Experience the FIRST Brewery in Pacific Grove, CA

Our menu includes a wide selection of beers that cater to all tastes. From light lagers to hoppy IPAs, we have something for everyone. Our experienced staff will help you choose the perfect beer to complement your meal. Come and enjoy our delicious food and great beer while relaxing in our cozy atmosphere.

View Our Beers

Our
Story

Mike
Durrant

Get to Know MIKE

Mike Durrant, a longtime home brewer and business owner, is a Salt Lake City native who has called Pacific Grove home for the past 17 years. With over 23 years as a home brewer, Mike has garnered national, state, and regional awards for his exceptional craft beers. His favorite beer to drink is a double IPA, but the beers he really loves to brew are Irish red ales and nut brown ales. In fact, Mike and his nut brown ale have the bragging rights to winning 2nd place at the California State Fair and in the regional Steinbeck competition, and his Irish red took 3rd place in the National Homebrew Competition. Though his friends, who have a tendency toward merrymaking, were exuberant and thirsty all over again at this news, his ever-so-patient wife, Kari, could only sigh about the amassing brewery equipment bursting at the seams of their little abode. Her perseverance has paid off! The equipment has just migrated away from their home and metamorphosed into a beautiful three-and-a-half barrel system now housed at Hops and Fog Brewing Co.

Before embarking on his brewing journey, Mike had a successful career in business ownership and management, production management, and sales with companies such as Kinko’s & FedEx, MPA, and Kühl Clothing.

He also did the classic fishing stint in and around Nikiski, Seward, and Kodiak Island, Alaska, where, in short order, he got booted off the island for… well, he can tell you the story. His true passion, however, was in the craft beer industry, leading him to start Hops and Fog Brewing Company with his partners. Aside from brewing the perfect pint, Mike is passionate about live music, art, and spending time with his wife and their beloved family of pets. Also living in the fragrant surrounds of their picturesque little PG cottage and gardens is a fairytale scene of wildlife: black and brown squirrels, yellow warblers, ruby-throated hummingbirds, and the aptly named Brewer’s blackbirds, many of whom they call Bubba. Together, they are set to open Hops and Fog Brewing Company in Pacific Grove in the summer of 2024, bringing their love of craft beer and community together under one roof.

Get to Know Ximena
(pronounced Hē-men’-uh)

Ximena was born in a faraway time, in a faraway land, in a faraway corner of the universe (give or take). That said, somehow or other, she grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, got schooled in Michigan (go blue!), and eventually bounced her way west to the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS, now Middlebury) to learn about teaching English as a Second Language. This was her ticket to living and working abroad, to knowing other peoples and cultures, to adventuring and discovering new sights, sounds, smells, and foods across the world. That faraway thing was in her blood, and those were extraordinary years. But she kept returning to Monterey, for therein lived good friends, barking seals, a cool breeze, and the faint call of teeny, tiny future bubbles emanating from a hazy, fuzzy future dream.

She finally and firmly planted herself in the tranquil nook of Pacific Grove, taught for umpteen years at both MIIS and CSU Monterey Bay, and became a spirited ocean advocate for the Surfrider Foundation. Leading the Monterey Bay Chapter for a decade or so, she helped champion numerous campaigns, where she thrived in environmental education and outreach—rallying others to join in making a difference. Community building thus became a central focus for Ximena, and that is the nugget she brings to Hops and Fog. She looks forward to organizing weekly activities, monthly hootenannies, special events, and everything in between, including just opening the Hops and Fog doors and welcoming everyone in. She also enjoys hanging out with her seriously-exasperating-yet-entertaining-and-loving teenage daughter Lily; dancing with friends at music festivals; walking her dogs, or anybody else’s, in the forests and beaches of the central coast; and much too occasionally these days—diving into the brisk waters of Monterey Bay.

And now, the call of teeny, tiny bubbles is no longer from a hazy, fuzzy future dream but from the crisp, clear reality of the present. So it is that a new adventure begins, and Ximena is very, extremely, tremendously stoked to share it with you.

Our
STORY

Ximena Waissbluth

Our
Story

our story

Get to know hops & fog

As befitting a good brewery birthing story, the idea was conceived between the bubbles at the Steinbeck Homebrew Festival, during the innocent days of early 2019. A blogger chatted with Mike Durrant (who goes by the handle HopFog) about his passion for brewing and where it could lead, liked what she heard, and, as bloggers do—wrote about it. A good friend (shout out to Sarah Boyle) subsequently read the story and made some calls to see about turning that dream into reality. In a nutshell, we needed some digs.

From the top to the bottom of the hill, we scoured vacant warehouses and office spaces with little luck… until… thar she blows! We met the dream: a building (more like a big house) on the downtown strip that for decades immemorial housed a laundromat, which was soon to retire. The transition seemed fateful—with precious water credits on site to brew, another kind of clean suds would be wafting out of 511 Lighthouse Ave. We high-fived, we squeaked with anticipation, we did a little boogie. That was February 2020, then [womp womp] a few weeks later, the world turned upside down with Covid.

Lockdown. Uncertainty. Deliberations. Long pauses where time slowed down, and months became years. But the bubbles would not be ignored—the decision to move forward marched forward with permits and hearings, an awesome work crew (shout out to Joel Magallon Construction), and eager locals asking about the long-faded “Opening Soon” sign.

And now, the renovation from laundromat to brewpub is nearly complete, and we are so eager to welcome you in! We cannot state enough how much we thank you—the support of our community truly motivated us all along to keep moving forward.

Simply stated, at Hops and Fog Brewing Co., we take our passion for brewing outstanding beer (and other sublime non-alcoholic craft beverages) and our love of the community to provide a sanctuary where locals and visitors alike can gather. And, we will nourish you too. In fact, our wickedly exceptional fare might just tip you into the weepy zone—just take a look at our pizza oven…

Welcome to Hops and Fog Brewing Company, where tradition
meets innovation in every pinT

Located in beautiful downtown Pacific Grove, our brewery is a testament to craftsmanship and creativity. Our dedication to quality shines through every batch, whether it’s a delicious lager, a hop forward IPA, a tantalizing fruited sour, or an experimental brew pushing the boundaries of flavor. We believe in the power of hops to elevate beer to new heights. Our hoppy beers are a celebration of the diverse aromas and flavors these little green wonders can impart. Whether it’s a classic west coast IPA bursting with pine and citrus or a juicy hazy IPA enveloping your senses with tropical fruit, we craft our hoppy beers with precision and passion. But we are not just about hops, our commitment to excellence extends to every style we create: crisp and refreshing lagers showcase our dedication to traditional brewing methods; bold and robust stouts offer a rich indulgent experience; rotating fruited sours meld tartness and fruit forward flavors with delicate balance. Made with real fruit sourced from local farms whenever possible, these beers are a burst of flavor and sunshine in every glass. Behind every beer is a meticulous brewing process that blends art and science in exquisite harmony. From selecting the finest local ingredients to carefully monitoring and controlling every aspect of the fermentation, we take pride in every step of the process to ensure every batch is a true representation to our commitment to excellence. Whether you’re s hop
aficionado, a lover of lagers, or simply someone in search of great beer, come join us at Hops and Fog. Cheers to good times and all the possibilities of craft beer!