Thirty-six hours ago, I was having dinner at The Cork and Craft restaurant in Rancho Bernardo, and sampling through the majority of house beers from the on-site Abnormal Beer Company. Each time I stop by C&C, I find ABC’s brews to be better than the last time. I’ve only been mildly disappointed in the beers once way back on the week brewer Derek Gallanosa was serving his very first batch of ales. Ever since then, the brewing program has progressed, particularly where hoppy and dark beers are concerned. I was halfway through a second taster of Gallanosa’s Debut IPA when I found myself wishing I could find more ABC on tap outside its brewpub home-base. Well, it looks like that wish will be granted in the not-too-distant future.
The owners of The Cork and Craft recently announced that they will undergo a $1 million expansion of the restaurant that will see it taking over an abutting business. Doing so will add 2,000 square feet, increasing the venue’s total footprint to 7,000 square feet. The additional space will allow for expansion of the brewery facility and erection of a private event space. This will include establishment of a barrel-aging program that will venture into the realm of sour beers.
On the brewery front, hot and cold liquor tanks will be installed along with 11 fermenters (a mixture of 30- and 40-barrel tanks). These additions should allow ABC to increase its production by 550% annually. That is a lot more beer which can be distributed outside The Cork and Craft and into the many beer-centric bars and restaurants in and around San Diego County that would be happy to carry it. But it will take a bit of time. The business projects the entire project will be completed by this time next year.