Brew Pub Eyes July Opening — "98% There"

Operators of the new El Cerrito brew pub that's been slowly taking shape near the Cerrito Theater on San Pablo Avenue hope to open next month, the head brewer told El Cerrito Patch.

"We're 98 percent there," said brewer David Goodstal, one of three partners behind the pub at 10082 San Pablo Ave. "We're hoping to open in July."

He said on Tuesday that the opening date will depend on when the pub can clear all the local, state and federal regulatory hurdles, including various permits and inspections.

Public interest in the pub has been high, he said. It will be El Cerrito's first brew pub, at least in the modern era.

The three partners, who formerly worked together at Pyramid Brewery in Berkeley, had originally hoped to open in February.

The 50-seat establishment will serve "artisan beer and artisan food," said Goodstal, a veteran of the master brewers program at UC Davis.

Large stainless-steel tanks made in China stand impressively behind the long redwood bar. The bar and the suspended "Elevation 66" sign outside the front door are made from recycled old-growth redwood that a century ago was part of a huge wine vat, Goodstal said. The recycled bricks helping to hold up the bar came from an old Victorian in Oakland, he said.

A chef has been hired to prepare food to serve with the beer brewed on the premises, he said.

A smaller, upstairs portion of the establishment features a pool table, flat-screen TV and space for darts.

The pub is two doors north of the and next door to Vietnamese restaurant, which sits on the southeast corner of San Pablo and Central Avenue.

The "Elevation 66" name was chosen because, according to the founders, the pub site is 66 feet above sea level.