Beloved brewpub Triple Rock Brewing to close at end of year | City

Triple Rock Brewery, a Berkeley brewpub opened in 1986 by brothers John and Reid Martin, will close at the end of the year. The establishment was one of the first five brewpubs opened in the United States after the end of Prohibition. It is the oldest continuously operating brewpub in the United States, according to the brewpub’s statement.

According to John Martin, the brothers are seeking to retire in the near future. According to the brewpub’s statement, Triple Rock’s Downtown Berkeley location will be sold or leased after the brewpub closes. John Martin also owns Downtown Berkeley pizzeria Jupiter, and says he has no plans to close it.

“(Closing Triple Rock) just seemed more of a natural thing to do,” John Martin said. “My brother, who also operates it and actually does the majority of the work, is ready for retirement … it just seemed natural as a place to start. It was the first one that we opened, and it’ll be the first one to close.”

When brewed, the beer at Triple Rock goes directly from fermentation to serving tanks. Jeff Kimpe, the head brewer at the pub, alleged this brewing process is different from most big breweries, which typically involve storing beer before serving it.

Kimpe said some of the key equipment used for brewing beer at Triple Rock was originally from the 1986 opening, and hasn’t been replaced.

“When you move it from the fermenter to the serving tank, it’s just conditioning there,” Kimpe said. “You could come back four or five days later and you can already taste the beer changing and conditioning.”

Brewpubs, which are both restaurants and breweries, were legalized throughout California in 1983 through legislation led by former Assemblymember and Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates. Triple Rock was among the first establishments to take advantage of the legalization, according to John Martin. According to Kimpe, Triple Rock produced a large beer bottle with Bates’ name and portrait on it to commemorate Bates’ role in legalizing brewpubs.

The pub opened as Roaring Rock Brewery, but according to John Martin, was forced to change its name to Triple Rock after legal action by a large brewer of a similar name. Allegedly, the company sued after its president’s daughter enrolled at UC Berkeley and discovered the bar.

Outside of the Triple Rock bar, some of the brewpub’s beer is sold by establishments owned by John Martin, such as Jupiter, as well as other bars in the Bay Area.