Tag: Haven

Posted on

A Haven for Provisions

It struck the beer geek world hard when The Bruery announced that they were closing down their Provisions store. It was a classy place where you could peruse a wide bottle selection. Find a hard to get Bruery beer and have some excellent cheese too!
HAVEN Logo-thumb-325x335
But mere weeks later, Provisions is back! Here is what is going down: “Known for showcasing the finest in craft beer, haven collective, owners of Haven Gastropub in Old Towne Orange, has announced that it will keep the spirit of The Bruery Provisions alive with the opening of Provisions next month. The tasting room, bottle shop and specialty market, once owned by OC-based The Bruery, closed earlier this month after more than two years of business, and has been placed in the caring hands of the haven collective team. Provisions, as it will now be called, will continue to operate as a space where guests will be able to enjoy great craft beer and craft eats.

“The Bruery Founder Patrick Rue and his team are friends of ours – they came and strengthened our confidence in the future of craft beer in Orange County when they opened Provisions shortly after we opened Haven Gastropub,” commented Wil Dee, Beverage Director of Haven Gastropub, and Partner in haven collective, alongside Chef Greg Daniels and Ace Patel. “Provisions is about community and togetherness – it’s about sharing a great appreciation for beer; and we want to help carry on the vision that was started a few years ago.”

Provisions will continue to feature craft beers on tap with a rotating tap list that will complement those of its neighboring Haven Gastropub, and will feature a deeper selection of wine, for both in-house consumption and retail purchase. Executive Chef Greg Daniels will oversee the culinary aspect of the operation, with emphasis on great cheeses, charcuterie, fresh breads, deli sandwiches and an expanded prepared food selection.

“The goal is to create a true ‘provisions’ location, where anyone can walk in and pick up a few items needed to create a proper meal,” explained Chef Daniels, who oversees the kitchen at Haven Gastropub in Orange. “There will be a few more surprises to look forward to – we hope to make the most of this great space.”

Opening date and hours for Provisions have not been determined at this time.”

Posted on

Who’s Brewing at Haven

HAVEN Logo-thumb-325x335
I guess February 9th is Haven Day as two big announcements come from the OC and Pasadena outlets.

“Haven Brewing has announced the addition of Head Brewer Brian Thorson to its team, based at Haven Gastropub +Brewery in Pasadena. Thorson, who has produced many acclaimed beers at noted Northern California craft breweries, Drake’s and Trumer Pils, will now oversee all production of Haven Brewing’s small-batch, house-crafted beers. Thorson will help define Haven Brewing’s core brand by working to create base beers as a reference point for all future brews. He will be focusing on a range of styles, with emphasis on sessionable beers.

“Haven Brewing’s unique set-up within a full-service restaurant really opens the door to so many ideas and possibilities,” commented Thorson, who resides in Arcadia with his family. “For the majority of my career, I’ve been punching out beers at production facilities, now I’ll be able to better see how beers go with the foods they are served with. I’m already inspired to try different things.”

Thorson has been involved in producing many noted craft beers still available and praised today. Over his five-year stint at Drake’s Brewing, he was responsible for creating Hopocalypse in 2008, an Imperial IPA (9.3% ABV, 100+ IBUs). Thorson created it to, in his words, “blow off some steam” after the monotony of running the bottling line and toiling with all the brewing and cellar operations wore thin.

“You’ve got to have those ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ brews every once in a while to keep the blood pumping and also keep you from going insane,” Thorson explained. “All of the barrel work kept me on my toes, but also allowed for a lot of creative flexibility. I was lucky enough to have a number of different projects going on, so I got to see a range of different beer scenarios at any given time.”

“We are optimistic about Haven Brewing’s future with Brian at the helm. We have the utmost respect for Brian’s accomplishments and contributions to the world of craft beer – outside of Hopocalypse, he was responsible for the revamping of Drake’s Aroma Coma summer seasonal IPA in 2011,” commented Wil Dee, Partner at Haven Brewing. “What makes a brewer like Brian so valuable is his passion for the craft, supported by his tremendous industry experience in dealing with crisis situations, like the hop contract changes a few years ago, and being able to be flexible and remain focused.”

Haven Brewing currently has 12 house-produced beers in its catalog, led by the very first beer released in March 2012, “Hello World,” an American Pale Ale (6.3% ABV).”

First Golden Road snags a new head from points north and now Haven is raiding that tradition too.