Sudwerk pauses its beer distribution
Also, news on 3rd & U Cafe, the new climbing gym and a growing preschool
Sudwerk Brewing Co. of Davis has stopped distributing its beers.
Co-owner Trent Yackzan released a statement today, in response to my queries: “As the way people enjoy beer continues to change, we have chosen to focus our efforts through our restaurant, events and community partnerships, while pausing broad distribution.”
He said Sudwerk beer “remains available at our restaurant and select local partners, while our restaurant continues to host guests, banquets, live music and community events. This shift allows us to focus on smaller-batch brewing and stay closely connected to the customers we serve.”
He said People’s Pilsner and Gunrock IPA are still being canned, with other beers released seasonally. Sudwerk is still available on tap at some Davis-area bars and restaurants.
The restaurant is at 2001 Second St. Its tap list carries some Sudwerk beers but has increasingly relied on “guest taps” – though those have been a staple since the eatery opened in April 2023. In its May 27 email newsletter, it listed just a few of its own brews: People’s Pilsner served as a traditional or side pour, Werk Lite Lager, Overgrowth Double IPA, and Life is Hard Seltzer-Grapefruit.
It’s still brewing out of the two iconic copper kettles in the restaurant. For the first time, the UC Davis Iron Brew-winning beer – an annual competition among brewing students – was brewed at Dunloe Brewing in Davis. The May 27 Sudwerk email newsletter attributed this to “part of a new effort to rotate production of the winning recipe among local Davis breweries, highlighting the strong ties between the UC Davis brewing program and the local brewing community.”
Sudwerk opened in 1989 and had an onsite brewpub. The restaurant closed in 2016. At one point, it was doing contract brews for several other breweries.
Now, it’s no longer distributing its beer. Its distributor, Donaghy Sales, is reportedly out of Sudwerk products. And a quick survey of local stores show Sudwerk products are out of stock. That includes the Nugget Markets in East Davis and Woodland, the South Davis Safeway, and the Woodland Bel Air.
When the restaurant reopened in 2023, it was the culmination of a major investment that included a renovated kitchen, eatery, bathrooms and meeting rooms, and a 3,500-square-foot beer garden. Although more ambitious at first, hours at the restaurant are 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 4 to 10 p.m. Fridays, noon to 9 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Sudwerk has won numerous awards for its beers, including back-to-back golds at the esteemed Great American Beer Festival in 2021 and 2022 for its People’s Pilsner. In 2021, it was named Brewer and Brewery of the year in the 5,001 to 15,000 barrels category at the GABF.
“We’re proud of our legacy and grateful for the support we’ve received along the way,” Yackzan said.
He said they are also “grateful for the support of our employees, customers and community throughout our history, and for being part of the Sudwerk story.”
→ A note to subscribers: I want to thank you again for your support of Comings & Goings. As I enter my third year on Substack, many of you are renewing your subscriptions. You help keep this column ad-free. I charge the minimum allowed by Substack but I know that $5 a month or $50 a year is not minimal to you. I will not let you down.
