This piece appears on page 1 of the March issue.
Power to the People — Rough Draft Brewing Company plans to let their customers be their guides
Rough Draft Brewing Company is the latest addition to Mira Mesa’s burgeoning beer scene. The brewery with a fitting name is set to open in March with a slate of beers that are just that: rough drafts.
“We’re going to be the opposite of a brewery that opens up and says, ‘I’m gonna make what I’m gonna make.’ That’s just not me,” said Jeff Silver, a homebrewer with 18 years of experience who decided to leave a career in the finance and insurance arena to pursue the thing in life he most enjoyed: crafting and sharing good beer.
“Things are going to change as we go, as people have a chance to try our beers and help shape them. To that end, comments on Facebook and Yelp are encouraged,” Silver added.
While the beer is a work-in-progress, Rough Draft’s tasting room is not. The spacious, polished venue is a whopping 1,500 square feet and features a long granite bar with a metal foot railing and comfortable leather stools. Two large flat-screen televisions sandwich the beer board, but the best view is of the abutting 2,000 square foot brewhouse equipped with a 15-barrel system that Silver is already planning to expand with additional fermentors and several barrels.
Brews in-the-works for Rough Draft’s opening include Writer’s Bock, What the Ale?, Eraser IPA, and an American strong ale called Frontal Labottleme. The company’s first beer that will be infused with oak is a tripel called Emboozelment that, post-aging, will go by the name Freudian Sip. Both amber and rye ales may also be worked into the mix, though they haven’t been named yet.
As far as distributing his product, Silver again points to the power of the people. “At first, it’ll be like throwing spaghetti on the wall and finding out what people think. The beers that prove to be winners in the tasting room are the ones we will put into distribution,” said Silver.
Rough Draft’s official grand opening is slated for Saturday, March 10th. Tickets are available online at www.roughdraftbrew.com for $20 (per person) and include a tasting of each beer and a 64-ounce growler with an initial fill. An invitation-only soft launch is scheduled for Friday, March 9th, and interested parties can “like” Rough Draft on Facebook (roughdraftbrew) and follow their updates to win an exclusive invite. UPDATE 3/1: Rough Draft’s contest for March 9th invite-only passes ended on February 28th.