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 started writing a business plan and meeting weekly to fine-tune it. FiveFinally, years later, we put forth a request that we either take the plunge and start the brewery or spend the rest of our lives wishing that we did.
Barebottle Brewing Company
I was living in Noe Valley then and felt strongly that the vitality of San Francisco resides in the neighborhoods vs. downtown. We spent over a year searching for warehouse spaces that could house a production facility and have a great environment for a tasting room. Mike found our current Bernal spot when it came onto the market, and we went to look at it that same day. It was bigger than we anticipated (16,000 sq/ft), but as an empty shell, we could see the potential of what it could become.
Where are your other locations?
Our production facility and main taproom are in Bernal Heights. We also have taprooms in Santa Clara, in a shipping container at Salesforce Park, and another opening 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?
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Our taprooms and our products. When we started the brewery, we knew we wanted the taproom vibe to be welcoming for all walks of life. We didn’t want a space catering only to beer geeks – we wanted an environment where everyone, kids and pets included, could feel welcomed and inspired. With Bernal, you see, hear, and smell the beer-making process. You can enjoy a fresh pint with your friends, kids, or co-workers in an open environment – not many places like it.
Above all else, we make great beer to the best of our abilities. We spend a lot of time each year selecting the hops and grain we use and putting them together in unique combinations. 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 at which we brew them.
Can you walk us through your brewing process and how you develop new beer flavors?
Every beer starts with an idea and then a recipe. We challenge ourselves by making an enormous array of beers, each meeting our quality standards. That means we’re constantly using new ingredients and techniques to make a beer that pushes the boundary of flavor and aroma. Once the recipe is written, we source all the ingredients that go into making it. That may be malted barley from Minnesota, yeast from Colorado, and a combination of Oregon and New Zealand hops. Having all the ingredients in time for a brew is a logistical nightmare, but it’s something our Co-Head Brewers, Kelsey, and John, do a great job with.
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 incredibly sweet and is the 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 about 21 days, finishing converting 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 to do. In our case, we’re fortunate to do exactly that. Most everyone you talk to loves beer, and we love talking about it. It’s great to make a product with your hands and directly see people enjoy it – there’s probably no greater satisfaction than that.
Barebottle Brewing Company Bernal Heights SF
As far as running the business, one of the most rewarding aspects is the great people we surround ourselves with. Everyone in our company and this industry are 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 how big and important craft beer is in our local market. It’s a week-long celebration of beer, with hundreds of events throughout the Bay.
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 much as possible. This inspires us to be better 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 and appreciating our accomplishments is important. We’ve been fortunate to win medals for our beer at the most prestigious competitions in the world. 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 things we’ve worked on these 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. So in 2018, we started roasting our coffee to serve in the taprooms and add to beers. In 2020, we started processing and serving our wine. Everything we do, from wine, coffee, kombucha, and natural sodas, is done with the same levels of passion and craft as our beer.
Looking to the future, we’ll be opening our 4th taproom in Menlo Park this summer. Beyond that, we see ourselves increasing the production capacity in our Bernal Heights facility to keep up with demand.