South of Shaw Beer: Here’s a look at the new Fresno brewery and the story behind its name
South of Shaw Beer Company has opened inside a historic downtown Fresno building.
The brewery has a lot more going on than locally-brewed beer though, with a backstory that includes a group of biker buddies, a drummer from a local band and a name that raises some eyebrows.
And there’s pizza, but more on that in a moment.
The business is inside the brick Peerless Building, – which was once a machine shop and sales office for Peerless Pump – at Broadway and Amador streets.
South of Shaw Beer was a long time coming, taking over a blank space in 2019. Since then, they’ve built a brewery with a kitchen for making pizza, and tanks that can brew hundreds of gallons of beer.
Customers can watch the brewers work from the seating area.
The rest of the space has been done up with a 1920s vibe, a nod to when downtown Fresno was thriving, said Douglas Dart, one of three owners, who is also a real estate agent and carpenter who did much of the woodwork in the building.
“We’re trying to bring back the heyday when south of Shaw was rocking,” he said. “This was the place to be and now it’s coming back.”
South of Shaw Beer is part of a building that filled up recently with new businesses. That includes Saint Joaquin natural wine bar, which recently expanded into the space next door. Also in the same building, The Shop at KLSD, which recently moved into a new and bigger space.
Why the name South of Shaw?
So what about that name? Shaw Avenue has long been used as a dividing line between the north and south of Fresno, and a reference to the income and identity that comes with either side.
The name for the brewpub actually comes from a local band named South of Shaw.
It was a punk rock band from the early 2000s. South of Shaw Beer co-owner Dana Pellerin was the band’s drummer.
Sidenote: Ryan Kruse, once the band’s lead vocals, went on to open Industry Tap Union, a craft beer and wine taphouse at Cedar and Herndon avenues.
Pellerin’s bandmate Bob Amendola came up with the South of Shaw name.
“Being in a punk band, he thought that was the perfect rebellious name,” he said. “Everyone in Fresno gets what that means.”
So yes, it’s technically named after a band, but that broader “south of Shaw” term? Yeah, they’re running with it, he said.
The beer and the food
The brewery owners – Dart, Pellerin and TJ Amaya – were part of a group that took cross-country motorcycle rides. They’d stop at breweries.
Eventually, they started home brewing themselves, and named their beer South of Shaw Beer.
Now, the brewing happens at the brewery in tanks named Bob, Rich and Kyle, after the band members.
There are 12 beers on tap.
Several have won awards, like the smoked porter — a mellow porter with just a hint of the smoked grain they made it with.
There’s also a hoppy Suicide Blonde IPA that “hopheads love,” said Dart.
Fresno-based Incinerati Brewing Co.’s tropical ale is on tap too, along with a few other guest taps.
And something different: A sour Berliner Weisse that won a gold medal in a Las Vegas competition.
It can be mixed with a little fruit puree (mango, blood orange or raspberry) for a little added fruity flavor.
There’s also pizza.
The kitchen in back makes 12-inch pizzas with dough made from scratch each day. They include pepperoni, cheese, even a pickle pizza.
For non-beer drinkers, wine, sodas and water are also available.
One more little detail to check out: The Sisyphus table. It’s a table that can get pretty mesmerizing after a couple of beers, with a metal ball slowly carving intricate designs in sand under the tabletop.
Named after the Greek story of the man repeatedly pushing a boulder up a hill, the table is programmed with an app and uses magnets to move the ball.
Details: South of Shaw Beer is at 1755 Broadway St. Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
This story was originally published February 11, 2022 at 8:59 AM.
