Pacific Coast Brewing Co.

Pacific Coast Brewing Co.

Very few brewpubs offer beer from other breweries, but in their quest to open the ultimate beer emporium, Steve Wolff and Don Gortemiller have gone out of their way to search out the most interesting beers, and offer twenty four on tap, of which four to ten are their own. One advantage to this is they don't feel they have to brew their own beers to try to please everybody. They make no light beers, their palest being considerably more full-bodied than the midrange beers at most brewpubs. There is a lot of history tied up in the Pacific Coast Brewing Co. The building itself, built in 1876 and less than a block from the Oakland Convention Center, is a part of a major renovation of downtown Oakland, and has been beautifully restored inside and out. The pub owners were able to acquire from the Oakland Museum some of their museum pieces for actual use in the pub. The elaborate stained glass window, which adorns the store front, along with the ornate bar and beer cooler, once graced the interior of the historic Cox Saloon, formerly located not far from their present day home in Old Oakland. These pieces have been incorporated into the pub that features a hardwood floor, brick wall, antiques and a heated beer garden adorned with greenery growing up its redwood trellis. A satellite dish with multiple television screens and a CD juke box have added a contemporary accent to the traditional pub atmosphere. We also provide free wireless internet access. The brewing equipment, downstairs from the pub, has also seen some history since its manufacture in Great Britain in 1980. It was the first turn-key brewery imported into this country for use as a micro-brewery. It originally saw service at the Palo Alto Brewing Company between 1984 and 1986. Unusual among California brewers, Don Gortemiller starts with a pale malt extract as the base on which he builds his beers. He does a brief mash with specialty malts to add flavor and color, the beers are also well hopped. The flavor of some of the specialty beers is further enhanced by dryhopping and by the addition of oak chips.