Friends don’t knock. They come in through the side gate.
That’s the sentiment behind the newest and largest brewery to join the Concord Beer Trail.
Side Gate Brewery & Beer Garden, which was founded by Bay Area natives Kevin Wilson and Paul Culbertson, is an ode to impromptu backyard hangouts. Together with city luminaries, the co-owners and brewers will celebrate its arrival with an official ribbon cutting on Sept. 8 at its new digs at 1822 Grant St., a historic building at Todos Santos Plaza. A grand opening announcement will follow soon after.
No word on a tap list yet, but expect a healthy mix of lagers, IPAs, seasonal beers and “everything in between,” according to the Side Gate website. The craft beer will be brewed on-site and served in the taproom and expansive outdoor beer garden.
Other than packaged snacks, like pretzels and chips, Side Gate will not offer food on-site. But the owners say they welcome outside food from neighboring restaurants. Picnics from home are fine, too. Dogs will be welcome, as will well-behaved children.
Side Gate is the latest brewery to join Central Contra Costa County’s burgeoning craft beer scene, which includes Concord’s Epidemic Ales, Walnut Creek’s Mike Hess Brewing and Calicraft Brewing Company, Martinez’s Del Cielo Brewing Co. and Lafayette’s Headlands Brewing, which opened in June.
