Clandestine Brewing

What Clandestine Brewing does

Clandestine Brewing is a privately held craft brewery and taproom founded in 2014 and operating from a single location at 980 S. 1st St., Ste. B in San Jose, California. It serves San Francisco Bay Area craft beer enthusiasts through an on-premise taproom experience featuring 15+ rotating taps plus nitro service, alongside off-premise growler and crowler fills, and a Square-powered online store. Ownership rests with founders/co-owners Adrian and Christine Kalaveshi, supported by a small team of brewers (Rob, Colin, Liz) and homebrewer dWiGhT Mulcahy, a credentialed competition brewer with 200+ ribbons and multiple National-event wins.

The brewery's product portfolio spans Double IPAs (Apollo 13, 8.4% ABV), Hazy IPAs (Hazy BOH, Furtive Fallacy, Project Elrond), Belgian styles (Feats of Strength Belgian Dark Strong, Frères Belges Belgian Blonde, Brian's Margarita Wit Witbier), an Irish Dry Stout (Irish Goodbye), Best Bitter (Boycott), Bavarian Bock (Bocklash), American Lager (Rice Cold), Hard Seltzer (Lemon Lavender), and specialty ales such as Fire & Fury Chili Pepper Smoked Ale (11.0% ABV). Technical differentiation centers on recipe development — notably the proprietary Pineapple Passion yeast strain used in Furtive Fallacy and Project Elrond to create tropical flavor profiles — rather than on proprietary brewing platform technology.

Revenue is generated primarily through direct-to-consumer transactions at the taproom (draft pints and flights), supplemented by growler and crowler fills, an e-commerce site hosted on Square, and a nascent bar-channel program placing Clandestine taps at select off-site accounts. Distribution and brand reach are extended through scheduled food-truck partnerships (Gudiño's Wood Fire Pizza on Thursdays, Khwanta's Thai Kitchen on Fridays, Burgs on Saturdays), weekly trivia nights, and collaborations such as the nationwide Hasta La Raíz initiative supporting immigrant rights. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by style and format; there is no institutional capital, no parent company, and no public listing.

Name

Clandestine Brewing

Legal name

Clandestine Brewing

Website

https://clandestinebrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clandestine Brewing is a privately held craft brewery and taproom in San Jose, California, serving Bay Area craft beer enthusiasts through a 15-tap on-premise experience, growler and crowler fills, and a direct online store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Craft brewery operations
• Taproom beer sales
• Craft beer production
• On-premise beer service
• Growler and crowler fills

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Taproom Beer Sales: Direct sales of draft beer to customers at the brewery taproom. Customers can purchase pints and flights for on-premise consumption.
2. Growler and Crowler Fills: Select beers available for growler and crowler fills for off-premise consumption.
3. Online Store: Online ordering through Square site for beer purchases.
4. Bar/Tap Distribution: Plans to expand to select bars with Clandestine taps for off-site sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clandestine Brewing operates a craft brewery and taproom in San Jose, California, producing 15+ rotating craft beers across styles including IPAs, stouts, Belgian ales, lagers, and specialty ales. Beers are sold directly to consumers on-premise at the taproom, packaged in growlers and crowlers for off-premise consumption, and ordered via a Square-powered online store. The brewery also operates regular trivia nights, partners with local food trucks, and participates in community collaborations.

Product overview

Clandestine Brewing operates as a craft brewery and taproom in San Jose, California, offering a unified hospitality experience centered around 15+ rotating craft beers on tap. The product portfolio consists of the core taproom experience (the primary offering) supplemented by multiple sub-products: distinct beer styles ranging from Double IPAs (Apollo 13) and Hazy IPAs (Hazy BOH, Furtive Fallacy, Project Elrond) to Belgian styles (Feats of Strength, Frères Belges, Brian's Margarita Wit) and specialty beers (Fire & Fury chili ale, Rice Cold lager). Add-on offerings include growler and crowler fills for off-site consumption and a Square-powered online store for ordering. The brewery does not operate as a technology platform but as a traditional craft beverage manufacturer with retail and on-site consumption components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Apollo 13 Hop-forward Double IPA at 8.4% ABV with double dry hop additions of Apollo hops, featuring 13 hop varieties for citrus and resin character.
• Irish Goodbye Irish Dry Stout at 4.0% ABV, available on both regular and nitro taps.
• Project Elrond Juicy IPA at 7.6% ABV brewed with Pineapple Passion yeast, Simcoe, Citra, and Nelson hops.
• Hazy BOH Hazy IPA at 6.9% ABV designed by back-of-house staff, with oats for soft body and hopped with Citra, Alora, Strata, and HBC 630.
• Furtive Fallacy Hazy IPA at 6.4% ABV made with Mosaic, Citra, and Motueka hops and Pineapple Passion yeast for tropical and pineapple characteristics.
• Brian's Margarita Wit Belgian-style Witbier at 9.0% ABV brewed with agave and lime.
• Fire & Fury Chili Pepper Smoked Ale at 11.0% ABV featuring malted barley, rye malt, cherrywood smoked barley malt, and Guajillo and Chile de Arbol peppers.
• Feats of Strength Belgian Dark Strong Ale at 9.0% ABV with warming alcohol, caramelized sugar, dark fruit, and spice notes.
• SCIF Session IPA at 4.9% ABV made with Strata, Krush, Nectarine, and Galaxy hops.
• Boycott Best Bitter at 6.0% ABV made with Scottish Golden Promise malt, dark English crystal malt, and East Kent Goldings and Centennial hops.
• Frères Belges Belgian Blonde at 7.4% ABV featuring Pilsner, Wheat, and Aromatic malts with a flavorful Belgian yeast strain.
• Bocklash Bavarian Bock at 6.3% ABV, lagered for a clean finish with a rich, malty, bold flavor profile.
• Rice Cold American Lager at 5.4% ABV brewed with 6-row barley, flaked rice, and Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops.
• Lemon Lavender Hard Seltzer at 5.5% ABV with lemon and lavender flavors.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Hasta La Raíz CollaborationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 November 2025Nationwide collaboration of over 70 craft brewers creating beers to raise awareness and funds for immigrant rights. The initiative supports the nonprofit Freedom for Immigrants with themed beers showing solidarity.
• Fox Tale Fermentation ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal San Jose brewery partner participating in the Hasta La Raíz collaboration alongside Clandestine Brewing.
• Gudiño's Wood Fire PizzaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood truck that regularly visits Clandestine Brewing on Thursdays, providing pizza for taproom customers.
• Khwanta's Thai KitchenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThai food truck that visits on Fridays, offering food options for taproom customers.
• BurgsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood truck that visits on Saturdays, providing burger options for taproom customers.
• San Jose Library FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on a 'banned books' event at the San Jose Library Foundation, as reported in East Bay Times October 2025.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Chico/Asheville craft brewery giant with national distribution and a taproom experience in Mills River — a broader incumbent that competes for craft consumer dollars across the same product categories as Clandestine.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: Petaluma-founded craft brewery (now part of Heineken) with a major taproom and broad Bay Area distribution — a broad incumbent whose presence in the same geography and category shapes the competitive context for Clandestine.

Direct peers

• Original Pattern Brewing: Oakland craft brewery with a strong taproom presence, hop-forward and experimental beer portfolio, and Bay Area consumer base — directly comparable as a similar-sized craft brewery in the same competitive geography.
• Hapa's Brewing Company: San Jose craft brewery and taproom serving the same San Jose customer base with a similar small-scale brewpub model and community-event programming.
• Floodcraft Brewing: San Jose-based craft brewery and taproom competing for the same local craft beer consumer, with a similar small-team operating model and taproom-led GTM.
• 21st Amendment Brewery: San Francisco-based craft brewery with a San Leandro taproom and broader wholesale distribution — comparable as a Bay Area craft brewery that grew from taproom roots into packaged distribution.
• Russian River Brewing Company: Placer County/Sonoma-based craft brewery famous for Pliny the Elder and a destination taproom model — directly comparable as a craft brewery whose identity revolves around the on-premise experience and award-winning IPAs.
• Drake's Brewing Co. San Leandro-based craft brewer with a flagship taproom (Drake's Dealership) and broad distribution — comparable as a Bay Area craft brewery that has scaled from taproom to wider distribution while preserving a brewery experience-led brand.
• Strike Brewing Co. San Jose-area craft brewery and taproom targeting the same South Bay craft drinker with a similar small-batch, community-event-driven operating approach.
• Fox Tale Fermentation Project: Named partner of Clandestine Brewing in the Hasta La Raíz collaboration, also a San Jose craft brewery operating a taproom — same geography, same scale, same craft brewpub business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ClandestineBrew
• Facebookfacebook.com/ClandestineBrewing
• Instagraminstagram.com/clandestinebrewing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clandestine-brewing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clandestine Brewing