Business Address 2700 Mitchell Dr., Bldg. 2,
Walnut Creek CA 94598
510-882-7181
blaine@calicraft.com
http://www.calicraft.com
From the time he was 14, Walnut Creek’s Blaine Landberg knew he wanted to become a brewer. Growing up outside of Chico, Landberg’s family gatherings often featured hand-brewed beer “not so much for the alcohol content as for the social factor and craft,” says Landberg. While at UC Berkeley, he made his first batch in his dorm basement at 19, and he’s been hooked on home brewing ever since. Landberg had every intention of turning his brewing hobby into a business but says he got sidetracked—for 13 years—in his job for Honest Tea, where he learned a lot about the art and craft of sales, marketing, and distribution. Recently, he launched Calicraft, a brewing company that blurs the lines between beer and wine, and, with the help of contacts he made in his old job, his product has caught on quickly. Landberg sources locally: malt from the Klamath Basin, hops from Lake County, and honey from the foothills outside Willows, on his family’s ranch. “I want my beers to have the taste of terroir in the same way wines do,” says Landberg, who’s making a Kölsch-style brew called Cali Colsh and Oaktown Brown, a darker brew with caramel and coffee notes, among others. Bottles are available at Whole Foods, and Landberg intends to open a small brewery and tasting room in Walnut Creek’s Shadelands area. On draft, his ales are available at ØL Beercafé and Corners Tavern in Walnut Creek, Pete’s Brass Rail in Danville, Handles in Pleasanton, Beer Revolution and Ben and Nick’s in Oakland, and Revival Bar and Gather in Berkeley. Oh, and did we mention he’s the maker of the Panisse Pale Ale, timed to celebrate the 41st anniversary of Chez Panisse? The clean malty blend with strong citrus notes was designed, natch, to pair well with food.Walnut Creek Chamber Member
