USA, CA: Hops & Fog Brewing Co. debuts softly in Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove, where it was illegal to sell alcohol until 1969, has its first brewery, Edible Monterey Bay reported on August 13.

Hops & Fog Brewing Co. debuted softly this weekend on Lighthouse Avenue, and as of today has swung its doors open to the public, just in time for a high-traffic Car Week.

If early returns are any indication, it feels like a welcome fit in a downtown district eager for an infusion of energy.

Co-owner/operators Mike Durrant and Ximena Waissbluth are both longtime P.G. residents, and Pagrovia-inspired accents—including marine murals by artist Hanif Wondir, vintage photos of Lovers Point and Lighthouse Avenue, and an artisan shelf composed of foraged sea glass—reinforce the local identity.

The working nano brewery’s three and a half barrel system stands along the west wall of the former Monterey Bay Laundry, opposite the sleek domed pizza oven in the kitchen.

For now, a curated list of local craft beers from Hidden Hills Brewing and Blending, Other Brother Beer Company and Alvarado Street Brewing holds space until HnF’s debut recipes arrive with the official grand opening over Labor Day weekend. (A handful of Monterey County wines from the likes of Shale Canyon, De Tierra and Folktale and a few house-brewed NA seltzers and cream sodas are also available.)

Durrant draws from more than two decades of experience as a home brewer, and demonstrates versatility with the craft, ranging comfortably from double IPAs to Irish red ales to signature nut brown ales, the latter which took second place at the California State Fair. (Meanwhile, his Irish red grabbed third in the National Homebrew competition.)

The introductory beer lineup—which Durrant hatches in cahoots with lead brewer and former Alvarado Street R&D pointman Cody Leano—is slated to include a Strawberry Fields sour, Saucy Otter nut brown ale, Good Old Haze IPA and Sugar and Spice mystery beer.

“We are going to turn over a lot of beers and we’re going to change the styles a lot,” Durrant says. “We’re not going to have eight flagships. Our goal is to brew a lot of beers, have a lot of fun and accomplish things in this small space. And give P.G. something fun.”