It was three years ago when the founders of Docent Brewing secured a decrepit cottage just off the main drag in Carlsbad’s Village area and announced lofty plans to convert it into a satellite venue for the seven-year-old San Juan Capistrano-based company. Progress on the project has been slow – it took two years for them to even get the keys – but of late it’s also been steady, and now, Docent co-founder and President Brian Hendon says he expects to roll out the welcome mat to the public next week.
Once open, visitors will notice that, while numerous walls have been knocked down and the ceiling has been overhauled, the 950 square-foot former domicile has retained much of its homey feel. Guests enter into a cozy living-room space preceding a long bar running along the taproom’s north wall. Around the corner is a dining room, the centerpiece of which is a retro chandelier grandma would be proud of, segueing to a reading nook and trio of high-top tables opposite the bar.
“We loved the thought of taking over an old house and creating a unique space with a house-party vibe celebrating our public-house motif,” says Hendon. “We wanted to keep it similar to going over to your friend’s house for a barbecue. We love the idea of welcoming folks over to join us in our craft.”
Docent has made the most of limited interior space, but that’s just the beginning. A set of glass bi-fold doors give way to an outdoor area that, like the cottage, has been divided into multiple areas offering different seating options, amenities and atmospheres.
A suds-and-socializing area furnished with additional high-tops looks out onto a furnished gazebo, a pair of shade-trees with planter seating and a quartet of picnic tables. The backdrop for the latter is a branded billboard similar to the one adorning the walls of the tasting room at Docent’s headquarters. (That piece is one of many Easter eggs Hendon says fans of the company will recognize from its other venues.) A cornhole setup lines an alley leading to a modest front yard, the wisteria-trellised front fence of which provides a rail bar for simultaneous sipping and people-watching.
Each of the areas in the tasting room and outside have different feels. If you come here five times, you can easily have five different experiences.”
Brian Hendon, President, Docent Brewing
Docent is on track to produce 2,000 barrels of beer this year, the majority of which will be split between this new venue, its homebase in San Juan Capistrano and a kitchen-equipped public house in San Clemente. The latter’s menu of “casual eats” is the time-tested inspiration for what will be offered at the Carlsbad location. That bill of fare is divided into distinct sections, with items taking cues from – and in some cases fusing – Mexican, Korean and American cuisines.
“Bowls and greens” include a Docent Bowl with pork belly, brown rice, cucumber salad and a deviled egg, and a roasted chicken salad with cabbage, wontons and sesame vinaigrette. The “Sammys and things” section consists of a smashburger on a challah bun with caramelized onions, a hot-honey fried chicken sandwich, a Korean Reuben with Kimchi and chile aioli, and three takes on a quesadilla. A quartet of tacos (beeria, salsa verde pork, chicken al pastor, kimchi) gives way to varied sides, including fries, tots and jalapeño slaw. The entire menu can be viewed here.
While Hendon isn’t yet certain about the entirety of the opening-day beer list, he knows that roster will include Docent’s Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup gold-medal-winning pale ale, Double Nickels, and five-time gold-medal-winning coffee stout, Super Tonic. There will also be a double IPA called First Call hopped with Mosaic, Citra and Nelson Sauvin, which Head Brewer Bryan Giesen devised exclusively for the new venue.
“Docent’s public-house vibe has always offered a comfortable third place for folks to spend time lounging and socializing with family and friends,” says Hendon. “It’s normal for people at our San Juan Capistrano location to spend three-to-four hours there. They show up solo for a beer at 3 p.m. and in no time they have 25 new best friends. We want to carry that over to this location.”
Hendon expects the Carlsbad Village tasting room to soft-open this weekend, but specifics have yet to be worked out. Once operational, the venue will be open daily, starting at 11 a.m. Initially, closing times will vary depending on business, but the plan during the soft-opening is to remain open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends.
Docent Brewing’s satellite tasting room is located at 3060 State Street in Carlsbad