Lester Koga from Barebottle Brewing Company sat with us and shared the brewery’s history.
Mike, Ben, and I started as friends from school and got deep into homebrewing after graduation. We talked about starting a business together in school, but didn’t connect the dots until we realized how much energy and passion we were putting into brewing. We had day jobs, but homebrewed on the weekends, judged beer competitions, and visited breweries in our free time. We began drafting a business plan and meeting weekly to refine it. Finally, years later, we put forth a request: either take the plunge and start the brewery or spend the rest of our lives wishing we had.
Barebottle Brewing Company
I was living in Noe Valley at the time and felt strongly that San Francisco’s vitality resides in its neighborhoods rather than downtown. We spent over a year searching for warehouse spaces that could accommodate a production facility and provide an ideal environment for a tasting room. Mike found our current Bernal spot when it came on the market, and we visited it the same day. It was larger than we anticipated (16,000 sq ft), but as an empty shell, we could see its potential.
Where are your other locations?
Our production facility and main taproom are in Bernal Heights. We also have taprooms in Santa Clara, located in a shipping container at Salesforce Park, and another is set to open this summer in Menlo Park. Each location has its unique character, but always with the common thread of our beer and our vibe.
What sets your brewery apart from other breweries in the area?
Barebottle Brewing Company Salesforce
Our taprooms and our products. When we started the brewery, we knew we wanted the taproom to have a welcoming vibe for all walks of life. We didn’t want a space catering only to beer geeks – we wanted an environment where everyone, including kids and pets, could feel welcome and inspired. With Bernal, you see, hear, and smell the beer-making process. You can enjoy a fresh pint with friends, kids, or coworkers in an open environment – not many places offer this.
Above all else, we strive to craft great beer to the best of our abilities. We spend a significant amount of time each year selecting the hops and grains we use and combining them in unique ways. No corners are cut to ensure that we brew the best possible product. Our passion for beers across many styles often sets us apart from other breweries. Our tap list shows European lagers, dark lagers, pepper lagers, fruited sours, hazy and West Coast Pale Ales, IPAs, stouts, and barrel-aged beers. I don’t know of many breweries that can span the gamut of styles we brew at the level we do.
Can you walk us through your brewing process and how you develop new beer flavors?
Every beer begins with an idea, followed by a recipe. We challenge ourselves to produce an extensive range of beers that meet our high-quality standards. That means we’re continually using new ingredients and techniques to create a beer that pushes the boundaries of flavor and aroma. Once the recipe is written, we source all ingredients. That may be malted barley from Minnesota, yeast from Colorado, and a combination of hops from Oregon and New Zealand. Having all the ingredients in time for a brew is a logistical nightmare, but our Co-Head Brewers, Kelsey and John, do a great job of managing it.
Barebottle Brewing Company Bernal Heights
We’ll mash the crushed grains with hot water on brew day. We’re essentially making a malted tea at this point. The ‘wort’ (water mixed with grains) is highly sweet and provides food for the yeast to consume and convert into alcohol. First, we’ll boil the wort to kill off microorganisms and caramelize the sugars. Next, we’ll add a portion of the hops and then quickly chill the liquid to a temperature comfortable for the yeast (typically 65 degrees). The wort will ferment in the aptly named fermenters for approximately 21 days, completing the conversion into beer. During this phase, we’ll also add hundreds of pounds of hops to add intense flavors and aromas.
What inspired you to start a brewery, and what do you enjoy most about running the business?
Part of the American dream is to align your job with what you love. In our case, we’re fortunate to do exactly that. Almost everyone you talk to loves beer, and we love talking about it. It’s great to create a product with your own hands and see people enjoy it – there’s probably no greater satisfaction than that.
Barebottle Brewing Company Bernal Heights SF
When it comes to running the business, one of the most rewarding aspects is the great people we surround ourselves with. Everyone in our company and this industry is aligned in making amazing products. Our employees are incredibly talented, and we’ve made lifelong friends. Of course, we could all make more money elsewhere, but we choose to make and serve beer because there’s nothing quite like it.
Can you tell us about any special events or promotions you offer annually?
SF Beer Week is the biggest time in the Bay Area craft beer world. It takes place in February each year and showcases the significant role craft beer plays in our local market. It’s a week-long celebration of beer, featuring hundreds of events throughout the Bay Area.
We’re also quickly approaching festival season. Once the weather gets warm, you’ll see Barebottle at beer festivals throughout the Bay Area.
How do you stay current with the latest trends and changes in the craft beer industry?
The main thing is always to try new beers. There’s never a shortage of new, exciting beers being brewed, so it’s our job to try as many as possible. This inspires us to strive for improvement and opens our eyes to new possibilities.
Can you share any memorable experiences or stories from your time running the brewery?
There’s never been a slow week or month at the brewery. Every day is a sprint, but slowing down to appreciate our accomplishments is equally important. We’ve been fortunate to win medals for our beer at the world’s most prestigious competitions. It always feels good to be recognized amongst your peers, but more importantly, it gives the team a chance to soak in the accomplishment and pop a few bottles of champagne.
What are your plans for the brewery, and where do you see your business in the next 5-10 years?
One of the key initiatives we’ve worked on over the past few years is expanding our taproom offerings beyond beer. Inevitably, a group of people will enter the taprooms, and one or two don’t drink beer. In 2018, we began roasting our coffee to serve in the taprooms and add to our beers. In 2020, we started processing and serving our wine. Everything we do, from wine and coffee to kombucha and natural sodas, is done with the same level of passion and craft as our beer.
Looking ahead, we’ll open our 4th taproom in Menlo Park this summer. Beyond that, we anticipate increasing production capacity at our Bernal Heights facility to meet demand.
Barebottle Brewing Company: A Story of Passion and Perseverance
Barebottle Brewing Company
Mike Doherty serves as Chief Experience Officer at Greening Projects, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming underutilized urban spaces into vibrant green areas
