CLEOPHUS QUEALY WHO?

When beer geeks think of San Leandro, the venerable Drake’s Brewing comes to mind first — or maybe 21st Amendment, which opened a production brewery there two years ago. But there’s another, less-well-known brewery right around the corner: Cleophus Quealy, the 3-yearold brewery with the memorable name, offers a cozier tasting environment and a lot of surprises.

Cleophus Quealy — the name comes from the families of founders and Google alums Peter Baker and Dan Watson — has eight taps pouring rotating sets of beers brewed on site. Most beers are $6-$7 per glass; $10 will get you a set of four 4-ounce tasters. On the day we visited, the brewery staff was pouring two barrel-aged beers, a golden ale and a Belgian-style tripel made with maple syrup, as well as an abbey pale, a Belgian stout, a spiced dark ale, a cherry sour, a rye pale ale and a saison. Nearly all of these offered an interesting twist on the style.

I highly recommend sharing a taster set, if you visit with friends. When you experiment as much as these guys do, not every beer is going to be a hit. That said, if you enjoy discovering new tastes, this is the place for you.

Although no food is sold in the brewery, they have a partnership with Canasta Kitchen, which parks its food truck just outside the brewery. The menu includes a tasty selection of bites ranging from tacos, tortas, nachos and quesadillas to barbecue wings and fish and chips. My advice: Try the Tots, topped with garlic, chipotle aioli, cilantro and cotija cheese.

Don’t miss: With a constantly changing rotation of beers, it’s difficult to choose just one, but on the day we visited, my favorite was the Golden Stave, a whiskeyaged golden ale. Making a balanced, barrel-aged, light beer is challenging, but the brewers at Cleophus Quealy really nailed it on this one.

Details: Open 3- 9 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 12-9 p.m. Saturdays and 12-8 p.m. Sundays at 448 Hester St., San Leandro, www.cleoph.us.

COURTESY OF GREG WILSON San Leandro’s least famous brewery is also its most surprising — and most memorable.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GREG WILSON Distressed wood lines the walls of San Leandro’s less-wellknown 3-year-old brewery, Cleophus Quealy, where eight taps pour a rotating array of brews made on site.