SLO Brew 30th Anniversary Festival happening Saturday
–SLO Brew is hosting their 30th Anniversary Festival on Sept. 8, 2018 at their newest facility, The Rock. SLO Brew is opening its doors to celebrate thirty iconic years of brewing craft beer and opening their legendary stage to some of SLO’s own best up-and-coming artists for the celebration. Held at its new event center and outdoor beer garden, live performances by Electric Guest, Fialta, Wordsauce, Truxton Mile, Shawn Clark Family Band, Ras Danny, Chris Beland and Bear Market Riot will keep attendees dancing as they dine on street food and sip craft beer.
To commemorate the milestone, SLO Brew will be releasing a limited run of their 30th Anniversary Triple Dry Hopped IPA on draft and in 16oz cans available for purchase through the taproom, and at select retailers throughout California. Brewmaster Steve Courier and owners Rodney Cegelski and Hamish Marshall will be on site to tap the first keg and join in on the celebrations.
“We are excited to bring together the community that has supported SLO Brew throughout the past thirty years” says Cegelski, “We are looking forward to the rockin’ good times ahead!”
SLO Brew has plenty to celebrate. Founded in 1988, SLO Brew is one of the oldest craft breweries on the West Coast. Here’s the timeline:
1988 – SLO Brewing Co. opens its doors on Garden Street in downtown, San Luis Obispo, and becomes the first craft brew pub on the Central Coast of California. Owned and operated by Mike Hoffman, SLO Brew was not only a brewery, but a restaurant, pool hall and music venue as well. It quickly becomes a hit and a ‘go to’ destination for Cal Poly students. It is renowned for the quality musical acts that played there over the years including Snoop Dogg, No Doubt, Neil Young, Green Day, Jimmy Eat World, Tyler the Creator and The Strokes. The copper kettle that was used in the original location to produce their award-winning beer is still part of the brewery today.
2001 – SLO Brew takes home the distinguished “Brewpub of the Year” award at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. That same year they were awarded two silver and one gold medal for their Oatmeal Stout, Pale Ale, and IPA.
2010 – The business is bought by Hamish Marshall, who brings in longtime friend and colleague Rodney Cegelski as his business partner and co-owner. They develop a plan to revive the SLO Brew brand, expand its offerings and ramp up distribution.
2015 – After its 2015 New Year’s Party, SLO Brew closes its doors to get ready for the move to its new location on Higuera Street. The new location has a lot more to offer–it includes 6,500 square feet on the first floor with a restaurant, bar and concert stage, plus an outdoor dining patio that overlooks the creek. The new building also features a mezzanine level, with pool tables, shuffleboard, and views of the concert stage. A new motto is created – “To handcraft the SLO experience by brewing up epic spirits and good times.”
2015 – After 26 years of being San Luis Obispo’s most popular music and craft beer destination, SLO Brew breaks ground adjacent to the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport on a brand-new brewing facility, tasting room, restaurant and venue space to be known as The Rock.
2016 – The new SLO Brew opens in the historic Carissa Building at 736 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo. With the opening, it introduces a new gastropub concept. Featuring a full-sized restaurant with expansive indoor and outdoor dining options, the Brew’s new menu complements the brewery’s famed selection of craft beers. In addition to the variety of signature pizzas, pub favorites and shareable plates on the menu, The Brew’s 14 taps pour SLO Brew’s signature beers along with its own specialty and seasonal brews. In addition to receiving a Beautification Award by the city of San Luis Obispo, The Brew has been named one of the top “10 Best Craft Beer Taprooms in the West” by Sunset Magazine. Building on its reputation as the spot to hear great live music, the new Brew has hosted over 200 artists & live acts since its opening. In 2018, SLO Brew won first place in the New Times Best of SLO County Awards for “Best Bar” and “Best Club to Catch a Band”.
2016 – Labor Day weekend sees the opening of the SLO Brew Lofts, perched on the second story above the new SLO Brew. Overlooking the lively downtown scene, SLO Brew Lofts set a new standard for modern accommodations and was dubbed the “Best Luxury Party Hotel” in San Luis Obispo by ATOD Magazine. The one, two or three-bedroom Lofts radiate a cool, urban vibe and feature fully outfitted kitchens, dining areas and living rooms.
2016 – With a history at the Brew that spans over decades and multiple awards, SLO Brew announces the appointment of Steve Courier as SLO Brew’s full-time Brewmaster. Courier has been a part of the SLO Brew family since 1997 but previously split his time between SLO Brew and Firestone Walker Brewing Co. With an intimate knowledge of SLO Brew’s style and flavor, Courier oversees brewing operations at SLO Brew’s gastropub, The Brew, and its new brewing facility, The Rock.
2017 – SLO Brew’s brand-new brewing facility opens with over 14,500 total square feet of indoor and outdoor floor space that features a tasting room, restaurant, and beer garden. Located off Broad Street near the Airport, SLO Brew Rock expands SLO Brew’s production capacity with a new state-of-the-art Criveller 30-barrel brewing system and rotary canning line.
2018 – In little more than a year, distribution of SLO Brew’s core craft beers are available year-around in 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans, as well as on tap, at over 1000 restaurants and retail locations across California, and as far as South Australia and Puerto Rico. The new brewery’s production is expected to exceed 10,000 barrels a year.
2018 – SLO Brew’s state-of-the-art entertainment venue opens at the Rock, just in time for the 30th Anniversary Festival. With superb acoustics, A/V equipment and a 50’ LED screen, The Rock’s venue is ‘made for music’ and with a 600-person capacity, it is game-changer as a performance venue for San Luis Obispo County. Finished with rustic barnwood and natural accents, this flexible venue is also an ideal setting for weddings, private events and corporate conferences.
Over the past few years, SLO Brew has grown to encompassed multiple businesses under its umbrella, including The Brew – Restaurant & Pub, The Lofts – Hotel, The Rock – Brewery & Taproom, as well as the event and concert venues, and the newly licensed Rod & Hammer SLO Stills Distillery. Committed to both growing the seminal SLO Brew craft beer brand as they are to the community, SLO Brew has donated its facilities and products to support many nonprofit organizations, including United Way, Jack’s Helping Hand, Hearst Cancer Resource Center, French Hospital, Ales for ALS, Beer for Boobs – supporting cancer research, and Miracles for Kids.
The SLO Brew 30th Anniversary Festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Rock. General Admission tickets are $30 (presale) and include access to the event and concert. VIP tickets are $100 and include front of the line access to the event and concert, two drink vouchers, two food tickets, a 30th-anniversary shirt, commemorative poster, and free cover for the after-party at The Brew downtown. Tickets are available for purchase at www.slobrew.com/live.
The event will be held at SLO Brew Rock, 855 Aerovista Place, off of Broad Street by the SLO airport. The after-party will be held at SLO Brew, 736 Higuera Street in downtown San Luis Obispo.
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