Epidemic Ales

Really delicious beers! Very fresh. A local brewery that makes its beer at the same place that they serve it. It’s in a warehouse, but very comfortable atmosphere. Amazing bartender, very friendly service. There are also a couple Large jenga stacks to play with. Can’t say it enough— very delicious beers. My favorite is Nightshade, a barrel aged vanilla stout: 10.3% alc.

Great Taproom! Flight of 6 beers for $ 12. They just opened in January with a goal of introducing a new brew each month. Affliction Amber release party is on Sat ²⁄₂₀ 12 – 8 (dogs allowed).
Really like the barrel aged vanilla stout.

Epidemic Ales has been such a wonderful find. My boyfriend and I love the beer and the vibe. Our favorites are Zombrew IPA, Squishy and the Wig Pale ale, and Nightshade stout. They allow dogs, which is totally rad. Huge projector TV to watch, and the music is always good. Check them out. You won’t be disappointed.

Awesome place with some unique choices. They even let us use a breathalyzer to make sure we were safe to drive.

Love the beer names, great marketing, wonderful atmosphere, friendly atmosphere, fabulous time!

Unpretentious little brewery tucked into an industrial area. They are one of the best microbrews I have had and that’s saying something being from Eugene Oregon. Look it up, you won’t be disappointed.

Awesome beer, atmosphere and people with unbeatable prices. See you soon guys and gals

Great place to hang with your friends or family and drink some really good beer. I particularly love thier stout.

This is a great place, similar to the kind of establishment that you can find all over San Diego.
It’s a small craft brewery where you can go to sample their latest beers on tap, buy full bottles of it, or even fill a growler.
They have a projection TV up on the wall, and another large TV on the wall.
Both were set to sporting events on an early Saturday afternoon, I’m totally fine with that!
They currently are producing 7 different brews, ranging from IPA’s to a vanilla stout. They’re all pretty solid, the stout gets the best reviews thus far.
It’s dog and kid friendly. The kids actually have a little room off to the side with board games and little furniture to chill out on. I haven’t seen this before anywhere else.
There’s a variety of seating inside, too. Aside from the bar area, there are also several tables in the open area. We actually brought some burritos and chips from a nearby place. They don’t serve food, so bring a picnic here and buy their beer!
Tasters are $ 2, so you can try a flight of several things before you want to commit to a particular beer in pint or bottle size.
I highly recommend checking this place out.

Taproom in a warehouse, in the middle of the industrial/​business park.
Bring a jacket, it gets cold in there. Assuming they can’t warm up the place because you’re in with the huge kettles.
There’s really not much wrong with the taproom location itself, the oversized Jenga is pretty fun to play, and the owners are friendly. The three stars are for the brew, which is pretty average except for their Nightshade, a vanilla stout, which is smooth and coats your mouth with chocolate-​vanilla flavor.
Nightshade and the friendly environment is enough to come back here often. I just hope they wow me with another brew soon.
Cheers!

Awesome new tap room, and impressive tasting beer. Just heard about these guys at a bottle shop and went to go check it out and its a cool place they have set up. Definitely worth a stop

I can appreciate a good beer from time to time, and when I do, I ALWAYS want to make sure that I’m drinking something good. I’m not a beer connoisseur (like fellow Unilocaler John B.) but I do know a good brew, and the humble start of Epidemic Ales drew me to drive out of my way to be a part of their Zombrew-​copalypse!
When I pulled up on a Friday night amidst all the surrounding office building warehouse/​obscure tenant buildings, I saw their lights on, garage open, dogs around and tap fresh. It was like I walked into someone’s living room as people were playing Jenga, some had their dogs and they all were enjoying a casual night with beer, pretzel snacks and a large TV. You walk right into their taproom which is very well-​kept for a brewery, and are able to taste their 6 brews.
My brother and I opted for their Nightshade (barrel-​aged vanilla bourbon stout) and Zombrew (IPA). I’m a fan of dark stouts and vanilla, and could see how the bourbon definitely makes this quite the strong brew. The Zombrew was actually a really nice, slightly sweet and not bitter ale and was easy to drink. A glass goes for $ 5 each which is such a steal, and a flight for $ 12 of all 6 of their brews.
I love how there is a craft beer trend coming to this side of the Bay. With Concord’s Hop Grenade and Pig & the Pickle, Epidemic Ales seems like they’ll fit right in, bringing their own special brews into town. Not sure if I’d drive out of my way here again, but I look forward to what they have in store for the near future!
P. S. They also have bottles you can buy on the go! That Zombrew was nice and sweet…

I went on the opening day and it was crowded. All their beers are tasty especially the nightshade. It is a great atmosphere and will definitely go back again when Im in the Bay Area.

This was a great find thanks to Racers Line Shop across the parking lot. The beer recommended was the Nightshade (Bourbon Barrel-​aged Vanilla Stout) Yummy.
The other beers I tried were all great. People very nice and Tap room is nice.
I will be back!!!

What a great addition to the area! I ordered the flight (5 beers, soon to be 6) for $ 9. They gave a good size pour and displayed it in a nice caddy that had informational cards for all the beers. I thought it was very cleaver of them to display them this way; that way you never get which beer is which messed up and it provides you with a description so you don’t have to go back and read the board to see what the beer is going to be like. The brewery is really neat with games, pretzels, and projector tv. It was a great way to spend a few hours on a Sunday with friends!

The story of Epidemic Ales is pretty awesome. It’s about six friends and family members that loved beer so much that they started brewing their own out of their homes. And, within five years they had perfected their craft (beer) and during the first weekend of January 2016 they opened their taproom in North Concord. An added cool factor is that they were obviously watching The Walking Dead (TWD) while draining wort from the mash because their brewery is zombie-​themed.
As a beer lover myself, I commend them for accomplishing what all beer drinking aficionados have dreamt about at least once or twice between gulps. After all, it is quite the risk to turn a hobby into an investment!
I first heard about Epidemic Ales when I moved to the East Bay from Los Angeles last summer and started adding local Unilocal friends so that I could find great eateries and drinking establishments. Among the friends that accepted my friend requests was Erin S. who was Gold Elite at that time (unfortunately when you start a business you lose your Elite status — Erin is one of the Concord-​Six). She told me to keep an eye out for the brewery and even told me that Epidemic Ales would be dog-​friendly.
Let me «paws» here and say that any establishment that is dog-​friendly gets bonus points in my book. And from my experiences, dog-​owners tend to be the most fervent beer lovers. Therefore, it is a no-​brainer that most paw-​some breweries allow dogs.
When we visited the brewery on Friday January 15, 2016 there were five beers on tap. They were the Lager at World’s End, Nightshade Bourbon Barrel-​Aged Vanilla Stout, Zombrew IPA, Batiquitos Brown English Ale, and the Wicked Ailment Pale Ale. Pretty much, they have a flavor for everyone! I just hope that they brew a sour or saison in the future.
The wife and I really loved the vanilla and bourbon accents of the Nightshade because everyone knows how much we love bourbon because it is pretty much stronger beer. We also enjoyed the fruity Wicked Ailment.
To help wash down the beer, Epidemic Ales provides complimentary pretzel snacks and they allow outside food. Occasionally they have food trucks. For now they are open Thursday through Sunday and closed Monday through Wednesday. Be sure to check their hours so that you don’t end up «unhoppy»!
I don’t know if a zombie apocalypse is imminent, but if there is a zombie epidemic, I am heading to Epidemic Ales so that I can be Glenn and drink out the «world’s end». Gonna’ have to knock off one of the owners «Ricktator-​style» though because anyone that knows TWD formula knows that there can only be one Asian guy. LOL.
* Just got an email that they will be releasing a beer during San Francisco Beer Week on January 23^rd called Squishy & The Wig Pale Ale. The beer is a tribute beer to two of the brewery’s beloved doggie friends. Simply paw-​tastic!
* Epidemic Ales is located down the street from another dog-​friendly Concord brewery, Black Diamond Brewery. With dog-​friendly Hop Grenade in downtown Concord and dog-​friendly Eureka over by Willow Pass Road, one can argue that Concord is becoming quite the dog-​and-​beer destination!

The craft brewery scene is exploding in Northern California, and I’m happy to say that Epidemic Ales in Concord is playing it’s part in the scene. Operated by a group of friends who initially home brewed their own beer for personal consumption, they took it to the next level and for the benefit of all of us, deciding to share their beer with the rest of the world. They have a decent selection of beer for everyone, from a lager, to a brown ale, and everyone’s favorite their «zombrew» IPA just to name a few. No food is served here but they do provide a generous helping of pretzels, because if you’re at a brewery you’re there to drink and not dine right?
I’ve talked to the owners and they did say they have Direct TV with sports packages getting hooked up soon. Can’t wait till they start showing football games here. Conveniently located near North Concord BART, just a quick 5 minute Lyft ride away and you’re free to enjoy some of the best tasting beer on this side of the Bay Area. You won’t be disappointed!

I noticed over the past few years that I tend to begin a new year’s worth of reviews by beginning with a review of a favorite new business from the year prior. For 2016, that is Epidemic Ales. The best brewery to hit the extended East Bay since Ale Industries left for greener pastures. With the new year, brings new beer to Concord.
It’s very rare to see a new brewery open up with a barrel aged beer on tap. The logistics of it usually doesn’t work. When I saw that this brand new outfit was offering up a vanilla bean stout aged in bourbon barrels, I was ecstatic. That alone was worth the trip to check it out.
This brewery was created by beer drinkers for beer drinkers. The love of beer really shines through in the finished product. Here are a few reasons why:
The taproom is smack dab in the middle of the brewing operation. You have the entire brewery surrounding you to give you that «behind the scenes» feeling as you sip tasty suds. It doesn’t have the feeling of sitting in a bar.
The price is right. Most all their beers are served in pint glasses for about $ 5 each other than that which is aged in barrels. They don’t try to nickel and dime you based on the ABV which is alarmingly becoming a trend in the industry.
They follow CA law by filling and properly filling all blank and covered growlers. Although their own branded Hydroflask is a sexy option as well. This is much appreciated when you just want to grab some beer to go.
They created a comfortable environment for beer lovers to talk beer. I can’t remember the last brewery that I’ve been to where every single customer was excited to talk about beer.
Their lager was surprisingly outstanding. Rare for me to find a lager to be this flavorful. Their «Zombrew» IPA is a solid choice that leans towards the maltier side of things. Batiquitos Brown was a fully flavored brown ale that was my second favorite of their offerings. Their Pale Ale was the only one of the 5 that I didn’t like as it seemed to be missing something. It wasn’t bad, just not my pint o’ beer, so to speak.
As for the Nightshade, it lives up to the hype. As good a vanilla bourbon barrel aged stout that you’ll find at this price, both in bottle to go and in the taproom. If you didn’t tell me this was 10.3% I wouldn’t guess it. There’s hardly any evidence of that. I would prefer more bourbon barrel flavor, yet a smooth vanilla flavored stout is what you get. Although after having a few, you’ll notice that it is quite sweet. I would love to see how this tastes as it ages. A great first offering that shows potential for even more big things in the future.
Epidemic Ales seems to check off all the boxes of what it takes to make a brewery successful. Save for my reservations of their labeling, I love everything about this place. I look forward to watching them grow and grow. Potentially even surpassing their neighbor down the street…

Epidemic Ales is a much needed addition to the beer scene in Concord. Their beer is delicious (my favorite is the Zombrew IPA) and I love the laid back vibe of the tap room. It’s located off of Port Chicago road just down the street from Black Diamond brewery if you’re interested in doing a beer tasting outing. The owners are behind the bar and can give you more information than you knew you wanted. You can’t go wrong with $ 5 pints and giant jenga.
Sometimes there are food trucks but they do allow outside food. I’m looking forward to grabbing some friends, food and nerd games and hanging out on a weekend soon!

We attended the soft opening of Epidemic Ales yesterday. The six-​pack of owners are doing what they love and it shows!
They had five of their beers on tap — Lager at World End, Wicked Ailment (American Pale Ale), Zombrew (IPA), Batiquitos Brown, and Nightshade (Barrel-​Aged Stout). All are excellent, although I am partial to Zombrew and we left with a steel growler of that one.
Officially open in early 2016, I recommend that you bookmark them for a visit! With Black Diamond Brewing Company around the corner, and EJ Phair, Hop Grenade, and Pig & Pickle (Ale Industries) in Todos Santos Plaza just a few minutes away, Concord has become quite the destination for beer fans! This makes this beer fan super happy.