Chapman Crafted Beer

50

Opening a new brewery in an area that is already rich with wellrespected brewers and savvy beer drinkers takes some guts and talent. Fortunately, the team behind Chapman Crafted Beer has both in abundance. Mix in a diverse tap list, and you come to a beer lover’s dream in Orange County, California.

IN THE ERA OF IPA, it’s refreshing to walk into a brewery today where the beers on offer range from the new and hazy to the clear and classic. Chapman Crafted Beer is the creation of long-time restaurateurs, beer enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs who staffed the venture with seasoned beer-industry veterans to ensure that the whole experience, from the taproom to the finished pint, is easy and memorable.

“We’re in one of the few historic downtowns in California, so we wanted to have beers that appeal to anyone who walks through the doors. That means lagers, IPAS, and whatever else the brewers want to make that will make everyone feel welcome,” says Jonas Nemura, the brewery’s general manager.

Over and over again, employees at the brewery talk about the diversity of the list (there’s a red ale that’s usually on, for goodness sake) and how the brewery should be a place for all. It’s not just because of the push by Randy Nelson and Will Dee but also because of the brewery-savvy clientele that exists in this particular part of California, especially since the 3-year-old brewery is just a 17-minute drive from The Bruery.

“While the bars might not have been too craft-centric, people in the area certainly have come to expect a certain level of quality from local breweries,” says Nemura, who previously worked at The Bruery.

The brewing team routinely cites how lucky they are to have the blessing to create a balanced portfolio of beers. In an era where if you can sell sixteen taps of hazy IPA, then that’s what ownership wants, the brewers are happy to create choice on each line.

The 20-barrel premiere stainless brewing system with 200 barrels of capacity gets a good workout on most days, and the resulting beers are packaged and served in the taproom that resides in a renovated historic building that once housed a garage or sent out to accounts in the area.

“We do the beers of the moment, such as New England IPA, but I get to brew a Pilsner frequently, and that’s very satisfying and gratifying. Most brewers don’t get to do that. We also make an amber ale with all Cascade hops, and it’s so much fun to make that beer,” says Lead Brewer David Hall.

“We actually went looking for some Cascade hops recently when we ran out and had a brew day scheduled, and we had local brewers scratching their heads, asking what we used Cascade for.”

By offering beers that aren’t necessarily sitting at the cool kid’s table these days, Chapman Crafted is able to appeal to the beer drinkers who still like diversity.

“It’s a hot topic for us, and we fight hard to keep balance. On our sales-and-distribution side, we work hard to find customtap

ers who like more traditional styles. That can be hard, but when you do find them, you know they are passionate,” says Sean Higginbotham, the brewery’s head of sales. “And then in addition to the lagers and ales, we balance it out with the milkshake IPAS, all the lactose beers, and fun nitro beers.”

The brewer leading the team is Brian Thorson, who has spent a career working at well-respected breweries on both coasts, notably time at Harpoon Brewery (Boston, Massachusetts), Trumer Brauerei (Berkeley, California), and Drake’s Brewing Co. (San Leandro, California). He innovated and learned techniques at all three, and he puts them into practice each day at Chapman.

“I like to brew to taste, not necessarily a style,” says Thorson. “I am a nitpicker on some styles, such as lager and Pilsners. I want people to come away from drinking those beers and knowing it is how it’s supposed to be done. But, I’ve brewed IPAS on the West Coast and the East Coast. I’ve done hazy and clean, and it comes down to whatever tastes good, tastes good.”

In any given week, they are experimenting with beers, but he enjoys playing in the lager space. This means you can find a Märzen when seasonally appropriate or a hoppy lager that receives the DDH treatment normally associated with IPA.

He’s wary of kettle sours, and while they’ve added fruit to recipes in the past, he’s still partial to a traditional Berliner weisse, with no flavoring added. While that takes some drinkers a little bit of time to get used to, there are others who appreciate the simple complexity of the unadorned style.

But, it’s hard to ignore the fondness for red ales and other amber-hued beers on offer. It’s delightfully old school, which brings a smile to long-time craft con