Golden State Brew and Grill open for business

Good news beer lovers, the Golden State Brew and Grill has officially opened and they’re already pouring their suds for thirsty Gilroyans.
Owner/brewer Seth Hendrickson and owner/contractor Kirill Egorov had hustled this month, working 12-plus hours per day as they sped to the finish line with the goal to open as soon as they could to complete the first phase of their brewing enterprise.
“All day and all night,” said Hendrickson on the frenetic pace needed to open for business. “With projects like this you tend to do a lot of work, then wait, you do some more work and you wait some more. But in the end, everybody needed to come together to get the place opened.”
With 24 taps, 16 of their own brews, a handful of sours and ciders along with a few guest beers, one of their most well-known beers is the 3-Way. Watch out though; it packs a punch.
“It’s a triple New England-style IPA,” Hendrickson said. “It’s a very hazy and it has a big mouth but very low bitterness. People are going nuts for it. It’s a 10-percent beer, but it’s a sneaky 10 percent.”
Although they opened for business Jan. 18, the construction is not complete. The next phase includes opening a full kitchen, complete with restaurant seating along with a full seven-tank brewing operation that allows guests a plain view of the brewers at work.
“Right now we’re a little limited as to what we can do for food because of the permitting, so a lot of what we’re doing is pre-made,” said Head Chef Michelle, Mish, Goulart. “We’re doing a lot of paninis, Cubano Grilled Cheese and Caprese. We’re working with Sumano Bread and it’s going to be cool to find out what breads work best. It’s exciting to explore what ingredients Gilroy has to offer; I’m tossing garlic in as many things as possible.”
Another draw for Golden State Brew and Grill, 7560 Monterey St, will be the outdoor seating. The “parklet,” which is secured by iron posts and just out slightly onto Monterey Street will have table service and is equipped with heaters for night time comfort. The whole process took a lot of time and effort but it seems that Gilroy is ready to drink.
“At 4:45 on Thursday, as soon as we got everything signed, off we opened the doors,” Hendrickson said. “We had about 50 people meander on in without us announcing anything. This downtown really wants something like this here.”
While work on the restaurant seating is still a work in progress, a temporary wall separates the sections. When all work is completed, Golden State Brew and Grill will seat 295 people.
“It’s going to be a full restaurant with burgers, pizza and the whole nine yards,” Hendrickson said. “We’re going to keep out tanks in Santa Clara, but you’ll be able to sit at the bar and you can see people brew. That’s the way we want to do it; we don’t want to hide stuff. We want you to see the tanks, see the people working and smell beer when you walk in.”
While beer is a signature part of Golden State Brew and Grill, wine lovers won’t be left out in the cold. A selection of Chardonnay, Cabernet and sparkling wine from Gilroy wineries are available priced approximately at $30 per bottle.