In the heart of downtown Paso Robles, sits Silva Brewing, but it’s not easy to find the small-batch craft brewery. First-timers often circle the block at least once before they spot anything that resembles a taproom. It’s the music that usually catches their attention. The music echoes through a warehouse with 30-foot ceilings and out the rolled-up door into the parking lot.
Unfortunately, this perfect scene is about to be gone forever. Silva Brewing is about to close its doors for the last time.
On November 2nd, owner and brewmaster Chuck Silva wrote, “Our 8th anniversary is just 5 weeks away!” A sad announcement followed the good news. “Silva Brewing will be closing next month. December 7th the Silva Brewing Tasting Room will be open to the public for its final day of celebration (and commiseration.)”
A Creative Start for an Acclaimed Brewmaster
The origin story of Silva Brewing in Paso was almost too good to be true. Among beer circles, Silva is considered a legend.
In the late 1990s at the Karl Strauss Brewing Company, San Diego’s oldest craft brewery founded in 1989, Silva worked as a brewmaster. There he learned the craft brew business. Some of the best-known and most influential beers on the West Coast are credited to Strauss. Strauss is known for introducing a rich profile of beer flavors to the region. In 2016, the Karl Strauss Brewing Company was crowned the Mid-Size Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival.
In 2004, Silva left the company to help Mike Hinkley with the Green Flash Brewery. Green Flash released its first batch of West Coast IPA (India pale ale) in March 2005 with Silva as brewmaster. Heavy on the ABV (alcohol by volume) and featuring a strong, citrusy taste, it was unlike any beer before it. With the success of the West Coast IPA, Silva was allowed to do what he does best: experiment. In 2008 at the World Beer Cup, that creativity took home the gold for Hop Head Red. At the 2013 European Beer Star Awards, his Belgian-style sour ale took the bronze.
Taking a Chance on Wine Country
After 11 years, Silva outgrew Green Flash. Known for his creativity, he surprised the beer world in 2015 by leaving the craft brew scene in San Diego. Even though he’d helped build the robust industry, he decided to return to the Central Coast where he grew up.
In 2016, he set out on a completely different path and indulged his creativity in the wine-first region. The result was an acclaimed rosé-beer hybrid titled The Pink Stuff. Renowned and influential Lama Dog Tap Room + Bottle Shop in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone was among the high-end restaurants and bars to feature The Pink Stuff as its reputation grew.
“I love sparkling wine and have dreamt about making a beer like this for years. I wrote the idea for it in my notebook when I set out to start Silva Brewing with my wife MJ. Now that we’re located in the middle of Paso wine country I have the opportunity and resources at hand to make it all happen,” Silva told Brewbound in 2018.
During its eight years of operation, Silva Brewing released 50 beers, four seltzers, and 13 different wines.
In his Instagram post, Silva wrote, “It is always a joy for me to create new beverages to share especially when they are very much enjoyed and appreciated. That’s the main reason why I would often be in the tasting room enjoying our beverages along with you.”
A Hurting Industry
Jaime Torres, Silva’s taproom manager and head of outside sales noticed a steady decline in foot traffic over the last eight months.
“We’ve had visitors from all over. A lot of San Diego folks, people who remember Green Flash and heard about this. We had a pretty good presence of locals, as well; not so much lately. The industry itself is kind of hurting right now,” Torres explains.
In his post, Silva wasn’t specific about the economic conditions that are behind the closure. He did allude to the “shifting tides of the craft brew world.”
The brewery will sell off its inventory to restaurants and bars through the end of the year. Silva says there is “still work to do” but he may talk later about the events that led to the closure of the taproom.
