Award-winning brewery opens new Pleasant Hill taproom

Morgan Territory Brewing, an award-winning brewery based in Tracy, recently opened its first Bay Area taproom in Pleasant Hill.

“The Altamont Pass is a big barrier for a lot of the Bay Area,”  says brewmaster and co-owner Craig Cauwels.

The Pleasant Hill taproom held a soft opening on June 7, but the grand opening date is on hold until a project to redo the building’s exterior is completed, he says.

Morgan Territory Brewing began as Schooner’s Grille and Brewery, a restaurant and brewery in Antioch that shut down in 2015, despite efforts by the then-new owners, father-son duo Dave and Michael LaCross, to revive it after buying it in 2014.

The brewery moved to Tracy and rebranded as Morgan Territory Brewing – named after a historic ranch near Mount Diablo – and over the years proceeded to win a number of prestigious beer awards, including a gold at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival for the Cushman, the brewery’s interpretation of a Munich helles lager.

The brewery stands out for its high-quality beers on tap across the spectrum, from light lagers to hoppy IPAs and fruited wheat beers, Cauwels says. IPA lovers should seek out the Hoptomic, a double IPA that won the gold medal in the 2023 World Beer Cup, while those looking for a light, seasonal lager may consider the Proud Pilsner, a special brew for the Fourth of July, Cauwels says. For those who prefer darker beers, the Baltic Porter is also an award-winner, he adds.

“It’s high quality across the board,” he says.