Get your donkey over here: Auburn pair opens Two Ass Brewing Co. downtown

There is a new watering hole in town thanks to the duo behind Two Ass Brewing Company, which quietly opened its doors in early July. The downtown brewery was designed as a small-scale neighborhood microbrewery that specializes in malty brews. It is founded, designed, built and operated by longtime Auburn residents, friends and award-winning home brewers Chris Haupt and Dr. Kris Bartow and their families. Haupt, in an interview with the Auburn Journal, said he and Bartow were "very advanced hobbyists." Their commercial brewery concept developed after the founders won the 2016 California State Fair (first place for their Black IPA) and subsequent regional competitions (multiple wins for their Blondes and Pilsners). Initially, they were set to sign a lease on a location in February 2020, but the pandemic delayed their journey. Now, the pair have set up shop at 140 Hoffman Avenue, across the street from Old Town Pizza in the former Mother Lode Meat and Locker Plant. Haupt said the space was vacant for more than 10 years. The tasting room pays tribute to the historic butcher, with an aerial meat conveyer featured throughout and an old butcher sign found in the back of the property. Haupt said when it came to beers featured at the brewery, he and Bartow wanted beers less common at other Placer County breweries which tend to be known for more "hoppy beers." "We specialize in beers that are on the more malty side, your lagers, pilsners, blondes and reds," he said. That doesn't mean they don't have "killer" hoppy choices as well, Haupt said, they just wanted to offer something that is less pervasive on the local beer scene. Haupt said the duo are focused on running a smaller brewery utilizing seven barrels brewing 210 gallons at a time. Two Ass Brewing Company is currently on its 10th batch of beer, and the taproom features 8-12 brews at any given time. The pair brew about once a week. Haupt and Bartow spoke about the importance of creating a local space utilized by neighbors and adding to the community. "It was important for us to be in downtown," Haupt said. "There aren't a lot of places in downtown where you can put brewing machinery. We are nestled in a residential area and we want to be good neighbors. We want people to walk down the hill and come here. That is important to us." Two Ass Brewing had a soft opening July 4 and to date its customer base has all been by word of mouth. The company is scheduled to have an official grand opening with the Auburn Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 22. "It's been really great so far," Haupt said. "Most importantly, people love the beer. They like the beer and they like that it's not another set of IPAs." The air-conditioned tasting room fits 30 people, and they have built an outdoor patio with umbrellas, a swamp cooler and misters. Outside food is welcome, and customers have been known to take advantage of the location's proximity to Old Town Pizza. Haupt said he's looking forward to hosting food trucks and games for his customers. "We consider this our home and we want to support downtown and help revitalize this portion while still keeping its character," Haupt said. Two Ass Brewing Company is open Thursdays and Sundays from 12-8 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 12-10 p.m. Visit twoassbrewing.co for more information.