Alex Zobel and Gregory Zobel,
Photo credit Katie Morris
JUNE 2018 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM 59
Be sure to bring your appetite. On the
day we visited, a local food truck, Curbside
Kitchen, served delicious Mediterranean
food. (eastbrotherbeer.com, 510.230.4081)
Our third location, Armistice Brewing
Company, at 845 Marina Bay Parkway,
Suite 1, in Richmond is the newest of the
three, opened in August of 2017. Sister and
brother brewers, Alex and Gregory Zobel,
battled as kids growing up. Alex grew up
in Concord, and Gregory in Napa. As
young adults they lived separately in Los
Angeles. Gregory pursued a career in the
film and television industry, while Alex
earned her doctorate in literary arts. On
her birthday, Gregory gave her a ‘peace
offering’, a Home Brew kit. The two
began brewing together, and put their
differences aside.
Unfortunate circumstances in their family brought them
home to Napa to help. While there, they honed their brew
skills. Winning top honors in some prestigious competitions
became the impetus to open a community taproom of their
own. Their mother helped create a business plan and the
rest is history. An homage to their family is found in their
Richmond taproom. They used the wood from their family’s
big red barn to line the walls of the taproom.
Considered a nano-brewery, about five hundred barrels of
beer are produced annually. Armistice beer is only available
on-site, at this time. Freshness, and one hundred percent
quality control is the goal at Armistice. Small batches are
brewed and consumed soon after, making way for the next
batch to be enjoyed. They plan to start canning their beer
on-site very soon.
Diverse styles of beer are enjoyed by guests in the festive
atmosphere. The siblings have a cutting-edge style that allows
for experimentation with local, sustainable ingredients. Their
beers are delicious and creatively named. When you arrive,
one of the beers you might see is the Boysenberry πPA––the
duo’s rendition of an IPA, fermented with eighty-six pounds
of pureed boysenberries, mosaic hops, and twenty-six, handpicked,
madagascar vanilla beans. Maybe you’ll find the
Berthday Beer, a full bodied English-style golden ale that
highlights Feldblume (a malt that resembles hay and clover)
with an lingering sweetness on the finish. Armistice beers
are unfiltered and bold, full bodied and flavorful. Their menu
changes often, and does not repeat, as with each new batch
another flavor profile is created.
Like games and events? Look no further, the brothersister
duo entertain plenty. ‘May the fourth be with you’
as you enjoy this Star Wars event followed with a ‘Cantina’
evening. Every Monday night, at seven o’clock, they host
a trivia contest, in the Framily Room upstairs which is
chock-full of fun. Portions of the venue can be bought out
to host your own party as well, the beer garden has seating
for up to sixty-five. Community minded, Alex and Gregory
host ‘Ales and Allies’ each month, an opportunity for local
nonprofits to partner and fund-a-need. Open seven days a
week the brewery is in full production. (armisticebrewing.
com, 510.230.4966)
Armistice Brewing Company, Benoit-Casper Brewing and
East Brother Beer Company share a common goal to bring
more life and community to their neighborhoods. Each
establishment is happy to welcome Admiral Malts to Alameda,
providing the freshest of domestic malts to all three breweries.
Richmond is a flourishing community, enriched with strong
bonds and caring entrepreneurs.
A big thank you goes out to our friend, Joe Peatmen,
Owner of Downtown Joe’s Brewery and Restaurant at 902
Main Street, in Napa. Joe gave us a personal tour and shared
first–hand knowledge of the brewing and fermentation
process with us before we conducted our interviews.
(downtownjoes.com)