In the late ‘80s, brewpubs were virtually unheard of in the American drinking and dining landscape. But that didn’t stop celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck from taking a crack at the idea and opening Eureka brewpub in a Los Angeles industrial park.
Fully equipped with a $6 million brewhouse from Germany — along with Puck and an all-star team of chefs — Eureka opened its doors in 1989 to a flood of fanfare. So much so that Puck actually made more money from the brewpub than his flagship Spago restaurant that year. A slew of celebs started investing big bucks in the project, and with the American craft beer boom sitting pretty on the horizon, Eureka’s future was looking bright. However, once Eureka’s beer left the brewpub to be distributed to local retailers, one small production oversight blossomed into some big monetary repercussions.
Today on “Taplines,” we’re joined by none other than Wolfgang Puck for a candid, clear-eyed look at how his Eureka brewpub met such a quick and unceremonious demise in early ’90s Los Angeles, and what Chef learned from its collapse. Tune in for more.
