Gilman Brewing Opens Third Bay Area Taproom + Expansions in West Berkeley and Daly City for better pandemic protocols

Gilman Brewing Co. has lots of brew news for you today. A premier East Bay, Calif., brewery decorated with 45 medals awarded from top national and regional beer competitions (2015-2020), Gilman Brewing keeps its eye on the long-game with expansion plans set for early 2021.

Gilman Brewing’s flagship production brewery and taproom in West Berkeley immediately increased its footprint to 13,800 sq ft (an expansion of 5,000 sq ft) while the official opening of their third location in downtown Pleasanton (706 Main Street) is set for March 2021. The brewery’s Daly City taproom (2001 Junipero Serra Blvd) will also re-open with a newly designed outdoor seating area in addition to its indoor restaurant. Of note: Gilman is the sole craft brewery to open a taproom/restaurant in Daly City.

Residing on Berkeley’s thoroughfare Gilman Street since 2015, Gilman Brewing has carved out a niche for themselves amid the crowded northern California beer scene with its handcrafted rustic farmhouse ales, saisons, and massively hopped IPAs being among their most award-winning beers.

Sean Wells (Owner/Brewmaster/Builder, Gilman Brewing) added 2,000 sq ft of outdoor seating as well as 3,000 sq ft of additional indoor space at his West Berkeley locale to bolster health and safety protocols to better accommodate their dedicated patrons. Heated and covered outdoor tents will be utilized with a new menu debuting in spring 2021 that features an array of artisanal fries, wings, and chicken and waffles. Larger indoor capacity offers enhanced social distancing, and a new remodeled private event space in the barrel room available for bookings in late 2021.

The 2,500 sq ft downtown Pleasanton taproom brings Gilman’s limited-edition beer releases never before available outside of the Berkeley brewery to the Tri-Valley region. The venue collaborates with Brava Garden Eatery for a New American focused lunch/dinner menu with dishes influenced by the husband-and-wife owners’ Italian/Argentinian roots. The 900 sq ft outdoor patio is a signature of the Pleasanton location with its high trestles full of string lights destined for unforgettable beer and culinary experiences. Local bands will provide live music nightly until 9 pm (outside) and 11 pm (inside).

Gilman’s restaurant and taproom at Daly City located one block south of the Daly City BART station has kept its kitchen open throughout the pandemic cooking hundreds of meals daily for the Great Plates Program for San Mateo County. Initially focusing on Neapolitan-inspired pizza, Executive Chef Kurt Steeber now turns to a quick service menu of delicious burgers and sandwiches (Short Rib Burger, Salmon Rillettes, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Fishwich, Grilled Cheese), and salads and apps (Kale, Baby Beets, Cobb, Caesar, Buffalo Wings). Upon re-opening to the public, the indoor restaurant is accompanied by an adjacent 400 sq ft enclosed heated outdoor patio. 20 rotating Gilman beers are on draught as well as a sophisticated wine list. Beer to go and their food menu are available through the Gilman Brewing app downloadable from the app store or google play.

Gilman beers are brewed at its state-of-the-art production brewery in West Berkeley — a space that now stretches the entire 900 block on Gilman Street. Wells and his crew transformed a former automotive radiator shop into the Berkeley destination that it is today. Gilman’s team of brewers, bartenders, musicians and builders are devoted to taking the pretension out of craft brewing by representing their blue-collar spirit and fascination of workin’ on cars, motorcycles, metal and wailin’ on Johnny Cash songs with the house band at the brewery. Live music is an essential part of the Gilman Brewing community as many employees are working and professional musicians. Neighbors to the historic non-profit music venue 924 Gilman, the brewery will have live music performances at both the Berkeley brewery and Pleasanton locations.

Gilman Brewing has been recognized for its premium IPAs, double IPAs, hazy IPAs, tart sours, fruit-forward beers and a distinguished roster of singular California-inspired Belgian and saison styles. In 2020 alone, the brewery received seven Gold medals, two Silver and two Bronze medals, and two “Best of Show” awards for “Beer of the Year.” In 2019, Gilman garnered 16 medals including five Gold medals at the California Craft Brewers Cup, California State Fair Commercial Craft Beer Competition, NorCal Brew Competition Sonoma County Fair and USA Beer Ratings. At the New York International Beer Competition 2019, Gilman took home the highly coveted award for “California American IPA Brewery of the Year” (in 2018, the brewery won “California Saison Brewery of the Year”).