USA, TX: Brew Monkey Beer Co. to begin construction soon

The construction process at San Antonio’s newest brewery is set to begin soon, and if the timing falls in line, a lineup of fresh beers from the Brew Monkey Beer Co. might be pouring as early as this summer, mysanantonio.com reported on February 28.

Brew Monkey, which is owned by Jim Hansen, a veteran California-based brewer, is located on the Northeast Side at 11935 Starcrest Drive inside the Blossom Business Park. He plans to start construction soon on his 2,000-square-foot facility, which is currently a mostly empty shell, and to start brewing his beers in May before hopefully opening in June.

Hansen is going big with a 15-barrel system that he believes will allow him to quickly transition from a traditional tasting room into a full-production facility that will distribute kegs of beer to area bars and restaurants.

“We’re going to be coming at it hard from the start,” said Hansen, who has been trying to make Brew Monkey a reality for more than two years. He likely will launch using just about 40 percent of what the system can handle, but he wanted to open with a system he could easily ramp up should the beers succeed quickly.

Hansen said his beers will be rooted in classic craft varieties, including a West Coast India pale ale, an Irish stout, honey blonde ale and a beer that mimics the popular Anchor Steam beer of his San Francisco Bay-area roots called Hometown Lager.

“The goal is to make classic, approachable beers so that your average Bud Light drinker will be able to come in and enjoy themselves without being intimidated by the experience,” Hansen said.

Hansen has a resume that includes stints at California breweries such as Gordon Biersch Brewing Co., Devil’s Canyon Brewing Co., Highway 1 Brewing Co. and the Hermitage Brewing Co.

One of the secrets to Brew Monkey will be Hansen’s commitment to authenticity with the most important ingredient to any good beer: water. Using a reverse-osmosis system, he plans to replicate the water chemistry of his beers’ native lands. So with the help of brewing salts, his Irish beers will be made with water that has the same pH levels as that of Dublin, and his Bavarian beers will replicate the water chemistry of the Rhine River in Germany.

“It’s just another way to make your beer as close to the original recipes as possible,” Hansen said.

Hansen also plans to offer classes for home brewers, discussing topics such as hop selection, various brewing techniques, and he’s even willing to give away his recipes.

“If people want to come in and learn, I’ll teach them,” Hansen said. “The goal is to be as inclusive as possible. Beer is supposed to be about having fun.”

Once open, the Brew Monkey tasting room will be open five days per week, inside an 800-square-foot space and a bar that will have upwards of 20 tap handles and up to 10 beers available at launch.

Brew Monkey Beer Co., 11935 Starcrest Dr. Hours (tentative): 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

01 March, 2020