HopMonk Tavern - Novato

About the Business

Specialties

Visit HopMonk Novato for our 16 FRESH ON DRAFT craft beers, tasty meals, surprisingly beautiful beer garden and intimate live music venue, the Session Room. Always on tap are HM Kellerbier, Hefeweizen, Tavern Ale and IPA and our curated selection of craft beer standouts - in addition to the 70+ bottled beers in our cooler. Our website draft list is updated daily. Two bars offer a full selection of distilled SPIRITS and Local WINES. Tasty appetizers include our Tavern Samosa, Grilled Artichokes, Crispy Calamari (our fresh fish tacos are the centerpiece of our popular W-F 2-6 pm Happy Hour). Roasted Beet, Tahini Kale and Heirloom Caprese Salads - Beer-centric entrees Mussel/Frites, Cider Braised Salmon and Fresh Cod Fish and Chips. Talented local artists perform live music Fri-Sun from our beer garden stage. Open Mic and ticketed shows (Ivan Neville, Roy Rogers, Pablo Cruise - check website) New BBQ Sunday evening cookout series. Groups from 20-200.

History

Established in 2008.

HopMonk opened '08 Sebastopol, CA. Historic stone and timber building and beautiful beer garden location features The Abbey, an intimate 250 capacity live-music venue. Abbey shows by Shawn Hayes, Bob Schneider, Jackie Greene, Leon Russell, Les Claypool, David Grisman, Citizen Cope, Michael Rose, Elvin Bishop, Cracker, The Meat Puppets, The Motherhips, Tea Leaf Green, Jefferson Starship, English Beat, New Mastersounds. Proud home to WBLK Dancehall Massive (12 years running every Monday night), Open Mic (Tuesdays) and Brainstorm EDM/Base (Wednesdays). HopMonk has hosted beer dinners with Fritz Maytag/Anchor Steam, Greg Koch/Stone, Matt Brynildson/Firestone, Dan Gordon/Gordon Biersch, Bryan Hunt/Moonlight, Ken Allen/Anderson Valley, Vinnie + Natalie Cilurzo/Russian River. Sonoma Location '10. 1888 farmhouse, deck and beer garden, free live music w/e evening from indoor and beer garden stages. Novato Location '12. Session Room (250 cap) venue and 150 seat beer garden with stage.

Meet the Business Owner

Business owner information

Dean B.

Business Owner

Dean Biersch + Co-Founder Dan Gordon established Gordon Biersch in Palo Alto, CA in 1988. The brewpub focused on classic German-style brewing methods + styles. GB expanded to San Francisco, Seattle, Honolulu, San Diego - 10 locations in all. In '95 the company built a full production brewery - Japan Town, San Jose CA - and began distribution of kegs/bottles. 40+ concessions (garlic fries + beer) were also built. Due to regulatory issues, the restaurant side of the business was sold in '00. Dean worked with the brewery for several years until opening HopMonk in Sebastopol, CA in '08.  A second HopMonk Tavern was opened in Dean's hometown of Sonoma, CA in '10 and a third in Novato, CA in '12.