A restaurant's 'own' brew.

[Zul'jin]

From BJs site. The restaurant. Not the site you have up in the next tab that you hope HBT can't see you looking at. Or who knows. HBT may have a BJ site. They got everything else.

"As the years went by, significant changes were made to the BJ's menu and the name was consequently revised to BJ's "Pizza & Grill." Then in 1996, the first large-format restaurant was opened in Brea, California. The introduction of fine handcrafted beers was welcomed by guests and the newly renamed "BJ's Restaurant & Brewery" concept was launched.

Most of our restaurants do not have an on-site brewery. Instead, they have a "tap room" from which BJ's unique handcrafted beer is dispensed. These large-format restaurants operate under the name "BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse.""

I had a porter at BJs that was sold as their own. If they made it or not, I dunno. Was good though.

 

[BBKing]

My cousin, who is a homebrewer, and I brought this whole topic up last Sunday at a family BBQ, and were quickly laughed out of the front room onto the deck...

Where we drank some quality homebrews while my foolish foolish family enjoyed their Miller Lite.

 

[thataintchicken]

this is not an uncommon thing.
I have worked in restaurants that relabel things to suit their needs.

Chef's special BBQ sauce is nothing but a Marzetti's sauce. It comes in a bucket.
Sizzler's cocktail sauce is nothing but 4 cans of chili sauce to 1 can of Horseradish Goo. Both of which came off a truck. nothing special about it.

Pouring a Killians through a tap with a house label is not shocking to me.
Hell, it's practically standard practice.

If in doubt ask.

 

[Fyxen]

I go to a great place, Cornacopia in Eugene OREGON, they simply have about 5 or 6 revolving taps from microbreweries up and down the West Coast that they keep changing in and out. Make for great R & D for your next homebrew! Along with some great Pub food.

I live right down the street from Cornucopia. One of the reasons I love this town, there's so much great beer around!

 

[pnj]

I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of resturants that actually brew their own beer around here.

 

[Jughead]

I live right down the street from Cornucopia. One of the reasons I love this town, there's so much great beer around!

Ya, we're Damn lucky to live in such a beer friendly place! Cornucopia is a cool place. I thought everywhere was as good for brews as Oregon is, until I did some traveling. There is some good micros all over the place, But some areas are beer "deadzones". And as far as restaurants' brews, I think all of us here just hold our brew to higher standards than most. Places have got to do what they can to get by.

 

[RDWHAHB]

I buy good beer. Beyond that, I don't really give a hoot who brewed it. EAC hipsters are just upset they got duped into enjoying a BMC. Kinda like Forrest's story about the Austin Homebrew employee drinking a fake bud.

 

[dougf]

EAC hipsters are just upset they got duped into enjoying a BMC

Actually, no. Its just BS what they do. Its bad for craft beer. Its just bad business in general. We know better, thats why we discuss it here. This is a message board.

 

[RDWHAHB]

Fair 'nuff.

I don't see a problem with it being bad bussiness anymore than contract brewing. I don't drink Pete's Wicked Ales. Not because they are contract, but because I don't like them. I'll buy a "house beer" if it tastes good. I'll ask who brewed it for curiosity.

 

[emadams1980]

Me: "Who brews your M lager?"
Server: "I don't know, but it's a special microbrew made especially for us."
*Order one, taste it*
Me: "Tastes like your microbrewery is selling their beer to budweiser."
Server: "Thank you!"
*wife gives me look of, "don't be an ass, let it go".*

Same sort of thing happened to me when the wife and I went to a new chain here in town. Here is how mine ended up.

Me: "So is the beer one that you brew or is it supplied by someone else?"
Server: "It's a special microbrew made especially for us."
*Order one, taste it*
Me: "Looks like Bud. Tastes like Bud."
Server: "Oh"
*SWMBO gives me look of, "don't be an ass, let it go".*
Me: "No, manager please."
SWMBO: "Are you going to embarrass me again?"
Me: "Maybe..."
Manager: "This isn't Budweiser."
Me: "Im not stupid, take it back, and give me a Sierra Navada."
Manager: "ok"
SWMBO: "You're an ass, you know that."
Me: "Yes"

 

[LoganGoesPlaces]

Custom Brewcrafters, a local brewery outside of Rochester NY, brews their own beers along with custom beers for restaurants in western NY. They have 27 different beers listed here but I know they have more clients. Custom Brewcrafters Clients The beer is only served at the restaurant and in the brewery's tasting room.

From their client page:

At Custom BrewCrafters, we brew each of our partners beers as an exclusive creation. We know that many people have sold their already brewed beer to places that "call it their own", but in our opinion, why bother. If you're going to put your name on something, we think it ought to be special!

Most of their brews are not bad but I really enjoy their Old Toad Nut Brown.

 

[BlueSunshine]

I never actually knew about this, but then again I don't recall every drinking an in-house brand that isn't brewed on site. However, I did drink something called "777 Ale" at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. It was actually pretty hoppy and I couldn't put a finger on what it might have been.