Not long ago there were only a handful of craft brewery’s, Anchor Steam, Thirsty Bear, Gordon Biersch, and Devils Canyon. They all invoke fond memories, but fast forward to today and we’re lucky to have well over 100 brewery’s in the Bay! Most are good, some are great and we want you to get to know these great breweries! We recently sat down with Kyle Bozicevic, Brewer and Owner of Alpha Acid and discovered that he’s a multi faceted entrepreneur whose innovative style brings us the oh so delicious beers we’ve come to love.
LOCL: What got you into brewing and how long have you been brewing beer?
KYLE: I started drinking craft beer in my early college years but didn’t have a lot of money to spend on it. I had heard that it was cheaper to Homebrew beer so I went to a homebrew supply store with my older sister when I was 19 and bought ingredients. I read some books and taught myself how to brew. I have always been interested in science so the fermentation process was very interesting to me. My first batch turned out great! I then got very into homebrewing and won several awards. At this point, I realized this might be a career path I wanted to go down. When I was 22 I started volunteering at Devils Canyon brewing company and within a month they hired me on full-time. It didn’t take long before I was familiar with most of the brewing procedures. I worked there for about three years. It was a great learning experience, and I gained a ton of knowledge about how a commercial brewery works.
LOCL: How did Alpha Acid came to be what it is today?
KYLE: Before I opened the brewery, I started a craft beer bar with my sister Lauren in San Carlos called Ale Arsenal. Originally I opened the brewery as a side gig so that we could offer a couple of house beers at the bar. The beers quickly became very popular and I started spending more of my time at the brewery. Now Lauren runs the bar and I run the brewery. My mission has always been to offer quality beer to the local community. We release new beers every week at the brewery, and we are always experimenting with something new!
LOCL: Eight years! Wow, that’s quite a run so far, can’t wait to see what the next eight years bring! Definitely looking forward to the anniversary beer!
What’s your favorite type of beer to brew?
KYLE: I really enjoy making barrel aged beers. It’s fun to take the extra step and age a beer for months or years. I enjoy sourcing the barrels and trying to predict what flavor characteristics will pair together well. That’s also fun to sample the beer along the way and see it’s slow progression.
LOCL: What new thing are you experimenting with nowadays?
KYLE: Recently, we have been making some killer IPA’s with thiol enhancing yeast. Thiol is a flavor compound that is intensely fruity. It’s plays very well with the hops in the beer. These beers have a pungent tropical character that has been very popular with our customers.
Any new trends you see coming?
KYLE: Lagers have been slowly, but steadily growing in popularity in the craft beer industry. I love to drink them so I hope this trend continues!
LOCL: A non-beer question…as a local, where are your favorite places to grab a bite?
KYLE: There are too many great places to name them all, but here are some that first came to mind. Timber & Salt in Redwood City has great Gastro pub food and great drinks. The Rustic House in San Carlos has some of the best New Orleans style food you’ll find in the Bay Area. The Tavern in Belmont has a wonderful beer garden that is a great place to eat outdoors.
————————————-
Big thanks to Kyle taking time out of his busy schedule to give us a glimpse into Alpha Acid’s origin story and letting us get to know him! If you’re on the Peninsula, stop by and have a beer or pickup some cans to go. I’ve seen cans at Whole Foods, but its definitely not the selection that you get at the brewery. Cheers!