OAKLAND — When Harpreet and Manraj Judge — brothers and co-owners of the Beer Baron — first pulled up to the corner of College Avenue and Chabot Road in Oakland back in 2016 and saw an open and beaming patio, they knew the stumbled on something special.
Fast forward to today and the Beer Baron in the Rockridge neighborhood is now open to the public, adorned with the same wooden rustic feel, enormous whiskey library and expansive list of local craft beers, craft cocktails and elevated pub food that has won over the surrounding communities of its existing Livermore, Pleasanton and Santa Rosa locations.
The amazing array of combos — like pairing a local IPA or stout from the likes of Altamont, Laughing Monk or Fieldwork; or a cocktail like their Nitro Bourbon Cold Brew and barrel-aged offerings, with equally enticing dishes like chicken and waffles with Fresno chili slaw and maple-bacon butter, a tea smoked hodo soy tofu salad, or cajun mac and cheese — are enough to woo even the most discerning of foodies.
(Photo: Samantha Benedict)
This newest Beer Baron in Oakland doesn’t just avidly elevate the quality of its craft drink and food options, it also puts a high value on the community it fosters.
Local Flavors Front and Center
As the team began to explore bringing their Beer Baron brand to Rockridge, they took a local-first approach to structuring the concept to suit the neighborhood it was entering.
“When we go into a community, we want to make sure that community feels comfortable coming in here,” said Harpreet Judge. “We did that here by changing up our menu a little bit, going 100 percent local with our meats and produce, and offering more vegetarian options.”
(Photo: Samantha Benedict)
The local food sourcing is apparent from a quick glance of the menu: guacamole served with chips from Oakland-based La Finca Tortilleria, cheeses from Skyhill Napa Valley Farms and Cowgirl Creamery, Prather Ranch meats, and a rotating assortment of other wider Bay Area businesses can be seen throughout the menu.
“Though we started with beer, we’re not just beer,” said Harpreet Judge. “We have over 500 whiskeys in stock and our beverage director, Jeremy Vadurro, is a mad scientist doing great things.”
Many offerings on tap also reflect this local approach, with several offerings from East Bay breweries such as Faction’s Pale Ale, Altamont’s Hella Hoppy, Calicraft’s Oak Town, Black Forest Shake from Ale Industries and Novel Brewing’s Agnostic red ale. The tap list is rotating, which means a variety of fresh options will always be available.
“When we were looking at making the menu here, we looked at only locally sourced produce and protein,” said Prince Singh. “We already make nearly everything in house, but we found the most sustainable seafood purveyors, and made our kitchen and bar as eco-conscious as possible. This is our community and we want to make sure we take care of it.”
Being that local input is key to Beer Baron’s approach, Singh encourages his guests to make special requests.
“When the community tells us this is what type of beer they want, or they want a certain whiskey, we want them to let us know,” said Singh. “Nine times out of ten we can get it.”
(Photo: Samantha Benedict)
Not Just Beer; A Whiskey Collection for the Ages (and for Club Members)
Despite the name, Judge and Singh want to make sure guests know one thing: the Beer Baron does not just do beer.
“Though we started with beer, we’re not just beer,” said Harpreet Judge. “We have over 500 whiskeys in-stock and our beverage director, Jeremy Vadurro, is a mad scientist doing great things.”
(Photo: Samantha Benedict)
Walk into the Oakland bar and one can quickly see the truth behind this sentiment. An entire library collection of whiskey rises to the ceiling, with some of the rarer offerings only reachable via ladder. A “whiskey bible” is available for patrons to peruse the massive slate of offerings — currently at 20 pages long and soon to double in size — and the cocktail menu has its fair share of specialty whiskey cocktails ready to be mixed.
“This is our community and we want to make sure we take care of it.”
“Jeremy could fill the list with his cocktails, but he pushes the bartenders to be creative and wants the menu to be filled with their creations,” said Singh. “What that does is it allows us to get more creativity, the bartenders get to own their drink and talk to folks about what they’re drinking.”
For appreciators of whiskey, the Beer Baron’s Whiskey Club is a must. Members pay $250 upfront to join, but are immediately given back a $250 gift card to use at the Beer Baron whenever they like. Any visit on any day of the week at any time, members can use their membership to get 25% off any whiskey. Members will also get access to private distiller events at the Beer Baron and to whiskey and food pairings.
A Place for Community
For the Beer Baron in Oakland, quality doesn’t end with their menu, venerable whiskey collection or even the service. Success to them is largely hinged on how they engage with their neighborhood.
In the short time they’ve been open, Singh has noted that a high percentage of the guests visiting the Beer Baron in Oakland have all been from the local neighborhood. For Singh and the business, this was an opportunity to give back to the community.
“When the community tells us this is what type of beer they want, or they want a certain whiskey, we want them to let us know,” said Singh. “Nine times out of ten we can get it.”
“We’re generating a neighbor list where we can invite them to neighbor events,” said Singh. “We’ll do neighbor nights where we’ll have family style dining at the long table here with our families and theirs. In fact, we kept this communal table here because we want people to mingle and have a venue where the community can get together. Not just eat and drink, but hang out.”
And Singh says more local evenings can be expected, with kid-friendly movie nights, pub trivia and distiller dinners on the horizon after the Beer Baron’s grand opening in the next few weeks.
(Photo: Samantha Benedict)
Visitors are also encouraged to bring their dogs to the patio, where special culinary treats for visitors’ canine companions will be soon available in the coming weeks. From bacon peanut butter biscuits on the house, to free range organic chicken breast and brown rice for dogs sold at cost. For the Beer Baron, keeping the quality of food high for all visitors, pups included, is a given.
“We’re here for the community. That’s it,” said Singh. “Everything else will come, but if we take care of our community we’ll be satisfied.”
For the Beer Baron’s latest updates, follow their Oakland Facebook, Instagram and website.
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