When you think of where to go to sit down and enjoy a craft beer, Gonzales might not be the first place that pops into your mind. Until Fourth Street Tap House opened two years ago, there was no place in the area with a tap beer selection. And that’s exactly why its owner, Hector Zavala, opened it.
“I love craft beer and every time I wanted to get anything craft I had to go to Paso (Robles) or Salinas,” he says. “I thought, ‘I’m going to be the guy that has craft beer and local guys can come out and have a beer and watch TV.’”
Initially, some people criticized his dream of opening up a craft beer house, claiming that no one in the area would drink it. But he strove to prove them wrong by putting in 30 taps and not carrying any domestics.
“When I first opened up people were asking for Corona or Modelo, and I didn’t have it,” he says.
Instead, he’d point them to a craft beer that had a similar taste, and as a result, he’s created a clientele that appreciates something new.
After months of being closed due to the pandemic, Zavala opened a beer garden – with TVs for sports watching – in September. He’s teamed up with local eateries such as Casa De Humo Barbecue & Catering, Ariana’s Restaurant and El Cachanilla to provide food, keeping beer drinkers happy and complying with state Covid-19 rules that require bars to serve food in order to be open.
FOURTH STREET TAP HOUSE, 25 4th St., Gonzales. Open 4-9pm Thursday-Friday. 675-5095, fourthstreettaphouse.com
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