Brewer finds unlikely home at cidery

The hearty Rolodex established over Decker’s past few nomadic years making beer at others’ facilities is also helping him move toward his goal of one day owning a brewery, as an online fundraiser launched to finance his next experiment ticked past $17,000 in just over one week.

The funds raised will pay toward Decker collecting dozens of oak barrels, which he plans to use for fermenting a batch of wild ales he will make at Shady Oak Barrel House in Santa Rosa.

His work on the rustic, unfiltered and funky beverage, which will take months to produce, is part of his AltBrau project — a series of Decker’s collaborations with breweries throughout the Bay Area.

Decker also leans on the industry bonds he’s established during his day job as a seller in San Bruno for South City Ciderworks, a rapidly-growing company pumping out nearly 3,000 gallons per month of juicy, boozy cider for adults.

Tightly packed into an unassuming industrial stretch abutting the South San Francisco border, the cidery that Jenn and Alex Martell co-founded with Greg Ruth is nearly bursting at the seams.

Steel tanks, cans, kegs and assorted other cider-making tools consume much of the small operation’s space, leaving little room left over for the small team of four with one part-time distribution specialist.

That all may change though, if the company continues successfully navigating the rising tide of ciders rushing into the marketplace, as Jenn Martell said South City Ciderworks hopes to soon open its own taphouse.

“We need a bigger boat,” said Jenn Martell, as the current facility is only able to accommodate manufacturing.

To accomplish that goal, South City Ciderworks recently completed a round of its own fundraising — albeit on a different scale than Decker’s — and collected $400,000 to finance its next chapter.

Jenn Martell said she still struggles to comprehend the success enjoyed in recent years for a venture which started from a mutual appreciation for cider between her, her husband and Ruth.

“The journey has been a very steep learning curve and a lot of trial and error, but we’re excited by the reception. It’s exciting to see people enjoy it as much as we do,” she said.

Ruth maintained a slightly different perspective on the matter.

“It’s been fun. And horribly stressful. But in a good way. It’s a different kind of stress,” he said.

The stress was established essentially from the company’s first day, when an early large batch of cider went bad, said Ruth. Not to be discouraged though, he gave the next batch another shot.

And while it may not have yielded the ideal blend of apple juice, acid and alcohol, he said the happy accident was good enough to share with the public. The batch since dubbed “Better Luck Next Time,” established a cult following so strong, Ruth said fans still ask him for more even though the last drop was sipped long ago.

Specializing in consistent, large productions of its three main offerings, South City Ciderworks built a reputation as a compromise between the overly-sweet, mass produced ciders and the experimental, small batches made by enthusiasts.

But the success of “Better Luck Next Time,” and the market’s insatiable thirst for new flavors encourages Ruth to consider pushing the envelope to identify the next best thing.

Such an effort gave way to “Greg’s Gamble,” a forthcoming innovation by Ruth in which he is attempting to further expand the horizons of what most would expect from the cidery.

The creative endeavor dovetails with Decker’s interests, who said he appreciates the opportunity to work alongside Ruth on an out-of-the-box idea, as each unique project can offer valuable experience.

“I’m learning what things I want to emulate and what things I don’t want to do,” said Decker, who is prevented by law from brewing beer at the cidery.

He’s also developing skills that may pay dividends in his pursuit of one day eventually establishing his own brewery, said Decker, who sees his upcoming AltBrau project as a test of his ability to deliver on a business plan.

With such an opportunity comes a hefty set of expectations, which Decker acknowledged as he refines the vision for his next strange brew.

“I need to deliver. It inspires me. I’ve received sponsorships from all over the world. But I’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said.

Visit indiegogo.com/projects/altbrau-brewing-blending-food-beer# to find out more about Decker’s fundraiser.

Visit southcitycider.com/shop to order South City Ciderworks online, or head to one of the hundreds of bars and stores across the Peninsula and Bay Area selling their products.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 105