It’s becoming a frequently asked question these days. Breweries hear it. Social media tweets it. People talk about it. Can Sacramento support the boom in breweries we’ve seen over the last couple years? So far, it seems clear that the answer to that question is yes. On a recent beer crawl with a fellow beer enthusiast, we visited five local breweries, all of which have opened in the last two years. Sure there were commonalities – small batch beer, shared space for tasting and brewing, and an emphasis on locally grown hops. Yet, they were all incredibly different, with a unique line of offerings on tap, different flavor profiles, and distinct personalities in terms of how they interact with their customers. All the breweries were good.

Sacramento, let’s welcome Oak Park Brewing Company. In late October, a much anticipated opening of OPBC will give us the opportunity to witness another brewery developing their identity in the Sacramento craft beer scene. Oak Park Brewing Company is led by a team that includes Tom Karvonen, David Estis, Robert Stoddard (head brewer), and Christopher Davis-Murai (head chef). OPBC has been renovating a historic building at 35th Street on Broadway and making big plans to contribute to the Sacramento beer scene.

“This won’t be freezer to fryer. It’s farm to fork.”

So what makes OPBC unique amidst the collective breweries in our beer-craved city? In a recent interview with the Sous chef, Eric Marais, I learned what might make OPBC different from the rest. Eric is a local chef, trained first at the American River Community College Restaurant Management program, and then at the Culinary Institute of America in San Francisco. After years of cooking for kids at the Sacramento State Children’s Center, he decided to gain some international experience by traveling throughout Southeast Asia, taking cooking classes to learn new techniques. Eric returned to Sacramento in 2000, and cut his cooking teeth at several local restaurants, including Tuli Bistro, the Waterboy, and One Speed before learning about the vision of OPBC. Eric explained it as an affordable, fine- dining experience inspired by fresh, local ingredients, and a menu created in collaboration with the beer. Think Magpie at a brewery. This goes far beyond pub food. Eric noted, “This won’t be freezer to fryer. It’s farm to fork.” Christopher (head chef) and his team have taken their time to travel to local farms to ensure that they select produce and proteins that have been farmed sustainably, and raised humanely. Eric noted his excitement about OPBC using the freshest ingredients from local farms, which reflects the passion Sacramento has for healthy and delicious food.