New SLO brewery holds grand opening with live music, food trucks
A San Luis Obispo native renowned for his work at Central Coast Brewing and Firestone Walker Brewing Co. is about to launch his own brewery.
Liquid Gravity Brewing Co., owned by former Central Coast Brewing head brewer Brendan Gough, is celebrating its grand opening Friday through Sunday.
In addition to craft beers, the brewery will offer live music, food trucks and homey interior design with an expansive patio.
Liquid Gravity Brewing is located in the old Tap It Brewing Co. spot at 675 Clarion Way off Tank Farm Road, between MindBody and the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport.
“We have a 10-year lease in a great location,” Gough said. “We’ve done a lot of work fixing it up. We’ve tried to create a vibe that feels like your living room when you walk into it — a lot of really comfortable spaces, and a warm, inviting place to hang out for awhile.”
SLO brewery owner has experience, awards
Gough, who graduated from San Luis Obispo High School, and has a marketing degree from Cal Poly, was named Brewmaster of the Year by the California Mid-State Fair and the Central Coast Brewer’s Guild in 2018.
He worked as an assistant brewer at Central Coast Brewing in San Luis Obispo before going to work for Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles.
In 2014, Gough returned to Central Coast Brewing as head brewer.
During his time at the San Luis Obispo brewery, Gough garnered numerous awards from top beer competitions — winning five medals at Great American Beer Festival in four years, according to Central Coast Brewing. He also earned a gold medal for his IPA at the World Beer Cup in 2016.
Gough said opening his new brewery has been a whirlwind since he decided to buy the business assets, such as brewing tanks and other machinery, about six weeks ago and sign a lease through 2030.
Gough is launching Liquid Gravity Brewing with his wife, Celeste Gough, who left her job in medical billing to help manage the company.
“This was all spur of the moment,” Gough said. “A friend of mine asked me if I’d heard about if the old Tap It brewery was up for sale. Once I found it was available, everything was rolling from there.”
At its launch, Gough said Liquid Gravity Brewing will feature six beers with a variety of flavor profiles.
Those will include an imperial stout, a chocolate vanilla cream stout and a kettle sour with guava and citrus zest. A low-carbohydrate craft pilsner and regular and hazy IPAs will also be available.
“I could do what a lot of other breweries are doing, but I wanted to branch out and really do some beers that are bold, flavorful and rich, and really give people a reason to come here,” Gough said. “The light beer is crisp and drinkable. There are light beers out there, but they aren’t made with a craft focus.”
Gough compares the light beer to a cross between a German pilsner and a Michelob Ultra.
Liquid Gravity Brewing will distribute draft beers between San Luis Obispo County and Ventura County for bar service, Celeste Gough said. But the business doesn’t have immediate plans to sell in grocery stores.
Liquid Gravity Brewing to feature live music, food trucks
The brewery’s Clarion Way space has a full stage and ample room for a live music audience.
There are also concrete countertops from Oceano-based company Concast Studios and rock work on the wall, installed by Gough and a friend.
Each first Friday of the month will feature a performance by San Luis Obispo-based band Brass Mash, a brass band that performs covers of songs by artists including Boston, Britney Spears and Black Sabbath.
Matt Suarez will perform on the brewery’s opening night, taking the stage at 8:30 p.m. Friday, and Brass Mash will play 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
A food truck, DeBilz & Family, also will be a regular presence at Liquid Gravity.
Beers will range between $5 and $8 per glass, with happy hours from 3 to 6 p.m. during the week, and all day Sunday.
The brewery will initially be open 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 2:26 PM.
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