inc. joins city’s robust brewing community

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Adding to a burgeoning craft beer scene in San José, Hapa’s Brewing Co. will celebrate the official opening on Saturday, Feb. 25 of its brewery and taproom inside Midtown Arts Mercantile – the former cannery turned artisanal “maker space” in the city’s Midtown neighborhood. The opening ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at the facility, 460 Lincoln Ave.

The 7,500-square-foot facility is the brainchild of childhood friends Derek Tam and Brian Edwards, who started brewing in Edward’s mother’s Los Gatos home a couple of years ago as a hobby. As they worked to hone their craft, it didn’t take long to home in on a business opportunity.

“There were breweries popping up everywhere, and we realized San José is developing an active brewing ecosystem,” Tam said. “We said it would be so cool to come back to the area where we grew up and turn this hobby into an actual business.”

The pair joined up with experienced Sonoma County brewer Peter Burrell, with Edwards leaving his tech job to work full time alongside Burrell. About 18 months ago, the team signed a lease with San José-based SWENSON for space inside Midtown Arts Mercantile. The 40,000-squarefoot facility was designed from the ground up for manufacturers, artists, and creative retailers. Other occupants include Chromatic Coffee, Good Karma Bikes, and Terra Amico Studio.

San José Economic Development staff assisted the developer of Hapa’s Brewing with project review, seeing a chance to preserve a historic industrial building for modern “maker” uses.

"We know there's lots of demand for industrial uses throughout San José, and Hapa's arrival at Midtown Arts Mercantile shows these older buildings can be a perfect fit when creatively retrofitted," said Kim Walesh, Economic Development Director and Deputy City Manager for the City of San Jose. "We're happy to welcome Hapa's Brewing to the midtown neighborhood."

Hapa’s Brewing kicks off with three brews – including a blond ale, an IPA, and a mocha porter - as it ramps up to a planned eight taps. The facility comprises a 1,000 square foot taproom and an outdoor patio, complete with roll-up doors. While it doesn’t offer its own food, Hapa’s plans to bring in food trucks on weekend afternoons. For now, Hapa’s is focused on the taproom experience, and is researching wholesale agreements with local bars, restaurants, and grocers.

“Hapa’s is exactly the kind of tenant we are seeking for Midtown Arts Mercantile: A unique local business that will provide the neighborhood with a fantastic social gathering space,” said Forrest Cerrato, portfolio manager for real estate developer SWENSON.

Hapa’s joins a small but growing ecosystem of craft beer and other craft drink-related businesses in San José. In the last two years, San José’s venerable Gordon Biersch has been joined by Strike Brewing, Hermitage Brewing, Santa Clara Valley Brewing and Coterie Cellars. Last year, GigaYeast – which makes liquid yeast for commercial and home brewers – opened on Qume Drive.

For more information on Hapas Brewing, visit hapasbrewing.com.

About San José Office of Economic Development
The San José Office of Economic Development is committed to a vital, competitive San José
economy that increases prosperity for people and companies. OED guides the city’s economic
strategy, provides assistance for business success, connect employers with trained workers, and
provides art and cultural resources to our community. For more information, go to
sjeconomy.com.

About City of San José
San José, Capital of Silicon Valley, is the largest city in Northern California and the 10th largest
city in the nation, with an ethnically diverse population of more than one million. San José was
founded in 1777, once served as the state capital of California, and encompasses 180 square
miles. The City’s website is sanjoseca.gov.
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"For Pete's Sake" Brewfest at Spartan Stadium

In case you haven't yet heard, there's an epic tailgate party/local beerfest at Spartan Stadium tomorrow - Saturday, Nov. 19 - from 2:30pm to 6:30pm. Tickets - $40 if purchased in advance and $50 for any remaining on the day of the event - include a 5-oz. taster to sample brewery offerings, unlimited tastings and a ticket to the final home game for Spartans football. You’ll need code “FORPETESSAKE16” to purchase tickets.

The beerfest - "For Pete's Sake" Brewfest - is brought to you by Hermitage Brewing Company in partnership with the SJSU Athletics Department and will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and event namesake Peter Cogan.

Below is the current list of participating breweries:

• Hermitage Brewing Company
• Tied House Microbrewery
• Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
• Santa Clara Valley Brewing
• Strike Brewing Co.
• Red Branch Cider Company
• Rabbit’s Foot Meadery
• High Water Brewing
• Uncommon Brewers
• Almanac Beer Co.
• Santa Cruz Ale Works
• Discretion Brewing
• El Toro Brewpub
• Bison Organic Beer
• Faultline Brewing Company
• Gordon Biersch Brewing Company
• Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
• Seabright Brewery
• Sactown Union Brewery

Check out my post on my local beer site for a Q & A with Peter Cogan, a longtime employee of Tied House/Hermitage and overall good guy.

Stike Brewing Co. "Cheers to 2 Years" anniversary party on October 8th

One of San Jose's first craft breweries is celebrating two years at their S. 10th street location! To honor the occasion, Strike Brewing is throwing a huge party with killer beer, food trucks, live music, and a silent auction.

Tickets to the event cost $20 in advance or $25 at the door. That includes a special glass that's yours to keep and 3 pints of your choosing (everything is a pint that day).

To help absorb some of the delicious beer, the Gow Chow food truck will be on site from 1-5pm, followed by Kushi Yaki at 5-9pm. It all goes down on October 8th at 2099 S. 10th St. #30, San Jose, CA 95112.

Tickets are on sale now right over here. For more info, check out Strike's Facebook page.

San Jose Brew Bike

With so many great beer options in Downtown San Jose, it's surprising we didn't get one of these sooner. San Jose Brew Bike is essentially a giant bike that takes you and up to 14 friends on a tour of San Jose's top beer hotspots. Don't worry, the person steering does not partake in the tastings.

The standard two hour tour will stop at three different establishments and stay for 30 minutes at each stop. The extended tours allow for a fourth or even a fifth stop. Tours begin and end at 286 West San Fernando Street (next to Adobe).

The cost is $25/person from Sunday-Thursday and $30/person on Friday-Saturday. This includes a designated tour guide, bottles of water, and discounts at each stop. You do have to be 21 and over.

For more info and to book a tour, head over to the San Jose Brew Bike website.

Beers in Hell 2016

A unique event combining five craft breweries and 11 underground bands is coming to Johnny V's next weekend (Saturday, 9/24). Heavy San Jose, Ripple Music, and Doomed & Stoned are behind the festival which features heavy-blues, rock, and classic heavy metal music.

There will be 12 taps and brewery reps on site to talk beer and music. The breweries are Ballast Point, Lagunitas, Firestone Walker, Oskar Blues, and our very own Santa Clara Valley Brewing. SCVB will even concoct a special "Hell Brew IPA" just for the event.

Tickets are $20 and you can get additional perks and merch at the Indiegogo campaign over here. The event will run from 5pm to 1:30am at Johnny V's, 31 East Santa Clara Street.

About Heavy San Jose

Heavy San Jose is more than just a concert promotions company, we are creating a community of musicians, music lovers, and others in the industry who simply want to do what they love and help others do the same by offering as many ways as possible to support local music, see great live bands, and live a life filled with music. Our aim is to foster, help grow and bring further recognition to the Bay Area music scene, as well as to support the touring bands passing through.

To learn more visit:

www.heavysj.com

www.facebook.com/heavysjc

Bellpenny Brewing Company Releases Inaugural Beer

Congrats are in order for Bellpenny Brewing Company. They just released their inaugural beer, an ESB known for its balanced malt and hop flavors.

Their ESB can be found at downtown's ISO: Beers and Original Gravity Public House.

Before they open their own San Jose brewery, they'll be brewing their beers at local breweries, including at the brewery of their good friends at Santa Clara Valley Brewing.

The founders of Bellpenny Brewing are Char Boger and Jim Turturici, two well-known folks among the local beer community.

I've written more about Bellpenny Brewing at my local (mostly) San Jose beer site.

Cheers!

A Recent Visit to Hermitage Brewing Company

Since their opening in 2009, Hermitage Brewing Company has grown five-fold in terms of their brewery and operations space at their 7th Street location. Their growth is a reflection of the growing demand for their beers and their brewing services.

Recent beer awards and accolades include the bronze medal for Maltopia Scotch Ale in the Scottish-Style Ale category at the prestigious World Beer Cup held earlier this year, 1st place in the Sour Ale category for Sour Cherry Sour at this year’s California State Fair Commercial Craft Brew Competition and inclusion in this year’s top 50 (out of 247) of Paste Magazine’s popular American IPA blind tasting for Citra Single Hop IPA, coming in at #35.

They also have a separate sour beer making facility to release more of their own sour beers, while maintaining their high quality standards.

I recently visited Hermitage and toured the facilities with brewmaster Peter Licht and head brewer and cellarmaster Greg Filippi. I also took a bunch of pictures. Click here for the post.

Cheers!

Strike Brewing Company Scores a Hit with its Bullpen Series

The Bullpen Series from Strike Brewing Company has been all about the chance to offer guests a wider variety of beer styles at the taproom. It's also provided an outlet for Strike to develop and try out new recipes.

Recent beers coming out of the Bullpen Series have included Berliner Weisse with blueberries and pomegranate, Rained Out Pale Ale with pineapple and toasted coconut, Bergamot Breakfast Pale Ale with local lemon zest and Earl Grey tea, Milk Stout and Big Wall Imperial Stout with Madagascar Vanilla Beans.

With such creative beers coming out every month or so and only available at the taproom, it's not a surprise that these Bullpen beers don't last long upon their release.

I was curious about how the Bullpen Series came about and was able to connect with its developer, Strike brewer Ryan Bridge, a South Bay native. My Q&A with him can be found here on my local beer site.

Strike is also celebrating the 2nd anniversary of their taproom opening on Oct. 8. Click here for more info. and tickets.

Cheers!

Uproar Brewing Company Hopes to Open by the End of the Year

I thought I'd pop in to provide a quick update on Uproar Brewing Company. I recently visited the brewery to check out the progress on their buildout and to find out when they might be looking to open.

Though there weren't any specific opening dates mentioned, they were all hopeful that they would be able to open by the end of the year.

It was evident inside the building that a lot of construction has taken place, and it was great to see that most of the brewery equipment had already arrived.

I wrote a quick post about the visit - with a bunch of pictures - over at my local beer site at gratefulhubby.com.

Prost! Gunbae! Cheers!

San Jose's Strike Brewing Co. wins a Silver Medal at the 2016 US Open Beer Championship

Huge congratulations to one of San Jose's first craft beer companies. Strike Brewing Co. scored 2nd place at a national championship among thousands of entries. Their Screaming Hand Imperial Amber Ale took home the Silver in the Imperial Red category. The beer is now sold throughout California, but I would recommend visiting Strike's taproom for the full experience at 2099 S. 10th St. (Wed-Thu 4pm-8pm, Fri 3pm-9pm, Sat 1pm-9pm, Sunday 1pm-7pm).

For more information head over to the Strike website or read the press release below.

SAN JOSE — San Jose craft brewer Strike Brewing Company has won a silver medal for their Screaming Hand Imperial Amber Ale.

Brewmaster and co-founder Drew Ehrlich said, “We’re very proud that Screaming Hand Imperial Amber Ale took Silver in the Imperial Red category of the 2016 U.S. Open Beer Championships. We already thought this beer was special. But it’s great to get the recognition the too.”

Strike co-founder and CEO, Jenny Lewis says “Not only is this great news, it is also perfect timing as we’re helping iconic local skateboarding company Santa Cruz Skateboards celebrate the 30th anniversary of Screaming Hand at their art opening on Friday, August 5th.”

Award winning Screaming Hand Imperial Amber Ale is available throughout the state of California.

For more information, visit StrikeBrewingCo.com/ScreamingHand

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ABOUT STRIKE BREWING COMPANY
Strike Brewing Company was founded in 2014 and was born out of the desire to make great craft beer. With their standard lineup of ales, seasonal rotation of holiday specialties, and experimental Bullpen Series, Strike Brewing Co. is helping make San Jose a craft beer destination. For more information, visit StrikeBrewingCo.com.

ABOUT SANTA CRUZ SKATEBOARDS
Santa Cruz Skateboards, located in Santa Cruz California, was established in 1973 by then owners, Richard Novak, Doug Haut and Jay Shuirman who founded NHS Inc. Santa Cruz Skateboards has long been revered as one of the original skateboard companies that has not only survived over the years but contributed to the innovation and modernization of skateboards and skateboarding. In 2013 NHS celebrated its 40th anniversary. Follow us on Instagram @Santacruzskateboards and @Santacruzskate on Snapchat, Twitter and Periscope.

Silicon Valley Beer Week kicks off tomorrow

If you love beer, you are likely going to enjoy the next 9 days. Dozens of beer-centric events will take place throughout Silicon Valley from July 22nd to the end of the months. These range from tastings, beer food-pairings, brewery tours, beer walks, and sessions with brewers. Given how quickly our beer scene is growing, I wouldn't be surprised if this ranks as the most impressive beer week to date for our region. For the complete list of events, head over to the Silicon Valley Beer Week events page!

Good Karma gets a new artsy paint job

One of the best Vegan restaurants and craft beer spots in Downtown San Jose has a slick new facade. Surprisingly, the was the first place Downtown to feature an assortment of rare craft beers. Now there are five such places within a 3 minute walk and about a dozen in Downtown San Jose. If you have yet to try out Good Karma--regardless of whether you are vegan or a carnivore--you must check this place out!

Source: Quadshock from The San Jose Development Forum, SubZERO via Twitter

Santa Clara Valley Brewing hosts inaugural beer dinner

One of our local San Jose breweries - Santa Clara Valley Brewing (101 East Alma Ave.) - will be hosting its first ever beer dinner Wednesday, Jan. 27 starting at 6:30pm.

Tickets are $70, and based on the menu as well as the brewery's well-regarded reputation, the event looks to be a good one.

Appetizer
Beef Slider with Caramelized Onions and Sauteed Mushrooms
Paired with Dry Creek Blonde Ale

First Course
Electric Tower Beer Cheese Soup
Paired with Electric Tower IPA

Second Course
Seared Local Halibut with Cardamom and Coriander Scents, Wilted Spinach, Butter Braised Baby Carrots, Meyer Lemon Oil Paired with Saison

Third Course
Pot De Creme
Paired with Peralta Porter

 I've written a bit more about this event over at Examiner.com.

Cheers!

Good Karma Artisan Ales & Cafe and Russian River Brewing Company Beer Dinner

Two favorites among many local beer fans unite for a beer-and-food pairing dinner taking place tomorrow (Thursday), Dec. 3 from 5pm to 8pm. As the blog post title indicates, I'm referring to Good Karma in downtown San Jose and Russian River Brewing Company. Additional information - which I previously wrote on Examiner.com - is below.

Carefully crafted vegan dishes will be paired with the following ales – all on tap – from Russian River Brewing: STS Pils (Czech Pilsener), Blind Pig IPA, Pliny the Elder (Double IPA), Temptation (Wild Ale) and Consecration (Wild Ale). While Russian River Brewing IPAs and wild ales continue to be the standards for their respective beer styles among many beer enthusiasts, having these five beers all on tap in the South Bay is a rarity.

Tickets are $55 per person, and reservations can be made via the dinner's EventBrite page. Payment for the dinner will be collected at the event. Good Karma will be open back to the public at 8pm.

Good Karma owner Ryan Summers, who has done much to elevate the local beer scene, recently took the time to answer a few questions regarding the upcoming beer dinner.

How did the idea for this dinner come about?
Natalie and Michael Benz from Russian River Brewing Company had been in town a few months back for business, and they were kind enough to stop by for dinner and a beer. At some point in the conversation, we threw around the idea of hosting a beer pairing and dinner. A few weeks and multiple emails later, the plan was in motion.

Can you please confirm that the five featured RRBC beers will all be on tap?
The lineup is all draught... Pliny the Elder, STS Pils, Blind Pig, Temptation and Consecration. We're lucky that we get Pliny on the regular in Santa Clara County. Blind Pig hasn't been down this way in 6 plus years. And STS Pils barely makes it out of the brewery, if at all. Temptation and Consecration – the sour, mixed fermentation barrel-aged beer components for the dinner – are such a treat.
The love, talent and care it takes to produce beers of this caliber is high art to say the least. We are beyond honored, and needless to say excited, to work with this great list of beers.

Can you provide a sneak peek of any of the vegan dish pairings?
There's a lot to play with when it comes to food and beer. We're excited to rehydrate Guajillo and California Chilis with Blind Pig for the Chili Colorado with young Jack Fruit. We'll be incorporating Temptation with an Exotic Mushroom Ceviche... That's too many spoilers already!

Anything else to add?
I've run Good Karma for almost ten years now. The relationships we've built, the experiences we've shared, the smiles we've inspired continue to inspire and us... day in, day out. The beer community continues to be some of the warmest, friendliest bunch of people I've ever encountered. Pair that with music, food, thought and reflection... the whole world just makes more sense.

Sourisseau News: Ice Cold Beer!

In the latest installment of Sourisseau News, learn about the history of beer in San Jose. The local beer scene is exploding today, but its history goes back over 150 years. Eagle Brewery was founded in 1853 by a German immigrant and was the first brewery in San Jose. The brewery itself was located the corner of Market and San Carlos, where the Westin San Jose (previously the Saint Claire) currently sits. For the rest of the story, you'll have to watch the two minute video below!


Ice Cold Beer! from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Fifth Annual Stroll The Alameda - This Sunday

The Shasta / Hanchett Park Neighborhood Association in conjunction with the Alameda Business Association is hosting the fifth annual "Stroll the Alameda event" on August 23rd from 2pm-5pm. Tickets purchased in advanced are $25 per person and includes 12 tastings (take an Uber home). On the day of the event, the cost goes up to $35 per person.

Participating venues include Art Boutiki, Black & Brown, La Dolce Velo, Tee Nee Thai, The Arsenal, Whole Foods, Wine Affairs, The Usuals/SJ Made, and many more. The event starts in front of Crema Coffee (950 The Alameda), where you will get a wine or beer glass and a map of all locations.

For more information, click here. Big thanks to Alex Shoor for sending this in!

Uproar Brewing Taking Over Zer01 Garage!

It's no secret that the beer scene is exploding in San Jose. Craft beer is popping up just about everywhere--heck, even our new Whole Foods on The Alameda has a microbrewery. It looks like that trend is going to continue with a notable brewery coming to the space formerly known as the Zer01 Garage (they have moved and are focusing on the Zer01 2016 Biennial).

Uproar Brewing Company is a husband and wife team from Minneapolis. They both has substantial brewing experience in a variety of craft breweries (Surly Brewing Company, Lift Bridge, Sociable Cider Works, Northbound Smokehouse).  Their taproom with have "his-and-hers" taps since they each have individual brewing styles (cool concept). There will be a total of 12 taps with four flagship beers and others that will be rotated in and out.

The new Brewery will take up about 10,200 SQFT. That also includes a spacious taproom, a full kitchen, a room for barrel-aging (see below) and special events. They are shooting for a late winter opening and their entrance will be at 439 S. 1st Street. Exciting times ahead for SoFA!

Follow Uproar Brewing on Twitter.

Source: San Jose.com, usedmedia from the San Jose Development Forum

New Beer Warehouse in South San Jose

It is not everyday you year about development in South San Jose, especially in industries outside of tech. DBI Beverage Inc. is building a new warehouse to store beer off of Hellyer Avenue on a 10 acre site. The warehouse will likely be somewhere between 150,000 SQFT and 180,000 SQFT with soaring 32-foot-tall ceilings. The company stocks hundreds of beers, many of which are of the craft variety. Some of the more interesting labels they stock are 21st Amendment, Lagunitas, Ballast Point, Dogfish Head, Russian River Brewing, and Heretic. They also have more mainstream labels like MillerCoors, Heineken, and Sapporo. Increased beer distribution capacity is likely a good thing for Silicon Valley beer fans.

DBI Beverage will also have a neighbor--Panattoni is going to build a 111,000 SQFT industrial warehouse next door. That one will be a speculative project, meaning it will be built without a tenant in tow.

Source: SVBJ

Valley Brews on May 29th!

The New Leaders Council (NLC) Silicon Valley is a nonprofit that trains the next generation of political entrepreneurs and leaders. They are hosting a fundraiser and networking event featuring local craft brews (Good Karma Artisan Ales, Hermitage, Santa Clara Valley Brewing, and Camino Brewing Company). In addition to the great drinks, there will be a panel to discuss entrepreneurship and what it takes to start a successful craft brewery.

Tickets are $35 pre-sale and $40 at the door. For more information and to register, head over here.