In sad news for fans of beer, books and having a beer while reading a book, Oakland’s Novel Brewing announced today it will be shutting down on Dec.11. A new operation called the Tenma Beer Project will move in after an unspecified period of renovation.
In an Instagram post that signs off with “See You On The Other Side (Of The Bar),” founders Teresa Tamburello and Brian Koloszyc write:
“Our community is truly special, and we feel privileged to have been able to provide a space for all the intellectual, creative and emotional experiences to flourish. It is time for us to move on to the next chapter of our lives, but it is our hope that all of you will continue to bond and grow together in the space we have come to love.”
“The short story for our deciding to hand over the brewery to a new owner, beyond what was written in our IG post, is I wanted to return to my career in Environmental Remediation and, in general, we wanted more work/life balance,” emails Tamburello. “It was a great 6.5 year run and we look forward to what is coming next in that brewery space!”
Novel opened on San Pablo Avenue in the Golden Gate neighborhood in 2016. It quickly became a community hub with trivia nights, book swaps and an outdoor area popular with dogs (and their owners). Tamburello and Koloszyc’s love of literature was literally all over the place, with bookshelves hanging on the wall, homemade bookmarks for patrons and beer releases like Dust Jacket IPA, Lexicon blackberry saison and Hyphen-minus pale ale.
The founders say the incoming Tenma Beer Project will curate “traditional lagers and hoppy beers in a warm and inclusive environment.” In the meantime, Novel is running specials that include growler fills for $8 (32 oz.) and $12 (64 oz.) and, starting Dec. 9, all pints for $5.
