Alpine Beer Co. goes peoples’ choice route

They’ve learned to live with stymieing limitations over the years, but life is getting better for fans of Alpine Beer Co. (2351 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine). The deal owner and brewmaster Pat McIlhenney struck up with Green Flash Brewing Company in the summer of 2013 is finally bearing fruit. The first big batch of Alpine beer produced at Green Flash’s Mira Mesa facility was brewed in March. That run of Nelson IPA has been well received, with consumers reporting it tastes exactly like Nelson produced at Alpine’s brewery. Next up will be monthly batches of Duet IPA and Hoppy Birthday, in that order.

There may be even more in store for the many who love this craft cult favorite. But first, McIlhenney wants to make sure that love is wide-ranging enough to justify investment in the next step. On Monday, a message was sent to Alpine e-newsletter subscribers briefly explaining that the company is mulling over an opportunity to lease the space formerly occupied by the defunct restaurant and bakery, Alpine Bread Basket (1347 Tavern Road, #22, Alpine).

The electronic communique addressed the fact that the limited space of Alpine’s barbecue-centric brewpub and tasting room have turned some would-be fans off, and explained that landing the Bread Basket would give them a larger venue with a lot more seating. Of course, the rent would be higher, so McIlhenney asked fans to reply back to let him know if there would be enough interest for them to snatch up the opportunity without losing his shirt. It’s an interesting way of gauging customer sentiment, but craft brewing is a different kind of industry. If you’d like to weigh in, send Alpine your feedback.