Our Story

We brew bold and innovative beers inspired by California’s rich pioneering and agricultural traditions.

Almanac was founded in 2011 by Damian Fagan and Jesse Friedman, two avid home-brewers who bonded over a mutual appreciation for California farmers markets. Our name, Almanac, refers to the Farmer’s Almanac, a seasonality reference guide for farmers that has been published every year in the U.S. since 1818.

We set out to brew beers inspired by California’s rich agricultural bounty, and brewed our first beer (named, “Summer 2010”)—a bottle-conditioned Belgian-style golden ale aged in Sonoma Zinfandel barrels with Sonoma blackberries. We hand-sold that first batch one case at a time out of the trunks of our cars to local bars and restaurants in the Bay Area. The beer was so well received that we continued brewing and releasing quarterly beers for the next two years until we garnered enough support to quit our day jobs to pursue Almanac full time in 2013.

After nearly seven years of partner brewing, we moved into our very own 30,000 square-foot production & aging facility located on a historic naval airbase on Alameda Island in San Francisco Bay. The brewery is a former Naval hangar originally constructed in 1942 that boasts 37 foot ceilings, exposed original redwood beams, and hundreds of oak barrels and foudres. Our new home has allowed us the capability to greatly expand our product offerings. Our broad portfolio of beers spans the gamut from delicate oak-aged lagers, to nuanced barrel-aged sours, decadent stouts, and of course, hazy IPAs.

Join us for a pint in Alameda!