New brewery, Donkey Punch, opens in Redlands Saturday

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Inland Empire Community Newspapers • October 25, 2012 • Page A21
New brewery, Donkey Punch, opens in Redlands Saturday
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By Annemarie Paxton
or the avid beer enthusiast,
attempting to brew one’s
own beer can become an
entertaining pasttime and hobby,
but seldomly can one master the
skill so proficiently that it would
lead to opening a brewery, but that
has happened for San Bernardino
resident Tony Theodore who will
be holding a grand opening this
Saturday of his brand new Donkey
Punch Brewery in Redlands.
The brewery, located on 2351 W.
Lugonia Ave., Suite G, will feature
Theodore’s original recipes including Watermelon Wheat,
Vanilla Blonde, and Amberlicious.
Theodore’s journey began when
he decided he wanted to brew his
own beer. When his wife gave
him a small brew kit, he thought he
was well on his way to successful
brewing.
He was wrong.
“It sucked,” says Theodore, 42,
with a wry grin. “That was really
bad beer.”
But he wasn’t going to give up on
his dream. He plunged into research, and bought himself some
real brewing equipment.
“I brewed up my first couple of
beers, and I was surprised,” says
the San Bernardino resident. “It
was much improved.”
That was no culmination of a
dream, though. It was the start of a
journey of several years that has the perfect location. It wasn’t long,
brought him to a suite on Lugonia he says, before “I saw where I
Avenue, where his Donkey Punch needed to be.”
Brewery will hold its Grand Opening on Oct. 27.
“Redlands was the coolest city to
work with,” says Theodore, who
Theodore says he knew he was grew up in Upland. “They gave me
on to something when friends and a map of where I needed to be.
neighbors starting coming over on They were actually happy about
the weekends to taste-test his new another brewery opening in the
brews. He developed new recipes city!”
to cook up—and he worked at it
constantly. “I brewed a bunch— He also liked the idea of being lononstop,” he says.
cated in the same town as rapidgrowing Hangar 24. “That can’t be
He’d already had an idea in the a bad thing,” he says. “Redlands is
back of his mind about opening his a good town to be in.”
own brewery. It was easy to see
that the industry was burgeoning, Looking back on all the chaland when he read an article about lenges he’s had to face to get to
New Belgium Brewing’s modest this point—all the permitting from
start—and their growth into a $94 all the different organizations, all
million company—he became the investment of time and money,
convinced that that was the field all the searching and long hours—
for him to be in. With the support he says it’s been worth it. The
of his wife, Alma, the former pool work isn’t easy—but developing
contractor went from city to city in new recipes is still a lot of fun.
the Inland Empire, trying to find And nothing beats the sight of
someone savoring a Donkey
IECN COURTESY PHOTO Punch brew.
Tony Theodore of San
Bernardino mixing a blend of “That’s the fun part,” he says.
his brew. Theodore is the
Donkey Punch Brewery is holdowner of Donkey Punch Brewing its Grand Opening on Saturery in Redlands which will be day, Oct. 27, 2012, from 11a.m. –
celebrating its grand opening 11 p.m, featuring eight beers inthis Saturday from 11 a.m. - 11 cluding Jackass IPA, Watermelon
p.m. at 2351 W. Lugonia Ave., Wheat, Lemon Caliente, and
Ste. G. Donkey Punch’s lineup Vanilla Blonde. Donkey Punch
of eight beers runs the gamut Brewery is located at 2351 W. Lufrom the Jackass IPA to Water- gonia Ave., Ste G, in Redlands.
melon Wheat and Orange For more information, call (909)
Punch to Lemon Caliente and 478-5005, or find Donkey Punch
Brewery on Facebook.
Vanilla Blonde.