D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
July 2009
Brewing Up a Storm
Bob Brockhausen's Silver City Brewing Company is finally putting the "brew" in "brewpub."
For Bob Brockhausen, it's all about the beer. That's why earlier this year Silver City's brewmeister turned over the reins for the front of Silver City Brewing Company, the beer pub and casual eatery at the juncture of College and Bullard Streets, to his new general manager, Desiree Wyatt, and brought in a kitchen manager to handle the beer go-with menu.
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Bob Brockhausen in front of his Silver City Brewing Company. (Photo by Donna Clayton) |
Brockhausen says he started the company because of his love for beer and the fun it brings him to brew the kinds of suds he loves to imbibe.
Taking a few minutes to rest his thin, lanky frame at one of his brewpub's tables, the high-energy Brockhausen seems incapable of sitting completely still. Animated and eager to talk about his brewery's operation, he shoves a chair next to him under the table, runs his hand along the edge of the table to banish a stray crumb.
"I've got five fermenters, which means I can make five beers at once," he says with some excitement. "I gotta get more tap space to carry all the beers. Now, that's a nice problem to have!"
Having handled the typical headaches that come with owning and running a small business, Brockhausen says he's now working full bore to install his three new 100-gallon tanks. He leans his chair back on two legs, casts his sky-blue eyes up to the ceiling and enthuses about the big old batches of German-style beers, like Hefeweizens and Oktoberfests, he'll soon be brewing.
"They've just got more flavor," Brockhausen says. "Maybe I'll do some Belgians, too."
Up until now, Silver City Brewing Company has been selling beers brewed elsewhere, including some from Las Cruces' High Desert Brewing Company. Brockhausen says his best sellers have been Nut Brown Ale, IPAs and light lagers.
"My customers are hop-heads," he says with a laugh, referencing beers that have a particular taste due to high hops content.
Looking to give the beers something tasty to land on — and bring in patrons who might enjoy a meal on the business' appealing patio — Brockhausen revamped his dinner menu and added lunch two days a week. The eatery now offers a special "Taste of Philly" section and a buffalo burger, along with the pizzas, BBQ sandwiches and salads the joint already is known for.
"Yeah, food's a headache. There's a lot to the business and the profit margin on food is razor thin," Brockhausen says, then adds with a laugh, "But you gotta have something for the beer to land on! We've got a simple, fun menu now."
Silver City Brewing Company also offers live music to entertain its patrons and, he hopes, draw business. "I'm mostly focused on out-of-town acts to bring people in," he says.
He estimates his customer base is split about 50-50 between local regulars and visitors from out of town.
"The patio is a great draw in the good weather," Brockhausen says. "We get a lot of tourists, fire jumpers during fire season."
His face lights up and he adds, "The bike race (Tour of the Gila) was great this year! I hope we draw that many people again next year, even without Lance!" The buzz around town is that having famous pro cyclist Lance Armstrong in the race this year swelled the usual throng of visiting race enthusiasts.
Brockhausen expresses some thankfulness for other local events and festivals that bring folks to town, commenting on the Mimbres Region Arts Council's newest live, open-air music event: "Pickamania, the new one, that was great for us last year," he says.
Musing on the summer — primo beer-drinking season, after all — and how he plans to expand his offerings, Brockhausen suddenly rocks forward to plant his chair back on all four legs and springs out of his seat with his typical energetic style. A broad smile on his face, he says with a laugh, "Boy, I'd better get working on those tanks!"
— Donna Clayton
Silver City Brewing Company, 101 E. College Ave., Silver City, 534-2739. Open for dinner Tuesday-Thursday, 2-9 p.m.; lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 3-8 p.m. Closed Monday.