Brewyard Beer Company Aims to Become Glendale's First Craft Beer Brewery

Glendale is about to get its first dedicated craft beer brewery and taproom, thanks to newcomer Brewyard Beer Company. The under-the-radar operation comes by way of homebrewers Sherwin Antonio and Kirk Nishikawa, who have been making small batches together for roughly a decade.

Now they’re hoping to expand into the big-time, having purchased a 15 barrel brewing system for their 4,500 square foot space at 906 Western Avenue. The pair first chatted up their plans with the Glendale News-Press around this time last year (and later talked to occasional craft beer print Beer Paper LA), but have mostly been relatively quiet, working to outfit their address and tweak their recipes. Last weekend, Brewyard poured some of its first beers for public consumption at the San Fernando Chile Fest, so it seems a fully operational opening can’t be far off.

That being said, the pair have been hitting the crowdfunding route hard in hopes of speeding up the process. A recently closed Indiegogo campaign fell short of its intended goal but did net Brewyard a few thousand dollars to put towards finalizing their operation and getting the doors open. In the fundraising video, Nishikawa and Antonio say that they’re simply waiting for a sign-off from the city of Glendale before opening, as all their other ducks are in a row.

Beer-wise, Brewyard currently has plans for a California steam beer (a la Anchor Steam), a saison, a schwarzbier, and an India pale lager to start, with more slated down the line. Once arrived, Brewyard could help to further anchor what has become a quiet hub of Northeast LA craft beer, with nearby Golden Road, Eagle Rock Brewery, and Highland Park Brewery added to the mix. There's also the new San Fernando Brewing Company coming online soon down the road.

Brewyard Beer Co.
906 Western Ave.
Glendale, CA