Agent GT was excited to try out this busy pizza joint just two blocks from the bustling Cal Berkeley campus and less than two blocks from the downtown Berkeley BART station. (We all know how Agent GT loves pizza!)
Once inside, his eyes were immediately drawn to the 13 tap handles lining the bar. There was a Sour beer, an IPA, a Double IPA, an Amber, a Porter, a Pale Ale, a Black Lager, Hefeweizen, Pilsner, a small selection of imported Belgian beers, and of course, some Ale Industries Spring Fling! Needless to say, the rotating craft beer handles showcase a nice variety of craft beers, which go hand in hand with good pizza.
The casual atmosphere is comfortable and welcoming. The clientele seems to be a good mix of college students, people getting off work, and local families. You order your food and drink at the counter and then find yourself a seat. They offer salads, pastas, paninis, sandwiches, and even some vegan and vegetarian options in addition to their mouthwatering pizza. If you are a sports fan, you are definitely in luck, as there are five TVs playing sports all day long. Judging from the Cal shwag on the walls, we are guessing its a good spot to catch some Cal sports action too!
In addition to the Cal memorabilia, the walls are covered in amazing artwork, as well as some photos of classic rock musicians. This seems appropriate, as there is also a piano in the restaurant, which is played by rotating local musicians. There is also an Open Mic night every Tuesday, and Wednesday nights are Trivia nights. Agent GT reported that people watching is fantastic, as the wall facing the University is all glass, with some patio tables outside along the street.
Overall, due to the fantastic selection of California craft beers, and the extensive and delicious menu selections, Agent Golden Thunder gives this place 4 out of 5 beers!
So…do YOU know where Agent GT was this week??

On the homefront, things are happening and we are all keeping super busy! We have some fun events coming up in the next couple of weeks, including our next First Saturdays Artist Market on Saturday, June 2nd! This one will be featuring the musical talents of Xavier Guerrero, who will be bringin down the house with some originals mixed in with a healthy dose of Beatles covers! All you Beatles fans out there better get here, you won’t want to miss this! We are also happy to be welcoming back a fantastic (and growing!) group of local artists and designers who will be showcasing their wares: Doll & Chain Designs, Dinosaur Factory, Kelly’s Jewels, Brewed Life, Kirk Shelton, Epic Screenprinting, Joel Salinas and his live airbrushing, John Cloud with Cloud Concepts, and of course, the delicious Best in Show Hotdogs – who, by the way, make the BEST pulled pork sandwiches in the entire Bay Area!! Music and art starts at 6pm and goes until 9pm. Don’t miss it!

We will also be pouring at a couple of beer festivals that same weekend: The Citizens Who Care Beer Fest in Davis at the Sudwerk Brewery will be pouring over 100 craft beer selections from 30+ breweries, including Ale Industries. We will also be pouring our beer in Santa Rosa at the “The Good One” beer fest. Come see us and enjoy the sunshine, music and craft beer!

Don’t forget that May is Canned Food Month at Ale Industries Tap Room! We are well on our way to meeting our goal of filling up our food bin for Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Last week our friends and fans helped us decorate our food bin to help draw attention to our goal. We are also happy to say that we have been donating $1 from every single pint sold of Orange Kush directly to the Food Bank as well. We are proud to contribute to such an important and hard-working organization that does so much for the families in our own communities. Keep the canned goods and non-perishable food items coming though…the bin isn’t full just yet! You can also gain access to special deals at the Tap Room that are only available if you bring in a food donation.

Tap Room is also excited that we have a bunch of Barrels & Uniquities and “Tap Room Only” selections coming up soon. We will be seeing some Mexi-Belgo, some Dry-Hogged (bacon beer!), some Barrel-Aged Code Red, and some Unity as in Edward, our sour blonde ale! Coming up soon from our Tap Room Only series is an Imperial Red ale coming in at 8%, chock-full of Simcoe and Galaxy hops, and balanced with big caramel flavors from the Crystal malt. Keep an eye on the Tap Room for these releases, as they often move quick!

Out and about in the world, Ale Industries is continuing to expand our distribution as well. This month Steve will once again be heading up north to PDX to do some “Meet the Brewer” events and to check on accounts up in the Portland area. In addition, Morgan will be heading down south to the Los Angeles and San Diego areas to do some sales and deliveries. All you SoCal folks, start lookin’ out (and asking for) for some Ale Industries on tap at your local craft beer spots…we are ready to take on the rest of the West Coast!

So, that’s our Mid-May update from Ale Industries…until next time, Cheers! (And don’t forget to ask ‘em for an Ale Industries!)

Can you believe it’s May already? It’s almost summer! We are all eager for the warmer weather, and for the exciting additions and changes we will be experiencing in the coming months.

First off, we are happy to announce that May is Canned Food Month at Ale Industries! Some of you may have noticed on your visits to the Tap Room that we have a large bin from Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Our goal this month is to FILL IT TO THE BRIM. We know that times are tough for a lot of families in the Bay Area right now, and as a local business that depends on local patronage in order to succeed, we would like to do our part to give back to the community we live in. We will be announcing various Tap Room specials ($5 growlers, $2 pints, etc.) throughout the month of May that will only be available if you bring in a can (or more!) of food to donate to the cause. In addition, for every single pint of Orange Kush that we sell in May, $1 will be donated to Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. We are really excited about this opportunity to support an amazing organization, and we hope that you are too!

Another thing you may have noticed on your visit to the Tap Room is a conspicuously empty spot to the right of our boiler. Well, we FINALLY got rid of the big yellow cold box that was sitting there, to make way for more barrels! Thats right, we are in the process of greatly expanding our popular “Barrels & Uniquities” department. The new space adds 200 extra feet, which means that we will be adding more barrels and giving ourselves more room to grow the department. In fact, we added 4 new barrels this week, moved and consolidated all the barrels across the brewery to the new spot that opened up, and will be starting our first full-sized batch of barrel-aged beer next week. Morgan and Jesse will be filling up TEN 50-gallon, oak wine barrels with our Sour Blonde Ale on Wednesday, May 9th! Currently we are pouring the Mexi-Belgo and the Barrel-Aged Code Red at the Tap Room…there isn’t too much left though, so hurry in to try them if you haven’t already. Also look for some Dry-Hogged in the near future – our “baconized” Irish Red ale! (Yep. We said it. Baconized.)

Another new and exciting addition that has been incredibly successful is our “Tap Room Only” series. Our cellarmaster Jesse has been tantalizing taste buds with his fantastic 10-gallon batches each week. These small batches are made just for Tap Room – this means no take-home growlers, and no releases to our accounts outside of the brewery. These small batches don’t last long either! Coming up next: more of the fan-favorite Cellarmaster Stout – a silky smooth and delicious Oatmeal Stout. We also have an English Pale on this week that used British Crystal, Carastan Malt and English Special Malt that give it a big, biscuity character, balanced by rich, earthy tones from the massive amounts of Kent Golding hops. Yum!

Speaking of yum, our good friend Daniela, of the fantastic food blog Daniela Delicious, just posted a blog with 2 recipes using our Spring Fling! Check it out for a couple of mouth-watering recipes that perfectly highlight the scrumptious flavors of coffee and chocolate present in our Spring seasonal. She came up with a great home-made ice cream recipe, as well as a recipe for “drunken” chicken tacos with homemade guacamole! Wowza. Here is a link to her food blog: Daniela Delicious. Give it a try and let us know how it turns out! We know there are some talented amateur chefs out there. We are always looking for fun and tasty recipes to try with our beers. Fill up a growler and get those creative juices flowing!

There are some great events coming up in May as well. This weekend is our “First Saturdays” Artist Market featuring the amazing Ben Benkert! Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style with us at the Tap Room. We are lucky to have all the amazing artists from last month returning, in addition to at least 2 more! We welcome the talented Shannon Torres Studio, as well as Epic Screenprinting. We can’t wait! Check the Event page on facebook for more info.

Open Mic Thursdays are in full swing once again. Come down any Thursday from 6pm – 9pm and join Jason Young on the mic! We have a great mix of local talent that comes through each week, and we are always looking for more. The more the merrier!

The AI crew will also be out and about this month. The Livermore Wine Country Festival is this weekend! Look for Steve and Marc, who will be there representing Ale Industries.

The following weekend, May 11-13th, is the one and only Boonville Beer Festival! The whole crew (almost!) will be camping out all weekend for some fun in the Anderson Valley sun. Look for Steve, Morgan, Marc, Jesse, and a big ol’ AI Entourage! If you can’t make it out for the festival, don’t fret. The Tap Room WILL be open all weekend! Tap Room Manager Maureen will be holding down the fort, so come on in and fill up your growlers in honor of the occasion!

That’s all for now… be sure to check back next time for the latest adventure from Agent Golden Thunder. Until next time, Cheers, and don’t forget to ask ‘em for an Ale Industries!

As you pull in to your parking space at this restaurant in downtown Lafayette, you can smell the unmistakable and mouth-watering aromas of freshly baked bread and spices. Outdoor patio seating lines the sidewalk, which looks like it would be a perfect spot to enjoy some of this gorgeous weather we have been getting lately!
Once inside, our Agent GT was impressed with the large, six-foot windows spanning ten feet along the wall of the bar, making people watching easy and allowing plenty of natural light to stream in. The menu? Pizza! Four different styles ultra thin crust, regular thin crust, Chicago-style deep dish, and even a Chicago-style stuffed crust option. You can opt for an inspired house combo, or create your own with their extensive selection of toppings. Oh man. Agent GT also ordered a salad, which comes in a generous portion with super-fresh ingredients and your choice of dressing. There is a good selection of salads and appetizers, including bruschetta, artichoke dip, and polpetti – house-made meatballs with beef, pork, and porcini mushrooms, served in a slightly spicy red sauce. Yum!
Along with a full bar they serve 6 beers on tap: an IPA, a Pale Ale, and Amber, and imported lager and…wait for it…our very own Orange Kush! Agent GT enjoyed a Kush-tastic glass of delicious Ale Industries goodness with his pizza, and made a point to mention that the service was absolutely excellent. In Agent GT’s own words, “Because I love pizza, beer and great service, I give this restaurant 4 and a half out out 5 beers!”

Do YOU know where Agent Golden Thunder was this week??

What’s New @ Ale Industries?

It’s time for some SPRING FLING action! Our Spring seasonal will be released this Friday, April 20th at the Tap Room! Spring Fling is our best guess at what an iced mocha would taste like, if it was being sipped on a sunny patio, with a light breeze to keep you cool, and it was a beer. We roasted 10 pounds of Costa Rican coffee in-house, blended that with 15 pounds of cocoa that was procured from Rachel Dunn, our local chocolateer. This was added to the finished beer, an English Brown Ale, and allowed to steep for 3 days. The Spring Fling will be flowing from 4pm – 9pm, along with some special releases and rarities, including our Uncle Jesse pouring out of the cask! We dry-hopped the Uncle Jesse with an additional 4 ounces of Simcoe and Galaxy hops for that extra danky goodness. Hope to see you there!

Have you tasted our Mexi-Belgo barrel aged beer yet? Our Mexi-Belgo is a complex style with multiple layers of unique and tantalizing flavors. This beer has been aged 10 months in a cab barrel. It started it’s life as our Spring Fling, and then Lacto and Brett were added to the beer in the barrel. We then added a blend of Anaheim Chili’s and Pasilla peppers that we fire roasted in-house, molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. We are really digging the layers to this beer. Currently we are in the middle of our largest “Barrels & Uniquities” release with the Mexi-Belgo. You can find it all over the Bay Area, including at the Toronado, Hops and Hominy, City Beer and Whole Foods in San Francisco, Beer Revolution in Oakland, The Shack in Sacramento, Samuel Horne’s Tavern in Folsom, and at TAPS Petaluma! Get it while it lasts!

The Bay Area Craft Beer Festival is fast approaching us. This Saturday, April 21st in Martinez looks to be a beautifully sunny day at the Martinez waterfront full of craft beer and great people! Ale Industries is proud to be the official brewery sponsor for the event. Our logo is even on the keepsake tasting glass included in the price of admission! So very cool. Ale Industries will be mobbin’ deep at the festival. Look for Morgan, Steve, Marc and Jesse, who will be pouring the Spring Fling and at least one other selection from 12pm – 4pm. You can still purchase tickets online, or in person from us at the Tap Room! Don’t miss this one!

Don’t forget – Open Mic Season 3 is upon us once again! Every Thursday night from 6pm – 9pm, our good friend, the talented J.Young will be hosting an Open Mic at the brewery and Tap Room. We provide a laid-back atmosphere and fresh, craft beer straight from the source, while Jason provides an amazing sound system and a personality to match! All that’s missing is YOU! Get on down here and try out the mic!

Saturday May 5th is our next “First Saturdays” Artist Market! We will be featuring the musical talents of Ben Benkert from 6pm – 9pm, and amazing art work from various local artists and designers. We look forward to seeing Dinosaur Factory, Brewed Life, Heavy Metal Designs, Doll & Chain Designs, Kelly’s Jewels, Joel Salinas and his live airbrushing, and MORE! This is a really fun event, so get in here and support local!

That’s all for now, until next time, Cheers! And don’t forget to ask ‘em for an Ale Industries!

For his first foray out into the wild and wonderful world of Bay Area Craft Beer, Agent GT decided to visit a restaurant and tap house situated right in the heart of the quaint, old town district of a picturesque waterfront town. This tap house is also located on the banks of a creek that is rumored to have once been home to South American squirrel monkeys, and possibly still is! What?! Monkeys in Northern California?? Apparently they escaped from a circus who used to set up their winter camp on a nearby ranch. Sounds intriguing…
Once inside the gorgeous, 3 story, Victorian style building, Agent GT was impressed with the selection of 19 rotating, craft beer taps available to him. He settled on a hop-tastic and refreshing Uncle Jesse (an obvious choice of course), which paired magnificently with his burger smothered in smoked mushrooms, bleu cheese crumbles, bacon, and…the clincher…”stout gastrique.” We think this may be a fancy name for a reduction made from stout and other various ingredients, but the offical report is: it’s delicious!
Our Agent was lucky enough to be able to take a peek downstairs into the kitchen/brewery. They have five 20-gallon fermenters downstairs nestled in with their full kitchen, and a large cold box to accommodate the large selection of craft beer available daily. Apparently, a few house brews will be making an appearance at the upcoming Bay Area Craft Beer festival. Look for an American Pilsen, a Cream Ale, and a Wheat beer infused with raspberries. Yum. Can’t wait to try them out!

So…Do YOU know where Agent Golden Thunder was this week??

What’s happening lately at AI?

It’s April! Which means that in addition to this being the return of music and art to the brewery, we also have some really great beers coming up.
April 1st marked the return of the East Bay IPA! Incredibly, 75% of the batch was SOLD OUT before it even left the fermenter, with the remaining kegs being allotted to the Tap Room at our brewery. In order to make it last as long as possible and to ensure that we spread the East Bay Love, we are limiting Tap Room growler fills of the East Bay IPA to one growler fill per person, per day. Get it while you can!
Friday, April 20th marks the release of our Spring Seasonal, the Spring Fling! A mild brown ale with house-roasted coffee (we buy the beans green from Beer, Beer and More Beer!) and cacao from Rachel Dunne Chocolates of Concord, this refreshing ale is back again this Spring for a repeat appearance! In our next blog, look for a recipe from our friend and fan Daniela, who will be using our Spring Fling in an inspired and mouth-watering recipe on her food blog, www.danieladelicious.com.

Mid-April will bring the beginnings of a new tradition at Ale Industries: Cask Ales! Our 10 gallon firkin has already arrived, and will be making its debut appearance at Triple Rock’s Firkin Fest! This means that starting next week, we will begin to pull off some of our regular brew batches as they are finishing. At that point we will be adding various ingredients, playing with hops, herbs, fruits, extracts, and other “funkadelics” for your sipping pleasure! These will only be available in Tap Room. Look for them at our Sunday Sessions with Steve, and Mondays with Morgan!

April also brings the introduction of our Cellarmaster Jesse’s “Tap Room Only” series. Jesse will be brewing a different 10 gallon batch each week, to be released in Tap Room while they last. This month, look for a California Common Lager, a Stout, and the “Lil’ Jesse” – a spin on the Uncle Jesse with slightly less hops and an even lower ABV of 3.5% – A lil Springtime session action! Check our facebook or twitter for up to the minute updates on when these Tap Room Only beers will be released!

Other dates to remember:
Saturday April 7th is our First Saturdays Artist Market from 6-9pm featuring the musical talents of local musician Joe Skandalaris. We will also be featuring a variety local artists, including Doll and Chain Designs, Kelly’s Jewels, The Dinosaur Factory, Brewed Life, Counterbalance Clothing, Joe Dallman & Rising Sun Photography, and of course Best in Show Hot Dogs!
Thursday, April 12th is our first Open Mic Night of the season hosted by the talented JYoung. Every Thursday from the 12th on out, local musicians (amateur and professional alike) are welcome to come in, sign up, and try out the mic! We are hoping to build on the successes of our Open Mics over the past couple of years, and bring in a “live art” aspect to the evening as well. Hope to see you there!

And that’s the update for now! Until next time, Cheers! (And don’t forget to ask em for an Ale Industries!)

What beers are coming up next?
We have a couple of returning favorites coming out soon. First up will be the latest batch of our East Bay IPA! Back (again) by popular demand, our citralicious, West Coast-style IPA bursting with tropical fruit flavors and aromas will be released on Monday, April 1, 2012. (Put it on your calendars!) For our Spring seasonal, Morgan will be brewing up another favorite, our Spring Fling. What is the Spring Fling, you ask? Well. We like to think that it is the perfect answer for those beautiful Spring days. Picture yourself sitting on a patio, sipping an iced mocha. To help your imagination along, we brewed up this mild brown ale, and added 10 lbs of coffee (roasted in-house), and 15 lbs of cacao procured from our neighbors at Rachel Dunne Chocolates. Take a sip, close your eyes and soak in the sunshine! Look for the Spring Fling to be released on Friday, April 20th, 2012. (Another date to put on your calendar!)

What’s up in Portland?
Things are booming for Ale Industries in the Pacific Northwest region! Steve and Morgan continue to haul up the West Coast to Portland once a month to deliver our kegs to the thirsty Oregonians. The Rye’d Piper and the Uncle Jesse have been a huge hit throughout Oregon, and our accounts continue to increase each month. We recently received corporate approval from New Seasons to start carrying our beer in Oregon and Washington: (www.newseasonsmarket.com) Whole Foods also gave the regional OK to carrying our Rye’d Piper and Orange Kush across the entire Pacific Northwest region! Woooo-hoo!

Who is Uncle Jesse?
No, not the “Have Mercy” Uncle Jesse from Full House. Nope, not the old guy from Dukes of Hazzard, either. Our Uncle Jesse is none other than the Golden Thunder himself, and as of this week he is also our newest employee! Jesse joined the AI team as Cellar Master. This means that Jesse is responsible for all-things beer, post-production. This includes bottling, kegging, carbonation maintenance, storage, and more. Jesse will also be helping Maureen out in the Tap Room on weekends, so next time you are in look for the happy guy in the yellow hat and welcome him aboard!

What’s happening this month?
We have a busy weekend ahead of us! This Friday, March 16th we will be hosting a fundraiser with Fourth Level to help raise money to build safe houses for women and children of Congo. It looks like its going to be a rockin’ party, with live music from 6pm – 9pm, raffle prizes, and games! Best in Show Hot Dogs will be here too from 5:45 to 8pm! (www.bestinshowhotdogs.com)
We will also be having a St Patrick’s Day party on Saturday, March 17th from 6pm – 9pm! Live Irish tunes from Michael Sullivan, aka “The Irish Guy” from 6pm – 9pm, and Rye’d Piper pint specials all day. Wear green or get pinched!

What events are on the horizon?
April brings MUSIC AND ART back to Ale Industries this year! Saturday, April 7th will be the first of our “First Saturdays” Artist Market series. On the first Saturday of each month, we will be showcasing a different local musician from 6pm – 9pm. We will also be encouraging various local artists to come set up and share their creations. We are calling all local visual artists, i.e. photographers, graphic designers, fine artists, and other crafty folk to come in and set up shop. You can display or sell your creative artwork, as we are hoping to build up a vibrant monthly market as a space to get together and support local artists and allow local artists to engage and network with each other. Doesn’t it sound like fun!?
Thursday, April 12th marks our first Open Mic Night of the 2012 season! Jason Young returns again this year to spearhead our weekly Open Mic Thursdays. We encourage local musicians of all experience and skill levels to come on in and strut your stuff! We will also be building up a collaborative, “live art” aspect to Open Mic Thursdays as well – more info to come soon!

And that’s the update from us this week! As you can see it is a very exciting and busy time for us. We appreciate all your support! Until next week, Cheers, and don’t forget to ask ‘em for an Ale Industries!

How is business?When Tap 25 opened to the public in mid-September of last year, Bryant and Brunell figured that growth would be a slow process. Livermore is more well-known as wine country, and while craft beer is definitely enjoying a surge in popularity, they figured it would take a little longer to catch on in wine-centric Livermore. According to Bryant, who sat down with us for a casual chat and quick Q&A session over our “Flight Paddles,” nothing could be further from the truth. As soon as Tap 25 opened its doors, they have enjoyed a steady, devoted, and enthusiastic following of both local residents and so-called “beer tourists.” Tap 25 has definitely put itself on the map as far as Bay Area craft beer lovers are concerned, ourselves included! Tap 25 offers up 25 rotating taps of only “Good Beer,” as they proudly proclaim on their website. Bryant and Brunell are both passionate about craft beer and about providing their customers with opportunities to educate themselves about beer and the brewing process. Tap 25 regularly brings in local brewmasters for Meet the Brewer nights where the brewer is able to talk about their beers as well as get to know the folks out their drinking their beer. In fact, just this past February during SF Beer Week, Ale Industries’ own brewer Morgan Cox and account manager Marc Alkons joined the growing list of brewer signatures on the wall behind the bar!

So, what’s a “Flight Paddle” anyway? Well, in our humble opinion, it’s a fantastic way to make the decision of which craft beer to get much easier. You are provided with the list of 25 rotating taps, organized by style: Hefeweizens & Lagers, Fruit Beers, Pale Ales & Browns, Ambers & Red Ales, IPAs, Porters & Stouts, and Strong Ales & Barley Wines. You can choose 4 (4oz) pours of any of the available beers on tap for only $6. It is a great way to try a new beer you may have been eyeing for a while without committing to a whole pint — yet. Actually, Bryant admits that as far as their full pint prices go, they price the paddles slightly lower for a reason. They want people to keep trying new styles, and to challenge themselves to taste outside their comfort zone. Bryant says that as for himself, while he has been enjoying craft beer for some time, he only recently began to explore the wild and wonderful world of Barley Wines.

Do you serve food? Oh, man. While Tap 25 does not serve food themselves, you can order delicious tapas from across the patio at Swirl on the Square, a well-known wine and tapas bar. Best of all, they bring it right to you! Let’s just say it’s not your average bar food, either. We dined on smaller, shareable plates of Crostini with Baked Feta and Fig Jam, Carnitas sandwich served on ciabatta with guacamole, chipotle mayo, queso fresco and fresh cilantro, and a Mediterranean Trio of hummus, spicy feta and olives served with warm pita bread. Our food was even hand-delivered to us by Swirl’s Chef Frank. So yeah, it was a slam dunk in the food department. We just wish we had room in our bellies to try everything on the menu!

What are your hours? Tap 25 is open Wednesday – Saturday from 12pm – 10pm, and Sunday from 12pm – 8pm. According to Bryant, Wednesdays are “a little more on the chill side.” Feelin’ lucky? Thursday nights are “Dice Nights,” where from 5pm – 10pm you can roll the dice every time you order a beer. If you roll odds, your beer is 50% off. If you roll evens, you pay full price! Fridays and Saturdays are known to be busier nights. Bryant says that the patio can fill up pretty quickly – even during the cooler winter months where it was not uncommon to see various groups huddled around their beers with blankets and beanies. Now that’s dedication! Starting in April, Saturday nights will also feature live, local music in the courtyard from 7pm – 10pm.

Bryant maintains that their original vision was to be a kind of “glorified garage party,” serving great, craft beer and absolutely “no B.S.” We at Ale Industries like to think we have a similar mindset, and we say to Tap 25: Mission Accomplished! We can’t wait to go back, and we think you should too!

www.taptwentyfive.com
25 S. Livermore Ave. #107
Livermore, CA 94557
(925) 294-8970

Until next week, Cheers!

We spoke with Deborah Berold this week, one of the managers at Danville Chow, and she proclaimed that Danville Chow’s owners are proud participants in the “eat fresh, eat local” movement. They support the community and local farms by offering “all-American staples” using only fresh, organic, and healthy ingredients. Their chicken is organic free-range, their beef is grass-fed and organic from the rolling hills of Marin County, their eggs are Petaluma fresh, and only wild seafood is served. Of course, we are pretty excited to note that Ale Industries’ own Orange Kush falls under this locally-sourced category as well. Berold reports that the Orange Kush is a popular choice for craft beer-loving patrons, and that “people just love it!” Many of them are pleasantly surprised to learn that we are less than 15 miles north of them in Concord, and some of them are even starting to come visit Ale Industries at the brewery.

Berold believes that Chow is a popular choice for the family-oriented Danville area because of its relaxed and casual vibe. A lot of families visit the Danville location. Chow is well-known throughout the Bay Area as a kid-friendly, and even dog-friendly spot. Many locals come to enjoy sunny mornings or afternoons on the pleasant outdoor patio with their loyal canine companions by their side. This is likely a popular outing for the dogs themselves, as the Chow staff has been known to sneak the pups a dog treat as well!

Danville Chow actively engages in and supports their neighbors in the local community. Monday nights are often “School Nights,” where schools can schedule fundraisers. Families and locals come in, eat a delicious dinner, and 15% of the proceeds from their bill goes directly to their school. Sounds like a perfect night to go in and try one of their delicious house-made desserts, and support local education while you are at it! We recommend checking with Chow to find out when they have these School Nights scheduled, as its a great way to give back.

For those interested in the local nightlife, another draw is the fact that they are open a little later than most restaurants in the downtown Danville area. Chow’s hours are Sunday 8am – 10pm, Monday through Thursday 8am – 10pm, Friday 8am – 11pm and Saturday 8am – 11pm. Berold also noted that they have a full bar, something that sets them apart from the other Chow locations in Lafayette and San Francisco.

All in all, Chow has a vibrant, family-friendly, and laid-back atmosphere, accompanied by delicious, locally sourced, organic comfort food. It is worth noting that Chow has been on the San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Restaurants list 9 years in a row. We think they must be doing something right.

Danville Chow is located at: 445 Railroad Ave, Danville, CA. You can find them online too – www.chowfoodbar.com.

We truly hope our friends and fans decide to pay Danville Chow a visit real soon, and ask ‘em for an Orange Kush!

This week we are focusing on BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, right here at Sunvalley Mall in Concord!
BJ’s is a lively, family-friendly restaurant with a huge bar/cocktail area and TVs everywhere you turn. BJ’s has been brewing their own beer since 1978 – from lagers to stouts to their annual Grand Cru, but what we appreciate most about BJ’s is its extensive guest tap selection. BJ’s carries about 20 taps at any given time, and most of these are from craft brewing companies. We are super excited that Ale Industries’ own Orange Kush is one of the few locally made beers available at the Concord Sunvalley Mall location! Unfortunately, the local taps tend to rotate and are individually selected for each location. This means that our beer is not listed on the menu! Our gorgeous Orange Kush tap handle (handmade by our very own Marc Alkons of course) IS pretty easy to spot, but if you are perusing the beer menu at a table in the dining room, you won’t see it there. You know what this means, right? ASK for Orange Kush! When we last visited BJ’s during a busy weekday lunch rush, we were admittedly a little disappointed to not see Orange Kush listed. However, when asked, the server was able to quickly bring out a tall, refreshing glass of that Kush-tastic goodness to complement my delicious Spinach Artichoke pizza. (At Ale Industries, beers with lunch are never frowned upon. Research and quality control are a good thing!)

We met with General Manager Mike Gatto, who was friendly and extremely helpful, as was every staff person we interacted with. Gatto told us a little bit about their staff beer training program that every new hire is required to complete. New servers and bartenders are trained in how to taste beer and to talk about it, as well as how to suggest pairings of beers with food selections that complement the various flavors and special ingredients. Our server was great, and clearly knew his stuff. He also definitely seemed to enjoy his job, which is always a good thing!

As for the food, our favorite part of the (incredibly extensive) food menu was their “Snacks and Small Bites.” Expecially the Mini Bruschetta – “Grilled Focaccia bread, topped with melted provolone and a blend of fresh Roma and sun-dried tomatoes, onions, basil and roasted red peppers, served with BJ’s signature pesto vinaigrette.” Yeah. It was pretty amazing. We’re thinking that these smaller, easy-on-the-wallet selections are popular during their happy hour: 3-7pm Monday through Friday, as well as a late-night happy hour from 10pm – close Sunday through Thursday. The rest of the menu looked delicious and may warrant another “research” trip back to BJ’s real soon…gigantic, chicken, cheese and chile stuffed baked potatoes? We may need to look into it…

So, next time you are out and about in the Concord/Pleasant Hill area, or are stopping through Sunvalley to brave the mall crowds, check out BJ’s. Say hi to GM Mike Gatto, and ask ‘em for an Orange Kush!

Until next week – Cheers!

This week marks this year’s release, and we couldn’t be more proud. Roasted pistachios, honey and fresh bread are prominent in the flavor, the delicate carbonation adds to the full, easy mouthfeel. With 3.8%abv, this is a great session beer, making beer fun and drinkable again.

We are offering $5 growler fills through our Tap Room of Bliss for the entire month of June. You can also find Bliss at your favorite local beer bar.

As a reminder, the most common thing we hear from our prospective accounts is that they love our beer, and would like to put us on tap, but they want people to ask for it first. So if you would like to help spread the growth of the local craft beer industry, next time you are in your beer place, ask for an Ale Industries! Thank You.

   The recipe for Spring’s seasonal brown release has just been written and the grain has been ordered. Spring Fling, will be a 5% abv, refreshing brown ale that will remind you of the perfect iced mocha. The challenge in brewing this beer will be to balance the chocolate, coffee, the level of residual sweetness, and mouthfeel all within a relatively small beer.

   We have recently met a goal of ours and are very proud to add Whole Foods as an Ale Industries customer. There are 28 stores in Northern California that we will be working with. Now would be the perfect time to mention to your local Whole Foods beer department that you would like to see Orange Kush sold there.

   When one thinks of your local pizza chain there are many things that come to mind. One thing that didn’t come to my mind right away was local craft beer on tap. However this Mountain Mikes does not disappoint. Ale Industries has 5 different beers on tap at the time this was written.

   Ben has been an owner of the Lafayette Mountain Mikes since its opening four years ago. When asked what his favorite part of his job is, he says that it is most definitely his staff of 13. “They are always cheerful and helpful, they treat our customers with respect and a smile” says Ben.

   I always enjoy visiting and find that, while his mostly younger staff may not be beer experts, they always try to give their best description of the beers they serve, if the customer does not know what they may like, they always try to match up the right beer with the right person. Each time I come in they seem to have learned at least one new thing related to the beers or the breweries.

   I feel that this place will grow into a “go to” place for great local craft beer. The fact that it is less than a three minute walk to the Lafayette Bart station is just the frothy head atop my Rye’d Piper.

   Ben says that he is looking to add more local breweries to his tap list, and is starting a beer training program to meet the enthusiasm his customers have for craft beers. He has even been considering selling his macro beers just in bottles, freeing up space for more craft on tap!

   This is the type of place I love to support, and hope you do too!