Moksa Brewing Company in Rocklin, California sold out the slots for their brewery club program in 2017. What’s particularly notable about that? They hadn’t yet served a single drop of beer.
When drinkers discuss breweries like Moksa, there’s a label to which fans often turn that fits snugly within the cultural zeitgeist of American craft beer: hype. That dubious h-word is not a term head brewer Derek Gallanosa likes, though Moksa’s proliferating fans have nevertheless helped to establish the new brewery as one of California’s most exciting. Just recently, Moksa was named by RateBeer as the best new brewery in the state.
What makes a hype brewery? Price point? Scarce supply? Novelty? Or is it just plain skill? For Moksa, it’s all those things, plus a bit of networking and guerilla marketing.
Sacramento is a rapidly evolving region, with young Bay Area expats fleeing high costs and others seeking new opportunities in the West. New crowds can represent a growing consumer base, but they can also hint at a forthcoming increase in competition. There are more breweries opening every day in Northern California’s Gold Country.
Gallanosa and brewer Cory Meyer sprinted ahead of the pack early. Many come to their business park taproom from far abroad, seeking pours of their cult-loved high-ABV pastry stouts and hazy IPAs. But most are hometown fans stopping in after work.
Moksa’s ethos is about catering to the locals above everyone. So what happens when their name too widely precedes them?
This is Derek Gallanosa and Cory Meyer from Moksa Brewing Company in Rocklin, California. Listen in.