Introducing Rad Beer Co
Last December’s OC Beat column included details on Rad Brat, Dana Point’s new sausage, brat and hot dog destination devoted to fine craft beer. Within that coverage I indicated that the team had future plans for adding a brewery to the mix. Fast and furious, the Rad Brat team, Cameron Collins (Brew Ha Ha Craft Beer Festivals), Dylan Mobley (former head brewer at Bottle Logic Brewing and Helmsman Ale House), Joe Wilshire (Docent Brewing / Project Social) and Steve Martin (Project Social), is readying Rad Beer Company for an April opening.
Photo Courtesy of Rad Beer
The Setting
Rad Beer is located within the space formerly occupied by Legends Craft Brewery (1301 S Lewis St., Anaheim). While the address may be the same, the look and feel has been given a complete Rad makeover. The wood tones have been replaced by Rad’s signature red, black and white appointments throughout, and new Rad wall mural, courtesy of local artist Juan Marante (AKA Tocayo).
The new 20-tap Rad-Red pipe draft tower is prominently highlighted by the black tile backsplash along the back wall of the bar. The sound system has been upgraded, as has the bar and brewery lighting. The large quadruple screen video wall above the bar will typically stream Rad’s beer list and some of the big games during the year. An 85” widescreen and additional screens are also spaced throughout the tasting room. Decisions are still in the works with regard to adding a small kitchen or food truck at some point in the near future.
Photo Courtesy of Rad Beer
During my visit, Dylan was hard at work readying the brewhouse for brewing again. His meticulous sanitation process would include a complete breaking down of the system and connectors in order to assure each and every component was thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
Rad Beer’s 10-barrel system has a current capacity for 110 barrels of fermenting beer, with adequate space to grow and easily double that size.
Initially, beer will be brewed to supply the onsite tasting room, Rad Brat (as it’s South County satellite tasting room), and Project Social. There will likely be some additional select accounts as well.
Photo Courtesy of Rad Beer
Brewing Chops
Dylan Mobley’s venture into commercial brewing began in 2013. As an avid homebrewer with professional aspirations, he secured a coveted spot in the Master Brewers Program, a twin-campus course of study and hands on training that takes place at the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago and the Doemens Academy in Munich, Germany. After graduating Siebel, his first position was with Stone Brewing Company, where he worked all areas of brewery production for over a year. Next, he joined Jon Carpenter and Angel City Brewery in Los Angeles for a brief stint prior to accepting the head brewer position at Bottle Logic in April of 2015. 4 years later he left Bottle Logic to pursue plans of opening his own brewery in Dana Point with his wife.
When those plans didn’t work out, he hopped on board with the new Helmsman Ale House in Newport Beach to assist with getting its beer program started as he regrouped and reconsidered his own brewery options.
Photo Courtesy of Rad Beer
New Chapter: Rad Beer Company
Mobley explored various ideas and concepts for brewery/ craft beer-based partnerships with Cameron, Joe, and Steve. Those later morphed into Dana Point’s Rad Brat and Rad Beer Company, in Anaheim.
The beer: Given Mobley’s Munich-based lager brewing training and an affinity for the same, expect lagers to be featured as part of Rad’s core beer list. A flagship pilsner will be joined by a mix of West Coast and Hazy IPAs and double-IPAs, imperial stouts and more. The team is hoping to have two turns of the fermenters and 12 beers plus additional variants by opening. Additional beers may include a Belgian-style blonde, a Radler made with house brewed soda pop, a porter and a number of imperial stout variants.
