We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Regan Long, co-founder, CEO, and brewmaster of Local Brewing. She opened her brewery in 2010 near AT&T, now Oracle Park. And was it a coincidence that the Giants won their first World Series since moving to and becoming the San Francisco Giants that same year? Or was it the beer?
Here’s our convo.
LOCL: You have a Physics and Oceanography degrees and worked in startups, and launched businesses within Mercedes, why beer as opposed to something else?
Regan: I used to say that I’ve had four dream jobs - a brewery owner being the fourth and final dream job. It just really captures the blend of my academic background in science and engineering, my experience in business, innovation and leadership, and it cures my overall drive to be creative. And … I obviously love beer - and trying beers all over the world. So I guess the idea of being a Beer Boss seemed a perfect fit - it just really intrigued and challenged me on many levels
LOCL: You grew up in Oregon, what brought you to SF and when did you move to SF?
Regan: I came to SF originally in 1996 to go to school at SF State. I originally came down to play Softball on the university team but the real draw was that State had a rad Physics and Astronomy program. I ended up dropping the sports relatively quickly to focus on amping up my nerd status ;)
LOCL: Early on, Oregon and San Diego were the meccas for craft beer, but now, the Bay Area is definitely holding its own with these regions. What do you think flipped the switch here in the Bay Area and why wasn’t it a mecca before, given that Anchor was the first craft brewery?
Regan: It’s a good question - I think one main reason why SF specifically didn’t pop off sooner as a “beer mecca” is because it’s one of the most expensive cities to live and work in - and there’s A LOT of hurdles to overcome to operate an urban brewery in SF which make it very difficult, expensive and time-intensive to open. I think SF’s beer culture has definitely grown over the last decade - but even more so the overall Bay Area beer scene has really taken off in the last few years. Beer makers have gotten more experimental, approachable, diverse and creative which has helped bring more people in general into the craft beer space
LOCL: What ever happened to the local beer app? It used to recommend beers based on a customers palate.
Regan: OMG yeah that was a super fun idea that came from my background in building tech platforms and gamification. And initially Sarah (Local Co-Founder) and I had ideas that we could engage peeps on social media (FB specifically). We figured it was a great way to get the neighboring tech crowd engaged and looking at beer a little differently - the Beer Curator would suggest beers for you based on your preference on three parameters: bitterness, alcohol content and complexity. Ultimately it’s still on our website but during CoVid we had to prioritize retail sales on our website and the draft-driven Beer Curator kinda fell on the back burner
LOCL: What is your favorite type of beer to drink and brew?
Regan: Lagers for sure are the type I love to drink and brew and I think that’s what Local is most known for. Although I def enjoy the challenges of learning how to brew up the latest styles like hazies, sours, etc.
LOCL: Some beer trends have staying power and some go away. I’m thinking of the hazy trend that has staying power and the brut IPA, which, for the most part, is gone. What trends are you seeing for 2023?
Regan: Yeah I think that hazies actually are starting to show signs of fatigue/slowing. They’re def still popular but I’m seeing lots more “West Coast Pilsners” coming up on the scene. People seem to be interested in lighter, crispier beers with hop character and maybe a little less alcohol and body so you can enjoy more than one or two. As far as newer trends go, I think many breweries are exploring using their systems to offer a more diverse portfolio as well - Seltzers seem to still be holding strong. And I was super stoked on one of the last new experiments I rolled out in November - our first sparking hop water :)
LOCL: I always hear about the Hops in beer, but not so much the yeast, however, I’ve had beers that use Thiol. How important is the yeast and why don’t breweries highlight the yeast used?
Regan: Yeast is absolutely scientifically pivotal in beer, and it’s a major driver of specific flavors in beer. I think most just didn’t talk about it cause - well it’s kinda a little less accessible to understand than hops. And for the longest time brewers used kinda standard/traditional ranges of yeast strains. But in the last decade or so there’s been a ton of experimentation with yeast - and genetically modifying yeast - to drive certain specific flavor profiles and emphasizing certain interactions with hop molecules to drive flavor.
LOCL I know a female drinking group know as the “boozy bitches” (BB) and part of why they started their group was to show that drinking beer isn’t and shouldn’t be intimidating. Have you found that women are intimidated by beer? I do remember and it still is for the most part, generally men going to brewery’s, however, I am noticing more groups of women gathering at breweries.
Regan: Hmm yeah I agree - I don’t think beer is intimidating- I think some women are intimidated with the brewery environment and sometimes for good reason. Even me as a brewery owner have been mansplained at breweries. We made it a point at Local in our culture and brand to be approachable and inclusive - and make approachable beer - so that our brewery environment would be comfortable for all.
LOCL I understand you had, putting it mildly, a difficult time opening the brewery due to sf regulations, when you rebuild, are you going to stay in SF or possibly open in an neighboring city?
Regan: Yeah despite living in SF for 27yrs, we are looking outside the City to rebuild. SF just isn’t supportive enough of small businesses or breweries. And post-COVID, theres now a lot of other challenges with running a business in the city. SF sadly just hasn’t recovered - people have left, it’s still expensive and it’s difficult to find people to work at a brewery in SF and live on a brewery income. We haven’t ruled SF out for Local’s future but our relocation focus is elsewhere.
(SF Supervisors are you listening?)
LOCL: I know its early, but what is the timeline for getting Local back up and running.
Regan: Hard to say. We just wrapped up our insurance paperwork and should have a resolution soon which will give us an idea of what we have money-wise to relocate. Then it just comes down to finding a spot that would suit our brand. We custom-built Local to be a destination brewery that’s has a specific vibe/feel so it’ll be difficult to find something “turnkey” that’s will suit us but we’re actively looking at potential spots.
LOCL: You have a gofundme setup, aside from donating, is there any way Local fans can help during this time?
Regan: The brewing community is so fantastic and many breweries are helping us keep our brand alive in this downtime by brewing beers that we collaboratively design. The best way to support is to go buy those beers and show love to those breweries helping us stay alive. Specifically there are Local beers coming out or currently available from these breweries:
- Almanac
- Anchor (Anchor Public Taps)
- Barebottle
- Laughing Monk
- Pond Farm
- Olfactory
LOCL: Non beer question - what are your favorite places to eat in and around SF?
Regan: Dang Omgee good question - and challenging cause so many places have closed in the last couple years.
Eating spots - Puerta Allegre for Mexican in the Mission (just an OG spot that I’ve been going to for ages). My fav mom & pop small sushi spot is Kamekeyo in Cole Valley. Zazie & Tartine Manufactory are fantastic for brunch. Vega for Italian in Bernal.
Drinks (I’m pretty much a wine and beer kinda person) so obvi love my brewery homies at Barebottle and Harmonic for brewery vibes. Tempest is one of my fav dive bars in SoMa. I used to love the wine bar Hotel Biron in mid-market. Peacekeeper is a fun spot in TenderNob. I have nostalgic love for Vesuvio in North Beach and Blackbird is a great spot in the Castro/Upper Market ‘hood.
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Many thanks to Regan for putting up with us and providing such great insights into her world. Please continue to support Local Brewing by donating to their Go Fund Me, buying their beer, and picking up some swag at https://www.enjoylocalbeer.com/
Update: follow Local Brewing on IG to get the drop on two of their flagship brews coming this fall! 🥳
Cheers! 🍻