https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2023/06/23/two-ass-brewing-auburn-taproom.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_39&cx_artPos=0

A new brewery and taproom in Auburn is moving forward after receiving approvals this week for a space on Hoffman Avenue.

The business, which will be called Two Ass Brewing Co., is planned for 140 Hoffman Ave. in Auburn, an approximately 2,000-square-foot space that will be converted into a small-scale brewery, taproom and beer garden. Co-owners Chris Haupt and Kris Bartow are longtime amateur brewers who won first place in the IPA category at the 2016 California State Fair Home Brew Competition for their "Dark Donkey" beer, which combines the flavor profile of a West Coast India pale ale and a porter.

The name of the business was inspired by two of Bartow's donkeys, Eddie and Annabelle, that live on his property where the co-founders first began brewing together. Bartow is an equine veterinarian who operates a mobile practice throughout Placer and surrounding counties. Haupt has a tech industry background, having held leadership positions for companies such as Swoogo, Adobe and New Relic.

"We were hoping to go commercial with something back in 2019, getting as far as creating the company and starting to look for places when the pandemic hit," Haupt said. "We resumed the search here in Auburn last summer and eventually found this location, where we are planning to build a nano-sized, direct-to-consumer brewery and taproom."

A design review and use permit was approved earlier this week for the planned brewery. The building, which was built in the 1940s and originally housed a butcher shop, will include a brewery space, a cold storage room and a taproom area that will be able to seat around 25 people and feature eight taps. Its side parking lot will be improved to include an enclosed beer garden area that will have a space for a food truck.