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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
The Farmhouse, a Belgian-style Saison (front), pictured with a pour of the Honey Sparkler
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
A view of the brewery's window seating and bar
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
"What most people don't realize is that 80 percent of brewing is cleaning up," says co-owner and head brewer Michael Brandt. Here, he sanitizes fittings.
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
A view of the brewery's seating and standing space
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Bordeaux barrels used to age beer
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Co-owner Ryan Mitchell admiring a pour of The Farmhouse
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Co-owner Ryan Mitchell pours from one of 12 available taps
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Inside Garden Grove's back-room brewery
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Church pews and tables made from Bordeaux barrels make for ample seating and drinking space
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
The Golden Ticket, a salted caramel chocolate porter, is on its way to your glass
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Photo by Stephanie Breijo
Inside the brewery you'll find comfortable couches and local art
Though it looks nothing like a lab, walking into the back room of Garden Grove Brewing reminds me of one. Co-owner and head brewer Michael Brandt just extracted wort from a tank and hands it to me in what is, essentially, a plastic beaker. He’s currently brewing a batch of Golden Ticket, a Willy Wonka nod in the form of a salted caramel porter made with Himalayan sea salt, and it should be available within three weeks’ time.
Over the wort’s bitter notes — which will diminish during the course of its brew-life — I taste a perfect salinity with bold notes of caramel. It’s only one reason I’m excited for Garden Grove Brewing’s opening at noon on Saturday.
On the opposite wall of Carytown’s first brewery, there’s a 100-gallon batch of beer fermenting. Fifteen of those gallons are white wine grape juice, methodically balanced before entering the tank. There are beers fermenting in Bordeaux barrels and beers brewing with chilies.
Just don’t call it “mad science.”
“It’s actually quite calculated,” Brandt tells me. “For the salt levels in this [Golden Ticket], we do trials where we take different levels of salt and volumes of water and we taste it ‘til we go, ‘That’s it,’ and then we add that amount. It’s the same thing for anything we add to the kettles; we’re really, really cautious.”
This caution comes as no surprise, considering his background as an agricultural research scientist. “That’s very helpful for me to understand ingredients; what marries with what; where you’re supposed to get the ingredients from; what their characteristic is going to be when they show up; how to know if they’re fresh or grown properly — stuff like that.”
But Brandt’s more than a scientist. He also has an extensive background in both wine and beer, running Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyard for six years, then working at Linden Vineyards for multiple years. This versatility caught the eye of co-owner Ryan Mitchell, who first posted a job listing on probrewer.com, a site, online forum and job board for brewers and breweries. After receiving over 100 requests for applications, Mitchell whittled his pool down to five applicants, including Brandt, who invited Mitchell to try his beer.
“I was really wowed by the taste of his beers,” Mitchell says, “and I knew that the formulas that he has and the passion and creativity that goes into it — I knew that I would be able to sell that.”
Their partnership came to fruition at 3445 W. Cary St., where they brew entirely on premises with a three-barrel system, 96 gallons, four fermenters, two bright tanks, and four Bordeaux wine barrels that will age beer anywhere from three to 12 months.
Garden Grove’s starting lineup includes a fruity and floral Saison called The Farmhouse “because of all the wacky and wild flavors it has — everything you’d pretty much be able to find on a farm,” Mitchell explains. It must be a fairly unique farm, because Brandt has prepared a delicate combination of hibiscus, rose hips, dried peaches, dried apple, dried mandarin oranges, dried tangerines and more.
You’ll also find the brewery's Southern Hemi IPA, made exclusively with hops from New Zealand and Australia, as well as Ronnie’s Red Ale (named in memory of Mitchell’s late father) and the Carytown Brown, a brown ale named, of course, for Carytown.
The Solera Stout’s title was inspired by Garden Grove's Solera program, which takes 20 percent of the first batch and holds 20 to 30 percent to use in their next. But the Honey Sparkler, Mitchell tells me, is “kind of revolutionary.” It’s a sorghum-based, gluten-free honeyed beverage that tastes like a white wine but has the profile of a beer. It also tastes like the much-anticipated (and much-missed) warmer days of summer.
The pair also makes non-alcoholic items. Currently on offer is the absurdly refreshing ginger beer soda made with Hawaiian ginger as well as lemongrass and grapefruit zest. “Mike and I both have kids, so we want to make it inviting,” Mitchell explains. They also hope to make a Dreamsicle-flavored soda and provide a soda machine for children, with syrup taps available to make their own concoctions. And while the brewery doesn’t have a kitchen, Mitchell says they’ll offer pre-packaged food such as appetizers and cheese and charcuterie boards, as well as dessert, and candy for any visiting children.
“Our business plan is based, yes, off tap room sales and small distribution,” he continues, “but it’s all family and community.”
Garden Grove Brewing is located at 3445 W. Cary St. and opens at noon on Saturday, Feb. 14. Hours: Saturday from noon to 2 a.m.; Sunday from noon to 11 p.m.; closed Monday; Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 to 10 p.m.; Thursday from 3 p.m. to midnight; Friday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m.
