Sophie Snook, Kelly Brewing Company
Ross Kelly, owner and brewmaster of Morgan Hill-based
Kelly Brewing Company, said, “People come here for a full-
flavored beer. mpany A craft brewery is like the local pub:
people come to socialize and hang out. We have pub games in
the backroom and in the outside patio just for that reason.”
Kelly Brewing Company, with its long, varnished bar
and open seating, will soon have twelve taps available: “I’m
planning to have two to three IPAs at all times,” Kelly said.
“It’s the most popular craft beer. But I’ll be making a wide
variety of beer. Once a beer is gone, we’ll replace it with
something new, so customers will have something different
to taste all the time.”
Starting out with home brewing in 2006, Kelly upped
his game in 2015, attending a World Brewing Academy
course, which is a partnership between Seibel Institute of
Technology in Chicago and Doemens Academy in Munich,
Germany. A native of Morgan Hill/San Martin, Kelly said he
is “happy to be back in Morgan Hill, and happy to be a part
of the growing number of craft beer providers in our area.”
Sophie Snook, Kelly’s fiancée and front-room manager,
added, “When there are a number of places to drink craft
beer, the area becomes a destination community.”
Drinking beer has always been a part of the American
identity: the 4th of July BBQ, sporting events, and summer
picnics. But the boom in the craft beer industry is changing
the taste of American beer drinkers and adding to the venues
to enjoy them. We are craving the complexity of flavors and
style that we can’t find with mainstream beers, and we’re
flocking to the shops that provide them.
In August 2016, owners of The Running Shop and
Hops, Paul and Renee Rakitin, brought a much-welcomed
taproom to downtown Morgan Hill to fulfill that desire for
experimentation and choice. The taproom boasts 86 craft
beers, the largest selection in the area. Popular since its
opening day, “Hops” features outdoor seating and a large
game room.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
Bubbles and Brew: Food, Wine, Beer is the new name for
Bubbles Wine Bar, reflecting the addition of craft beers on
tap. Owners Kerry Wallace and her husband Dave Dindak
heeded the many requests for draft craft beer by adding an
outdoor venue called Grant’s Garden. Now, patrons can enjoy
their “classic bistro dishes,” with wine or beer, inside the
wine bar and bistro, or outside in Grant’s Garden. “With over
ten craft beers on tap, there’s no place better to meet friends
and have a good time,” states their Facebook announcement.
“With both beer and wine,” Kerry said, “we’ve become a
‘date night’ destination.” They also host Saturday Music from
6-8 pm in spring and summer, featuring a variety of artists.
And just like any European bistro owners, Kerry and David
encourage patrons to “Stay for a while.” Bubbles and Brew is
a “place to linger,” said Kerry.
Trail Dust Barbecue has been a treasured destination
for food and beer lovers ever since owner Eric Ingram
opened the doors in 1989. As Marc Stroogandt, master beer
sommelier for the Food and Beer Consultancy, UK stated,
“Beer is a great match for food because of the complexity of
its flavors, its ability to provide refreshment and to interact
with many food flavors.” For many years, the servers/beer
sommeliers at Trail Dust offered tasting suggestions for food
and beer pairings from over two dozen bottled craft beers
selected from around the state.
Trail Dust installed a walk-in cooler in 2012 to further
their commitment to the best and freshest craft beers.
Currently, customers can choose from twenty-one craft beers
on tap, and the knowledgeable wait staff are still available to
help with your beer selection. “We are continuing to reinvent
ourselves,” said Ingram. “Soon, we plan to double the seating
at the bar, and we’re looking into adding a parklet [a patio
extension out to the street] that will increase our seating,
with a deck and lighting.”
Another way to find the very best craft beer is to brew it
yourself. With roots as a homebrewer himself, Ingram has
april/may 2019
gmhtoday.com
29