Hollister’s Mad Pursuit Brewing Co. has done its part to help revitalize the downtown San Benito Street district as a foodie destination spot. Now, with their first anniversary upon them, the owners are throwing a party for customers on July 2 with live music, barbecue and, most importantly, a new anniversary beer.
Surviving the perils of opening the establishment during the pandemic, co-owner Alex DeLeon said that things have been going well.
“The best part has been the people,” he said. “I love interacting with the customers and we have made some really good friends. We have been able to do collaborations with some of them as well. COVID was a pain, but we got through it.”
Mad Pursuit is now brewing about 240 gallons a week in four fermentors and sells through their supply very quickly.
“The most we have had on tap at once was seven of our beers.” DeLeon said, “We are down to three right now. We have been down to one a few times. It is good that they are popular but we really don’t want to sell out of our beer. We have been looking into adding more fermentors sometime in the future.”
Still, in the year it’s been open, Mad Pursuit has developed over 35 different beers, with a goal of a new beer introduced every week while maintaining customer favorites.
“Sometimes people come in looking for the same thing and they say, ‘Did your board change?’” DeLeon said. “We tell them it changes constantly.”
Mad Pursuit is now offering a three-tier yearly beer membership, with different incentives at each level. Every level offers a proportional number of beer tokens, credits toward crowler refills or six-beer flights, exclusive growler privileges and a Mad Pursuit hoodie.
There are a limited number of memberships available; the highest level, which allows for one collaboration on a brew, is already sold out.
For those who prefer wine to beer, Mad Pursuit serves vintages from Cienega Valley’s Calera Wine Company and its parent company Duckhorn Vineyards.
“We stocked some other wines when we first opened,” DeLeon said,” But people just went straight for the Calera.”
The anniversary celebration on July 2, will include Zach Frietas, performing from 11 a.m. -3 p.m., a DJ, and Eddie Ruiz Barbecue. Smashburger will be available on July 3 as the celebration continues. The new anniversary beer is reviewed below.
The Beers of Mad Pursuit Brewing Co.
Painkiller Hazy Double IPA (8.6%) “We are all Judas Priest fans and we named it after the album,” DeLeon said. “It is also 8.6% alcohol, so it has that too. But our customers are digging it.” Painkiller is made with an Incognito resin which adds flavor without the extra plant product. DeLeon says the flavor reminds him of sunflower seeds but for me the bountiful, bright citrus aroma carries through, giving the beer a smooth taste of tart tropical fruit.
Hallowed Be Thy Name Hazy IPA (7.2%) “This might be my favorite that we have brewed to date,” DeLeon said. “It has a special product called Phantasm, made from sauvignon blanc grapes, that we added.” The gentle vanilla-orange aroma is more subtle than the Painkiller, with a denser mouthfeel. The Phantasm gives the beer a nice balance, with a smooth dark orange flavor and a slightly spicy feel to the finish.
O’Malley’s Irish Stout (4.7%) “One of our partners had a favorite teacher pass recently, so we named the beer after him,” De Leon said. “It reminds me of Guinness, only better.” This stout beer has a heavy coffee-chocolate aroma and flavor that gives way to a floral taste that opens up as you drink it. The comparison to Guinness is apt, but this one is lighter and sweeter. It’s a nice dessert brew that would go well with warm apple pie.
High Octane (10.9%) “We had this on tap when we first opened,” De Leon said. “And it has become a customer favorite.” A solid beer, with a gorgeous aroma of cherry cordials. The flavor leans towards fresh strawberry and vanilla but overall it’s a lighter beer than O’Malley’s stout with the same dense mouthfeel. High Octane and Painkiller are the two most popular beers at Mad Pursuit. I am not a big fan of dark beers but I would order this one with no hesitation.
Anniversary Triple IPA (10.7%) “We wanted to make an anniversary beer and we knew we wanted to make a big beer,” De Leon said. “I like a sweeter beer and this is a nice clean one.”
There is no bitterness at all, but there is a great balance of flavors. It starts with the flavor of good chardonnay, and as you drink it, it transitions to a smooth light beer flavor but with no bitterness and very little aftertaste. This beer is an elegant and beautiful beer—highly recommended and my pick of the five beers I tried.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping to expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and give our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
