Hop Chef- Jupiter Brewing Company

Among the many fierce Hop Chef competitors are two of our sister breweries, the first being Jupiter. Mainly known as the stellar Downtown Berkeley hotspot perfect for pizza, right off BART and close enough to get crowds from Cal games and Greek Theatre concerts, Jupiter is bothbeer garden and brewery. While the bulk of their production is completed in San Leandro, Brewer Hal McConnellogue crafts limited release recipes on a 1.5 barrel system right in Jupiter’s backyard. The setup may be small but Hal is a creative force to be reckoned with and we’re thrilled to have him competing.

At our secret ingredient drawing last month, Hal ended up with peppercorns. His immediate thoughts: “I better come up with the best name possible!” Though a fairly common ingredient in spicy brews, Hal isn’t taking the easy road. “I’ve made saisons with basic amounts of pepper before but never a beer that really highlighted that flavor. I thought about pepper and what it’s usually complimented with: salt. I thought, how can I make a beer with salt and pepper that isn’t gross, which led me to candy. Lots of chocolates and truffles have both salt and pepper in them. I think peppercorn is better suited in food than brewing but considering the situation, I’m going to do my best.” And his best sounds delicious: “I’m brewing a Roggenbier with Bavarian wheat yeast. It’ll be caramel-y, like the inside of a Rolo.”

Though he won’t tell us the name of his creation, we expect food puns galore. Get your tickets today for the April 16th unveiling of all 16 unique brews, music, food and celebrity guest commentary at Drake’s Dealership in Downtown Oakland!