Side Gate Brewery & Beer Garden continues to make its mark in Concord as a welcoming, family-friendly destination for craft beer lovers.
Founded four years ago by Paul Culbertson and Kevin Wilson, the brewery has stayed true to its inclusive spirit and its longtime slogan, “Friends Don’t Knock.”
The duo has worked steadily to build what they describe as a neighborhood gathering place. “For the past four years, we’ve strived to become the local ‘Cheers’ bar of breweries, where everybody knows your name,” said Culbertson and Wilson. “Being voted the Best Brewery in the East Bay this past summer is a testament to the community we’ve built.”
Earlier this year, the founders shared their journey on our Contra Costa News podcast, reflecting on their passion for craft beer, their creative process, and the early challenges of launching a brewery.
Today, Side Gate Brewery & Beer Garden stands as a pillar of Concord’s beer scene, located in Todos Santos Plaza at 1822 Grant Street.
Some of their current beers include:
Lagers
Planter Box: Pilsner (5.0%) Clean, crisp, and refreshing. A true German classic and one of our favorites! Pleasant herbal aromas with a lightly bready malt bill perfect for any occasion
Copper Miracle: Amber Lager (5.6%) An Olde World beer, for the new age beer drinker. A Vienna-style Lager that is crushable and full of flavor. Light notes of caramel malt lend to a refreshing effervescence brought on by the use of a traditional German Lager yeast.
Dark Bark: Black Lager (5.6%) Made in collaboration with the homies from Four Legs Brewing! A black lager, aka Schwarzbier, gives off roasty toasty notes like a stout with the subtle sweetness and drinkability of a lager! Notes of French Roast coffee, Luxardo cherries, and rye bread, but finishes as dry, smooth and crispy as any lager beer you’ve had before.
Seasonal
Saison Houblon: Hoppy Saison (5.6%) A crisp, dry, and juicy farmhouse ale that is anything but normal. Welcome to Saison Houblon, our take on a tried and true old-world beer style, with a distinctly hoppy California twist. We added Citra and Lemondrop hops in larger doses than normal to ensure this Saison is as balanced and approachable as any Belgian beer out there!
S.G. Weizen: Hefeweizen (5.6%) At the turn of the 19th century Mr. S.G. Weizen was known far and wide by his legendary nickname – The Bavarian Brawler. His curly mustache, single monocle and classic strongman physique struck fear into anyone silly enough to tell him that a Hef shouldn’t be part of the Reinheitsgebot. Bro fought the good fight and today we honor his legend by brewing a traditional Bavarian-style Hefeweizen with classic German Mandarina Bavaria hops. Bright citrus flavor, slightly chewy texture, and that classic banana and clove character prove that beer shouldn’t be limited to just water, barley, hops and yeast.
Hobs Delight: English Ale (5.0%) We’re super excited to launch the winning beer of our 2025 British Beer Bonanza Homebrew Competition. Dirk Manders, who created the recipe, absolutely killed it with this traditional English Strong Bitter. Don’t worry though this beer isn’t strong, isn’t bitter, but is VERY English. Enjoy the red glow of this slightly caramel flavored classic from across the pond. If our everyday amber Dino N.D.A. went abroad for a year this is what it would taste like. Balanced, drinkable, and bloody fantastic!
Dad’s Xmas Ale 2025: Spiced Porter (6.8%) Brewed with orange peel, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, Dad’s Xmas Ale envelopes your palate in a Snuggy of flavor. Notes of Abuela’s hot chocolate, brown sugar, and chocolate-covered oranges will keep you cozy like a warm hug. It also makes a perfect substitute for your lactose-intolerant Santa to wash down his cookies this holiday season.
Hoppy
Resin Ripper: IPA (6.4%) This isn’t your average IPA. It’s an I-P-Bay! Super dank without that stank! We’ve mixed our juiciest Mosaic with our stickiest Columbus, then took a trip down south to drop in a METRIC ton of Australian Vic Secret and NZ Nelson Cryo. Legend has it that one sip of this and you’ll be ripping down a resin wave pipeline from The Bay to Bondi!
4th Anniversary IPA: IPA (6.4%) Hopped with excessive amounts of Simcoe, Columbus, Nelson Cryo and Citra Hyperboost, this local collab celebrates 50 years of iconic performances at the Concord Pavilion and 4 years of killer beers and vibes at Side Gate Brewery! Whether you’re in our beer garden or on the lawn at the Pavilion, cheers to more great memories to come!
Sucker for Succulents: IPA (7.0%) Sucker for Succulents is teeming with aromas of juicy mangos and tangerines. Balanced with a greenhouse worth of grassy and danky bitterness. Dry-hopped with Mosaic in addition to hefty kettle additions of Columbus and Simcoe.
On The Fence: Hazy IPA (6.8%) A juicy hop bomb that teeters on the edge of insanity! OTF will knock you off your throne and have you putting the pieces of your mind back together after one taste! Citra. Mosaic. Idaho 7.
The Hopside Down: Hazy IPA (6.8%) Strange things are happening at Side Gate with our newest, juiciest, dankiest, haziest, monstrosity to date! The Hopside Down is loaded with a scary amount of Riwaka and Mosaic, emitting mind blowing notes of fresh pineapple, yuzu, and dank.
Sours and Seltzers
Super Drupers: Fruited Sour ( 5.0%) Come on meow, we know you’re looking for some shenanigans that are cheeky and fun. Well, look no further! Our latest and greatest sour is perfectly balanced by peach, mango and raspberry that wonderfully blend together to create snozzberries that taste like snozzberries! We even canned this bad boy so make sure you don’t get caught by Thorny and Farva for littering annnnnd….
Kaleidoscope: Hard Seltzer (5.0%) Sugar-Free*. Gluten-Free**. A slightly tart hard seltzer, available with a rotating selection of Sugar-Free flavors.
Some flavors may contain sugar. Check with your beertender about available options. **Made on equipment that also produces gluten-containing products.
24 Days of Contra Costa Businesses
| Dec. 1: Salt & Fig Marketplace (Brentwood) | Dec. 13: |
| Dec. 2: Dále Vino (Pittsburg) | Dec. 14: |
| Dec. 3: Clavo & Canela Café (Antioch) | Dec. 15: |
| Dec. 4: Eight Acres (Brentwood) | Dec. 16: |
| Dec. 5: Speakeasy Baking Co | Dec. 17: |
| Dec. 6: Anchor Attire | Dec. 18: |
| Dec. 7: Chrome Coffee (Brentwood/Oakley) | Dec. 19: |
| Dec. 8: Mike’s Pastry Shop (Antioch) | Dec. 20: |
| Dec. 9: Side Gate Brewery & Beer Garden | Dec. 21: |
| Dec. 10: McCauley Olive Groves | Dec. 22: |
| Dec. 11: | Dec. 23: |
| Dec.12: | Dec. 24: |
Want to be potentially included? If you are interested in potentially being included in our free 24 Days of Contra Costa Businesses profile, or would like to nominate a business, please email [email protected]
