When the trio of homebrewers behind Voodoo Child Brewing decided to go pro by taking over the Scripps Ranch brewery and tasting room previously operated by Savagewood Brewing, they repurposed the name one of them had used on a recreational level. It seemed the most fitting to convey their motif, which blends bayou and tiki culture to create something downhome and altogether festive.
Over their first year in business, Voodoo Child slowly but steadily leaned heavier into the Louisianan side of things and have recently put a great deal of work into enhancing the business’ interior and exterior design to convey more of a Mardi Gras theme. It’s something they’re very proud of, but feared might be in jeopardy upon receiving a cease-and-desist from another brewing company with a name similar to theirs: Voodoo Brewing.
Based in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Voodoo Brewing was founded in 2005 and has grown to include 13 locations (the majority of which are independently owned and operated) in multiple states spanning as far west as Las Vegas, Nevada. The company officially trademarked its name in 2016.
According to Voodoo Child’s Jake Deardorff, he and his colleagues were contacted by representatives of Voodoo Brewing who informed them of their intention to expand into California. At that point, the companies’ similar-sounding names would create the potential for confusion among consumers. Figuring their business had only been in operation for a year and hadn’t yet widely established its name, Voodoo Child’s founders figured it made sense to rebrand. As a result, the company has decided to change its name to Night Parade Brewing.
“Like Voodoo Child, Night Parade was one of our owners’ homebrewing names,” says Deardorff. “We are staying with the same motif and theme as the previous name. Night Parade works with Mardi Gras and old bands of people marching in celebration in the South.”
A celebration of the South is what the business’ design aesthetic is all about following the aforementioned upgrades, which span from the front patio to the tasting room and even the restrooms.
“We painted all the main walls. Now, when you walk in there is now a photographic wall mural of a cypress grove at sunset, and one of the other walls features a display of tribal masks from all over the world,” says Deardorff. “We have updated market lights on the front porch as well as trees out front that are light with Mardi Gras colors. Inside the tasting room, we’ve hung a few lamps from the ceiling and replaced some of the old ones over the bar with skull lamps. Additionally, we added wood paneling to the bathroom along with some new art.”
Another culture Night Parade will pay homage to is one hailing from a galaxy far, far away, when the company holds its annual Star Wars Day Party. That Boba fete (apologies for the dad joke) will feature a pair of limited-edition t-shirts, a food vendor, tapping of a special red rye IPA called Red 5 and the return of a coffee cream ale called Café de la Vida. The latter has proven a best-seller along with the company’s flagship hazy and West Coast IPAs, American lager, dark Japanese-style lager and one-of-a-kind red oatmeal stout. Production of those and the brewery’s other beers is led by new Head Brewer Chuck Nation. That local vet, whose résumé includes stints at Ketch Brewing, Longship Brewery and Home Brewing Co., joined the parade last October.
Night Parade’s Star Wars Day party will take place on Saturday, May 6 (yes, two days after May the Fourth).
Night Parade Brewing is located at 9879 Hibert Street, Suite F, in Scripps Ranch