Can’t spare the three hours to haul yourself to Chico to experience Sierra Nevada‘s iconic tap room? California’s largest craft brewer is cutting the commute time to less than an hour from Wine Country as it opens the “Torpedo Room,” an auxillary tap room in Berkeley, early next month. The 16-tap tasting room will feature the brewery’s regular lineup plus rarities and seasonals usually available only at the Chico mothership.

“West Berkeley fosters a great, progressive culture,” founder Ken Grossman said in a release this week, “and that includes a lot of ambitious food and drink. We’re eager to be part of the Bay Area craft scene while still staying close to our home base in Chico.”

The facility will be on Fourth Street between University Avenue and Addison Street. It is named for the “torpedo” hopping device – basically a big cylinder packed with hops through which the beer passes to give it extra flavor before bottling – invented by Sierra Nevada several years ago. The device has also given its name to the brewery’s hoppy Torpedo Extra IPA.

In addition to being a taproom open to the public, the Torpedo Room will give the brewery space for events and educational tastings for up to 45 guests. It will offer growler fills and six-packs, cases, and some bottled specialties to go.

– Sean Scully

Taproom logo courtesy Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

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