Quick Take
Seaside-based Other Brother Beer Co. plans to open its first satellite taproom in Aptos Village by the end of the year, taking over the former Doon to Earth space. The new 1,400-square-foot location will feature 22 taps, a small food menu and seating for about 50, marking Aptos’ only craft brewery.
A popular Monterey Country brewery is on track to open its first satellite location in Aptos before the end of the year.
Seaside-based Other Brother Beer Co., which launched in 2019, will open a taproom at 10 Parade St. in Aptos Village, in the former Doon to Earth tasting room location “by the holidays,” said brand manager and co-owner Evan Loewy. “I won’t say which holiday, because I’m not quite sure,” he joked. Loewy first shared the news with Lookout last October, when he predicted a late 2025 opening.
The cozy 1,400-square-foot space will have 22 taps, with a draft list that includes Other Brother craft beer, wine and wine-based cocktails. The taproom will also offer Sober Carpenter nonalcoholic craft beer, and soda. Other Brother’s chef, Josie Lewis, is still finalizing the food menu, but it will likely include sandwiches, salads and snacks that are similar to popular dishes at the Seaside location, like a jalapeño ranch salad with black beans and toasted corn, French dip with homemade roast beef, and a hummus plate with seasonal vegetables and fresh bread.
“She is going to run the hits from our menu, and we want to start with really tasty sandwiches and salads, and then expand,” said Loewy.
Once it opens, Other Brother will be the only craft brewery in Aptos.
Loewy owns Other Brother with three business partners: head brewer Kevin Brown, director of operations Justin DiMauro and Andy Pitts. All based in the Seaside area, the four owners were friends before they launched Other Brother six years ago and helped revitalize the neighborhood along Broadway Avenue in Seaside.
Last year, the brewery produced 1,500 barrels of beer – about 46,500 gallons – in around 20 styles, ranging from light American lager to West Coast and hazy IPAs. This year, Other Brother’s Tropic Desert kettle sour won a bronze medal at the World Beer Cup, said Loewy.
Since last October, Loewy and his business partners obtained the necessary permits to update the former Doon to Earth tasting room, and began construction over the summer. They moved the bar to the back of the space, installed a kitchen, removed panels to create a higher ceiling, plus other cosmetic improvements, and plan to add a banquette along one wall. When it’s finished, the taproom will accommodate just under 50 people.
There is no outdoor seating at this time. Other Brother had to remove the parklet installed by Doon to Earth under the direction of the county, but are open to rebuilding it if given the opportunity.
Loewy said the company is hoping to create a similar experience to its Seaside brewery at the new Aptos location. “It’s a scary leap as a small business to open a second location,” he said. “I hope people enjoy it and they’re patient with us.”
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