For those who are gluten sensitive or going gluten-free, there is now a tasting room where you can enjoy all the beers.
Divine Science Brewing opened on Friday, Jan. 28 in Tustin and its founders are Domonic and Robert Keifer, a couple with gluten sensitivities who wanted to share their love of craft beers with like-minded drinkers. He’s head brewer and she’s chef/vice president of sales.
“I think gluten free a lot of times is seen as a fad, but for people like Domonic and I who have celiac-like symptoms, and for those of course who do have celiac, this is literally the only way to consume beer,” Keifer said.
The Keifers leased the space that once housed Pozzuoli Vineyard & Winery to create a 900-square foot tasting room. They took out some walls and added a wraparound bar to create a vibe they call New Age Rustic. They recycled and reused all the wood they gathered during the demolition phase and added some splashes of turquoise and bright orange. They kept the Italian-themed winery’s pergola which now gives the space a beer garden feel.
The Keifers met while attending UC Irvine. Robert is a former technical recruiter with an expertise in cyber security and Domonic runs a gluten-free/dairy-free bakery called Pies by Domonic. She will sell prepackaged snacks in the tasting room, offering pies, cakes, pretzels and other goodies.
The name is historical, Robert said. “We literally thought it was God making beer until scientists in the 1800s were able to, through the use of microscopic technology, realize that it was actually yeast,” he said.
He brews without using common grains like barley, wheat, or rye. Visitors to the taproom can try pints ($7-$8.25), flights ($5) and tasters ($1.25). Beers include Event Horizon Blonde, an ale made from millet, rice, and maize; Moka Diosa Stout, a dark beer made with rice, buckwheat, millet and lentils; Divine Millsner, a take on Czech Pilsner made with malted millet; and their signature brew, Third Contact IPA, made with malted rice, millet and hops.
The brews might sound completely unorthodox but Divine Science is already on the shelves at Total Wine & More and BevMo. So, the Keifers can’t wait for imbibers to come in and taste it on tap.
“Gluten-free breweries are starting to win medals in barley-based categories,” Robert said. “In fact, a lot of people who have tried our beer say, ‘Are you sure you wanna market as gluten free? Because I was skeptical when you said gluten free and I didn’t actually wanna try it … but then I really liked it.’”
Find it: 15481 Red Hill Ave., Suite C, Tustin, divinesciencebrewing.com.
Open: 5-10 p.m. Friday; 2-11 p.m. Saturday; 1-7 p.m. Sunday.
Related Articles
How Bella Sophia Chocolates became one Huntington Beach family’s lifeline
Inglewood braces for business boom as Super Bowl LVI nears
Qué Vida Tacos opens at former Super Mex location in Huntington Beach
The Eat Index: Can’t-miss birria and distillery dining
How to get a Norms breakfast for $2.22 on Wednesday, Feb. 2