Armstrong Brewing Company

We're a South San Francisco Brewery located in the heart of down town. "The Industrial City" or  South City has been home to many industries throughout its history for meat packing, ship building, and biotechnology.  Now we're bringing in its newest industry ... brewing.
The Brewery

From the humble beginnings of 3 gallon extract beer on the stove, we now occupy a 900sqft building and brew 2 barrel batches (1 barrel = 31 US gallons).  The two barrel size was perfect for us as we will age many in oak barrels.  In the brewery, you will not find a centrifuge, filter or other equipment used to speed up the process as they also strip flavor.  We will let time take its course and improve the beer on its own. We have really enjoyed talking with other nano breweries out there that are opened or in the planning phase. If you want to know more about how we've done it or why chose our path, send us an email and we'd love to talk about it.

The Beers

Two words ... Flavor and Balance.  Because we brew such small batches, we are able to craft many varieties of flavorful beers using English and German malts, UK and Noble hops and the right yeast for the job, never sacrificing flavor for cost.  However, with only four ingredients, it's surprisingly easy to overdo any one flavor: an IPA that tastes like hop extract or a barley wine that is so sweet you can't finish the glass.   While we will be brewing a number unique beers, you can trust that each one will be well balanced and ready to be enjoyed. Check out our Beer's page to see what's on tap.

The Armstrong Team

Ben

Ben "Benny" Colombo received his education on the gritty streets of South San Francisco.  Born Benjermin Albert Colombo, Benny was known as the tough but fair neighborhood enforcer who took care of problems the old fashion way.  In his late teens he branched out and became the local "Banker", helping to finance the "American Dream" for families in his neighborhood.  By his early 20's there was no stopping this entrepreneurial beast that had his fingers in almost every business in a 4 block radius of where he grew up.  Having sipped his first beer at age 11, by the time he was 22 he had consumed so much beer that it became obvious to him that he needed his own brewery.  He spent the next 20 years of his life in search of the perfect master brewer, the idol savant of craft beer - that individual, it turns out, was none other than Mr. Nick Armstrong.  Impressed with the sheer strength of Nick's arms as well as his seemingly endless knowledge of beer, brewing, yeast, fermentation, fracking, donuts, glass wear, and guns - a partnership was born.  A partnership forged in the darkest corners of an old warn down warehouse in South San Francisco.  That partnership is now called Armstrong Brewing Co.

Jason

Jason "The Can Do Kid" Cardoso grew up during the tech boom in the heart of Silicon Valley.   Jason made his mark early on as so many entrepreneurs in the Valley did before him by starting his first start up before the age of 2.  Inspired by investment shows he watched on CNBC and Bloomberg he decided he was more interested in becoming an investor than an entrepreneur and as such enrolled in B School to learn the tricks of the trade.  Always being on the lookout for a new business opportunity, on just a hunch one day while driving home from work he turned down a dark alley only to stumble upon a brewery named Armstrong.  Once he found the entrance and entered the brewery he was greeted by two wise guys Nick and Benny! Realizing that they had found the Sun Dance Kid to their Butch Cassidy operation they extended an invite to join the Armstrong team and the rest is history.

Jessica

Jessica "Curly Q" Ellis grew up in rural Western Michigan where stories of her legend are still told. She got her famed ringlets at the age of 3 when she electrocuted herself trying to reroute the city's power through her Teddy Ruxpin, resulting in a county-wide outage. At the age of 9 Jessica was voted team captain of her High School Varsity softball team. At the age of 13 she coached the boys High School Varsity baseball team to a state title. Her influence knew no limits; With the student council and school administrators in her back pocket, it's no surprise that she would go on to become both Prom Queen and Valedictorian, ruling with a sharp wit and a soft heart. When the time came, Jessica traveled east by kayak to a town called Ypsilanti, where she studied business and fought for beer-drinking gender equality. It's rumored that she was actually paid a professors salary, in beer, just to attend Eastern Michigan University. She would later politely decline the school's offer to rename the school of business after her. After a chance encounter with a floppy eared Boxer puppy during a routine international exchange of intel, Curly Q and her sidekick Layla Ali packed their bags and headed west. This Dynamic Duo settled in the Bay Area where she would eventually meet Nick and Benny while meeting with city planners about a certain poorly lit alley behind an old warehouse. It was evident that Curly Q and her main pup, Layla, would provide a much needed balance for this testosterone fueled pair. With the addition of The Can Do Kid, this team of brewing renegades were born.

Nick

Born in the backwoods of rural Georgia, Nick Armstrong always had a love affair with anything alcoholic. When he wasn't hanging out with his childhood friends, he was out in the backwoods concocting his own brews.  Never having owned a pair of shoes, Mr. Armstrong was told to pick up his rifle and head out west young man to San Diego.  Armed only with his half-wit, a 6-pack of beer, and his pappy's shotgun Nick toured the World with Uncle Sam as they visited many aimlessly deserts near and far.  Upon Nicks return he married his now wife and moved back east to obtain a public "edumaction" in yeast sex.  After six years of making bathtub gin, wine, and ales, he moved to the Bay Area and joined up with "Benny" in his warn down old warehouse.  One day while brewing, he was visited by the goddess Ninkasi where she bestowed the secrets of the brew.  Today Nick employs these secrets and creates the masterpieces brews you drink at Armstrong Brewing Co., but sadly... he still doesn't own a pair of shoes.