Just a little ways out from Uproar Brewing Co.’s grand opening, the guys were getting a little annoyed with how often they had to turn away the local fire department. It wasn’t a fire code concern—the off duty firefighters were just looking for a cold one.

Uproar has been in the process of moving into the SoFA district downtown for a couple of years now, but the finish line has finally been crossed.

Project manager Mike Cantere, who’s spent the past 14 months cobbling the brewery together, understands the confusion.

“I mean, I spent an hour a day just sending people away,” Cantere says. “They walk by, see the bar done and they just try to come in.”

From the sidewalk of South First Street, it’s hard to miss the full bar and 15 taps that feature local craft beers. But the wheels of bureaucracy moved at their own schedule, and the city didn’t give the brewery clearance to open until Wednesday.

Brewmaster Jim Turturici made sure Uproar was ready. Every beer he’s selected to feature is made within a 50-mile radius. Those beers will be slowly replaced by the brewing company’s own creations.

“A lot of it starting out is gonna be based on just covering a spectrum to appeal to a broad audience,” Turturici says. “And as we learn who’s drinking what, we’ll make some harder decisions.”

The menu has beers that are always available, seasonal beers and unusual brews that the crew will invent as they experiment. Drinks, of course, are just one component of Uproar’s offerings.

Executive chef James Thornton has been devising a food menu that makes beer recommendations to pair with every dish. The menu will feature rack of lamb, cornish hen and goat cheese stuffed figs, he says, to name a few dinner options. The lunch menu includes traditional pub grub like sliders and fries, but there’s also some unusual thin crust artisan pizzas, some of which will feature a “red beer sauce.”

“While [Turturici] is making a new brew he’s going to be giving me flavor profiles to work with, and we’re going to be designing new dishes around those,” Thornton says.

The chef also notes that the kitchen will create the majority of food from scratch, with 40 percent of dishes also being made with beer or beer components.

Two types of bread will also be baked in house, both of which will contain grain used in the brewing process. A brunch menu will feature Belgian waffles made from the spent grain as well, topped with malt extract from the brewing process in lieu of maple syrup.

And the ideas keep coming.

Uproar is in talks to incorporate a special menu featuring goods sold only at the upcoming farmers markets in the SoFA district.

But the beer will always be king, and Uproar will start out with a signature Saison while using the taproom to showcase the region’s talented craft brewers.

“We’re coming into a great community of breweries around here,” says Grant Kjos, Uproar’s taproom manager. “Any time that we’re gonna have free tap space, we want to be showcasing the other local stuff.”

Located in the building that formerly housed the ZERO1 Garage arts space, Uproar intends to blend into the fabric of the SoFA district, which continues to accumulate new food, drink and nightlife options.

“We just got in at the right time,” Cantere says. “Seems like everybody’s thirsty.”

Uproar Brewing Co. 
439 S First St, San Jose
408.673.2266
uproarbrewing.com

This story has been updated.