BrewView
By Chris Murphy
Contentment Brewing is all about the custom flavors. It is about the small craft brew batches that allow founder/owner and brewer Alejandro Serrato to create an amazing experience, and connect with the people in his neighborhood.
The College neighborhood has been loyal to Contentment over the last year. As Alejandro and his wife Abena scaled back during the pandemic to save costs, the people in the neighborhood kept coming back for more great flavors and to support a local brewery that is truly committed to being a part of our community. There were even times during the last year, he even ran low on beer thanks to his loyal customers. He received little or no financial assistance during COVID and was outside of the downtown programs and he is truly grateful to those that continued to visit.
There are over 15 beers on tap, all brewed in the Contentment facility near MJC on the Campus Way loop. In the shadow of the famous grain elevators, this neighborhood is a cool part of town with great opportunities. Alejandro is looking forward to the return of students to MJC and for our community to open. During the pandemic, Contentment has had a great outdoor patio and a location for a food truck, more recently adding a stage for local bands to perform. As we move toward opening, there will be more plans for more bands and events to happen.
We spent the afternoon making a circuit all the way down the line and really had a change to discover and enjoy the flavors from the Black Magic Stout to a ESB Extra Special Bitter to a Blood Orange or Apricot ale to a nice rich IPA and Hefeweizen. One of the best ways to experience Contentment is to create a custom flight, that is served on its own mini picnic table, hand crafted by Alejandro’s father.
Around the room are the books that Alejandro studied as he learned his craft. As a fellow alumni of Stanislaus State, he felt that the school really prepared him well for this business venture. Last year, we both served on a Homecoming panel to encourage young students to follow their dreams and be a part and serve the communities where they live. Alejandro follows this model to this day, supporting local organizations and in turn the community has supported him. One of the most interesting details of his client base is how diverse the age groups are and how many regulars he has. It truly validates the attention to detail to making great beer. Oh by the way, they make their own Cream Ale and Root Beer.
Bottles and recyclable Growlers are available for all of the flavors are available. Alejandro expects to be able to reopen the inside portion of the brewery in the near future. The patio is spacious, comfortable and is waiting for you. See you there.
Contentment Brewing
208 Campus Way
Modesto, CA 95355
209.534.8671
Open Wed-Fri 3 pm to 9pm Sat 12-9 pm Sun 12-5
@contentmentbrewingco
