Richmond, California is home to some well-known IPA and Lager breweries, such as East Brother Beer Co. and Armistice Brewing Company. Another operation, however—one with a much smaller footprint than its peers—is hidden away on a side street in a mostly residential area.
Michelle Baker created Origin Brewer as a retirement plan. Focusing on a few flagship offerings—a Gose, a Porter, an IPA—and the occasional seasonal variant, the brewery is tucked in the backyard that she shares with her partner. Guided by a commitment to sustainability, she built out Origin with eco-friendly materials, and almost exclusively uses locally malted barley.
Baker’s supporters don’t expect to see her beers at the grocery store, or even in most of the area’s craft-centric taprooms. Other than a few local draft accounts, you can only buy her beers if you live within a short distance of the brewery and order a growler. Baker delivers those growlers by bike or on foot, both because of her sustainability focus and because forging communal ties is part of the brewery’s ethos.
Words + Photoby Tim Decker