USA, IN: Alvarado Street Brewery on track to launch in Carmel

Carmel is on track to get a new restaurant and brewery, courtesy of the team behind the popular Alvarado Street Brewery, the Monterey County Weekly reported.

At a Carmel Planning Commission meeting Feb. 14, developers John and J.C. Hill revealed the first tease of Yeast of Eden Restaurant & Brewery, which they hope to debut in Carmel Plaza.

Yeast of Eden shares its name with Alvarado Street Brewery’s fledgling sour beer project. Spearheaded by head brewer/blender Andrew Rose, Yeast of Eden brews unique small-batch sour and wild beers.

The space on the ground floor of the Carmel Plaza will be 4,600 square feet, with both an onsite brewery and restaurant like the brewery’s flagship location on Alvarado Street. Plans call for a 96-seat dining room, a private dining room for eight, a 15-seat bar and an additional 40 seats in an outdoor courtyard.

The vision is to focus on Yeast of Eden’s limited-batch, terroir-driven beers. Beer production will be to a “nano” scale—brewed at 150 gallons at a time—using California-grown hops and malts. The brewing process is unique among American breweries with open fermentation for 48 hours, then natural air inoculating the beer with wild yeast and natural microflora to build distinct terroir. An illuminated bottle wall will put this signature brewing method on full display for diners.

The culinary program will draw inspiration from California cuisine, blending both modern and traditional elements. The idea is to pair food with the delicate acidity and nuanced flavor profiles of Yeast of Eden’s mixed fermentation beers.

An early preview of the menu promises seasonal shared plates, fusion tacos and Santa Maria-style barbecue using an iron grill with charcoal briquettes and oak chips in the method pioneered by 19th-century ranchers.

Proposed operating hours are 11:30am-10pm Sunday-Wednesday and expanded hours from 11am-midnight Thursday-Saturday, potentially providing a new option for night owls in Carmel.

Carmel has grappled with the volume of wine-tasting rooms in the city, but the proposed Yeast of Eden won Planning Commission support. It would be a casual counterpoint to existing establishments, in addition to Mulligan Public House, which opened in late 2016.

It would also represent the growing scope of Alvarado Street Brewery. The first location opened in downtown Monterey in 2014; in 2016, an outdoor patio there, plus a Salinas brewery and tasting room followed.

27 February, 2018