The nearly five-year effort to construct and open the 7,300-square-foot business at 11276 Chester Road amounted to a “multi-million-dollar” effort, Tom Collins said.
“To see it finally come to life, especially during the crazy world we’re living in right now, it’s a bit mind-blowing, actually,” Collins said.
The business boasts a 2,700-square-foot tap room, a 3,500-square-foot patio with covered and uncovered seating, an “upper deck” balcony patio and grassy areas with wooden tables and benches.
On tap are 14 of its own creations, which include beer and hard seltzer. Cider eventually will be added, Collins said.
Chloe Schaefer and Kelly Montgomery head up what he said is Third Eye’s “awesome” brewing team.
“They’re the mix of art and science,” Collins said. “She is a microbiology major and went to UC Davis (for) a brewing program so she really brings a lot of the science, quality control and all of those kinds of measurements,” Collins said. “Kelly brings a lot of creativity, combining different types of ingredients and things like that.”
The menu at Third Eye Brewing Company is a mix of simple and more gourmet fare concocted by Steven Vanderpool, a chef with more than a quarter century of experience who has helped open numerous restaurants, Collins said.
The kitchen turns out everything from Cajun Garlic Herb Wings, Beef Short Rib Poutine and a BrewBQ Ranch Grilled Chicken Sandwich to Grilled Shrimp Watermelon Salad, Mediterranean Pasta and a Mind Bender Burger with “brewoo” sauce, bacon jam, pimento cheese, lettuce, pickle and fries.
A Brew Master Board features prosciutto, soppressata, grilled andouille, manchego, goat cheese, pimento cheese, bacon jam, deviled egg, pickled vegetables, castelvetrano olives, bread and crackers.
Tom Collins said he’s been a home brewer “on and off” for more than 20 years, much more so in the past seven years as it became “an extreme hobby.” An industrial designer and product designer by trade, he said he helped with the brewery’s design side, including its branding and interior design.
Tim Collins, whose day job involves sales and distribution, said he plans to narrow his focus to those areas for Third Eye in the future, but is content to remain “a jack of all trades” for now.
“Whatever needs to be done, we’ll get it done, and that’s not just me, that’s all the partners,” he said.
The name “Third Eye” is a reference to a mystical concept of an invisible “mind’s eye” typically depicted as located on the forehead and providing perception beyond ordinary sight, Tom Collins said.
“Everyone has the ability to unlock this hidden potential and see the world through a new light, see new possibilities and things like that,” he said. “We kind of tongue-and-cheek say ’We’re here to help you to open your mind’s eye one pint at a time.’”
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