When Drake’s Dealership opened in Oakland in 2015, the idea was pretty simple: bring the community together over great food, local craft beer, and a big, welcoming space. As an Oakland restaurant, brewery, and beer garden destination, beer has always been the heart of what Drake’s does. With more than 20 beers on draft, there’s a reason why the Bay Area’s most unique beer garden is a fan favorite for tourists and locals alike.

Over the past year, Drake’s Dealership has slowly started elevating the experience.

We introduced a full liquor bar in October of 2025, expanding our beverage program beyond beer and welcoming a new group of guests who may not consider themselves beer drinkers. Cocktails have become part of the experience, and with that came the opportunity to think differently about what Drake’s Dealership could be.

Instead of asking “what should we put on the menu?” we thought, “what else can we do with this space?” And the answer has been pretty exciting for everyone.

Our beautiful outdoor beer garden has always been a hot spot for first dates, company happy hours, and celebrations, but now we’re finding new ways to bring people together.

Over the past year, the Events and Retail team at Drake’s Brewing Co. has been hard at work independently as well as partnering with local event promoters to bring cocktail pairing dinners, day parties, Oakland Margarita Festival, community events, Drag Brunches, and even Oakland’s legendary Hoodslam into the beer garden.

We didn’t have to look too far for inspiration. Our sister location, Drake’s: The Barn in West Sacramento, has spent years experimenting with what a brewery space can become. From outdoor movie nights and community gatherings to seasonal celebrations and other large-scale events, Drake’s: The Barn has proven that a brewery can be much more than a place to grab a beer. It can become a destination for experiences.

“We’ve taken the inspiration from what has worked for Drake’s The Barn and brought the same spirit of experimentation to the East Bay,” says Drake’s Events Lead Jordan Houseworth. “Adapting it to the energy, culture, and community of Oakland.”

These events have given the Drake’s team opportunities to collaborate with different communities, introduce new guests to the brand, and create experiences that you might not necessarily expect to find at a brewery restaurant.

We can be a restaurant. We can be a bar. We can be a beer destination. We can be a place to watch a game, dance with friends, discover a new cocktail, or spend a perfect summer night.

And we’re just getting started.

As we are planning out our 2027 calendar of events, we don’t know exactly what is in store, but that is part of the fun. A themed prix fixe dinner one night, a Drag Brunch the next, followed by a wrestling show just three hours after a major Halloween day party. We’re interested in creating experiences that are unique, different, and captivating for our Oakland community to enjoy.

At the end of the day, Drake’s Dealership is still a restaurant, but we are eager to see what barriers we can break down to turn our beautiful Uptown Oakland beer garden into a unique venue for all to experience.

If you’re interested in learning more about our events programming, be sure to follow Drake’s Dealership on Instagram. If you’re an event producer interested in partnering with Drake’s at any of our retail locations, please click here.