Settle Down Beer
New Brewery Settling in Downtown Gilroy by Dan Craig Photos by Tony Scotino and Giovanni Albanese
When Robert Anderson and Giovanni Albanese met in 2008 , they discovered they had a common interest in craft beer . In a matter of months of sharing their favorite ales , they decided it might be economical to purchase home brewing equipment and make their own suds .
“ The jury is out whether we actually saved money ,” Anderson mused .
Thirteen years and 392 recipes later by their accounts , Anderson and Albanese are on the verge of opening Settle Down Beer at 7515 Monterey Street in Downtown Gilroy .
The 1800 square foot historic building will accommodate forty seats inside , with additional seating on the front sidewalk and rear patio . They may add additional seating if they choose to create a parklet in front .
According to Albanese , the name for the brewery came about early on during one of their home brew sessions .
“ The idea of settling down and having a beer resonated with us . From that point on , we ’ ve always called ourselves Settle Down Beer .”
The brewery and taproom will not have a kitchen , but owners will encourage customers to bring in food purchased from neighboring restaurants . Additionally , the rear patio will feature two “ pop-up ” food stations facing the developing Gourmet Alley . The food vendors will be managed by the landlords , Gary Walton and John Taft .
“ People are really enjoying outdoor dining ,” Taft said . “ And it is an opportunity for smaller food vendors to set up a business . People can enter from the alley or the street front .”
According to Taft , Settle Down Beer is joining a burgeoning infusion of taprooms along Gilroy ’ s Monterey Street corridor : Promised Land Brewing Company is already in operation with Lonely Oak Brew Pub and Pizzeria , Bitter Taphouse , and Vines and Pints Restaurant also in the works .
If all goes as planned , Settle Down Beer will open in October with six tap handles , expanding to fifteen when the brewery is in full swing , and the capacity to add more in the future . Serving only what ’ s brewed on the premises , they will reserve some taps for alternatives to micro-brews such as seltzers and barley wines .
They say they want to stay away from heavy beers in favor of drinkable staples including lagers , pilsners , pale ales , IPAs , stouts , and sours . According to their website , they have experimented with twists as far-reaching as a pickle sour , smoked honey ham scotch blonde , bleu cheese , olive martini lager , and a habanero basil pale ale . In fact , Settle Down Beer ’ s business card has the slogan , “ How could it be bad ?”
“ There is nothing we won ’ t try ,” Albanese said . “ We even tried Froot Loops in a batch once .” Though it didn ’ t work out at first , they knew they could make it work in the future .
20 FALL 2021 gmhTODAY Magazine gmhtoday . com