There I was thinking Martinez, CA didn’t have any craft breweries. I stand corrected. To be fair, there wasn’t any the last time I had visited. It now has two (next to each other) with another one on the way. That’s exactly the kind of expansion a craft beer nerd like me gets super excited about. This time, I stopped by Del Cielo Brewing and was pleasantly surprised. They make truly great brews and I love the warehouse-type atmosphere! I didn’t get to meet the owners in person that day, but I reached out to them and they took the time to answer my questions. Luis, you’ve got the floor!
Why Del Cielo?
The words “Del Cielo” mean “from heaven” in Spanish, which reflects our inspiration and the high-quality standards used in our brewing process and ingredients. One of the key objectives for Del Cielo is the constant creation of new beers based on trends, seasonal ingredients and feedback from our customers.
Why Beer from Heaven?
We believe our beer tastes like it comes from heaven.
It’s a bold statement, but for us it means that we brew the best beer possible, from the hops to the malts to the unique ingredients that we select. We want each sip to be a heavenly experience.
How did Del Cielo start?
Del Cielo Brewing started in our home garage about 5 years ago. Founded by myself, Luis Castro, and my wife Cielomar Cuevas. We met in Cleveland, OH in 2007, where we discovered the world of craft beer. Shortly after moving to California I purchased my first home brew kit.
Our first beer was brewed on our kitchen stove (which took hours to boil) not to mention to cool off!
After that first brew, I invested in our first burner and started brewing so frequently that we hosted monthly get-togethers to share the beers with our friends, get feedback on the new recipes and make space for new beer.
In 2017, I left the world of finance and decided to take my passion for brewing to the next level. We looked for a location all around the Bay Area until we discovered the charming city of Martinez while attending their annual Zombie Crawl. We fell in love with the vibe of the city and the close-knit community.
After more than a year building the brewery from the ground up, we opened our doors in May of 2018.
What do you think about the Martinez craft beer scene and where it’s going?
We love having locals and new visitors to Martinez exploring the world of craft beer at Del Cielo and having the opportunity to walk down the street to enjoy other tasty brews. It’s exciting to see Martinez become a destination for craft beer!
Any interesting plans for the future?
We are always looking to expand our distribution reach to offer Del Cielo at local bars, restaurants, hotels and specialty grocery stores. Additionally, we are currently focused on our food program to offer a delicious food menu to pair with our beers.
Tell us about your beer. What are the staff picks?
We are hop heads at Del Cielo. IPA’s is our favorite beer style. We love experimenting with new hops and grains. At the moment our two favorite IPA’s are Orange You Delicious and Bay Area 51.
Additionally, we are introducing new sour beers to our portfolio by experimenting with seasonal fruits. Our customers’ favorite at the moment is our kettle sour, Guava Dreams, (bronze medal at the CA State Fair commercial competition). Other staff and customers’ favorites are our Mexican Lager, Orale (bronze medal at the CA State Fair commercial competition) and Amber Lager, Morena Mia (best in show at the battle of the brews).
Anything else you’d like to share?
Del Cielo Brewing is an extension of our home. Like we say in Spanish: “Mi casa es tu casa.” Even though the brewery is bigger, we want it to feel as welcoming as our own home. We want the community to enjoy the space with the whole family, meet new friends while enjoying our beers. Our hope is that everyone feels welcome at Del Cielo from the moment they walk through our doors and feel a sense of community and belonging.
More photos from Del Cielo Brewing:
A BELGIAN'S BEER DIARY 