Moving to the wet mile

By Nate Gartrell

In late 2016, the well-known Napa Smith Brewery made a decision many found surprising: moving out of the Napa Valley and setting up shop 15 miles south, in Vallejo. In May 2017, its owners opened a new taproom off of Sonoma Boulevard. It may seem odd for a brewery with “Napa” in its name to resituate from a world-famous fermentation enclave to a city that—until recently—didn’t even have a single brewery (it now has several), but the folks at Napa Smith say the move has paid dividends.

“What has been so welcoming and perfect for our brewery is the foot traffic off of Highway 29,” said Napa Smith’s Hospitality Manager Noelle Roldan. “Before, we were off the beaten path and it was hard to find us, and there wasn’t much food around. But now, right up the road, you have Bud’s Burgers, Pho #1, Mountain Mike’s, CJ’s BBQ, just all this stuff all around us.

“Ever since moving to Vallejo we’ve seen way more foot traffic, and way more local traffic,” she continued. “You have the freeways, you have the hotels, and just being in this location, in general, has been a huge step for us.”

The brewery was founded in 2008, but in the last five years has undergone changes and an expansion that brought it to Solano County. It is built on the legacy of Don Barkley, a master brewer with more than 40 years experience in the business.

“He’s considered a grandfather of craft brewing,” Noelle said.

But in 2013, Napa Smith was bought by Robert S. Lipman, the owner of Lipman Brothers Inc., a Tennessee-based company that produces wine, spirits, beer and non-alcoholic beverages across the country.

“He is an advocate of all kind of spirits in general, he owns a winery, he owns spirits, he owns breweries and he was enthusiastic about Napa Smith brewery just because of the brand itself and what we do in terms of beer,” Noelle said of Lipman. “He took the [Napa Smith] brand to a whole new level.”

Three years after Lipman Brothers took over, Napa Smith announced it was expanding, more than doubling its production as part of the move to Vallejo. In a news release, Napa Smith owners said the move made them the smallest independent bicoastal brewery in North America at the time, producing around 11,000 barrels of beer annually.

The last few years at Napa Smith have also seen the rise of Stein Servick, a protégé of Barkley who’s pathway to beer making led off the beaten trail. Servick has a science background—a genetic physicist by trade—but something (maybe the fact that his first name is also the word for a traditional beer mug) just couldn’t keep him away from the brew game. Noelle said he learned the trade “slowly but surely by working at different breweries” to become a master brewer, before taking the helm at Napa Smith.

“His science background has helped the brewery in many ways,” Noelle said. “Specifically, in keeping a consistent and quality product on the shelf at all times.”

Napa Smith is best known for two things: quality and variety. In the age of craft brewing, the latter is especially important; some folks are diehard IPA fans and won’t touch a pilsner with a 10-foot pole, while others prefer a more mild taste and hate “bitter beer.” It’s the kind of business where customers know what they like and what they don’t, and expect the product to speak for itself. With so many fish in the sea, it can be tough for breweries to separate themselves from the pack.

“We carry 14 beers on tap at any given time,” Noelle said. “We really pride ourselves in being a brewery where everyone can come and find a style they enjoy. That’s why we make so many beers, to capture the broad audience of beer.”

Napa Smith’s taproom doesn’t have a kitchen, but they’ve made up for that by inviting local food trucks to plant themselves right outside, giving folks easy access to a hot food break in between beers. They also organize “beer dinners” that include partnerships with other restaurants and businesses. On December 15, for instance, Napa Smith is putting on a fundraiser benefiting the Jesse Bethel High School’s band program. It will feature CRSB, a homegrown musical duo that bills itself as “island-infused R&B pop” with three #1 hits on Hawaiian radio waves.

“It’s going to be a really fun event for the community,” Noelle said.

Earlier this Fall, Napa Smith teamed up with Chardonnay Golf Club in American Canyon to hold a three-course meal that featured three different beers on tap. Brewers also attend these events, which adds an “informative tour” angle to them, Noelle said.

Noelle added that the folks at Napa Smith hope to make this an annual tradition and organize other collaborative events with other local businesses, maybe even before the year is up.

“We donate to every chamber event, we try to help out with community donations as much as possible. When people come to us it’s usually a ‘yes,’” Noelle said. “We’re excited to be here in Vallejo. Nothing but good things, nothing but great customers, just slowly but surely growing the brand and making Vallejo home.”

“We are dog-friendly and kid-friendly,” she continued. “The community has been warm and inviting, especially all the leaders within the community. Everyone has been good to us, we just want to be good back to them.”

Napa Smith Brewery’s Vallejo taproom is located at 101 Yolano Drive in Vallejo. It is open seven days a week from noon to 10 p.m. For additional information, call (707) 252-4392, or visit www.napasmithbrewery.com.

And true to their roots, Napa Smith beers are still available on tap in Napa at The Village Napa Valley – Vista Collina Resort & Spa, at 850 Bordeaux Way. It is the only brewery featured at the spa, with 10 beers on tap at any given time.

Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.