Roses' Taproom is a new brewery and taproom that is ......... PINK! Located on Telegraph Ave in the up and coming area of Temescal area of Oakland, Roses' is a great spot for a pre-dinner drink.
Let's talk design. I expected an Oakland taproom to be masculine. I was envisioning reclaimed wood, barn doors, and industrial iron. I couldn't have been more wrong. It's pink with green plants, turquoise tile, soft edges, and green plants! The pink is actually more of a soft warm apricot hue-the type of color that casts a golden sunset glow on your skin. The type of color that makes you feel happy and at home rather than stressed out.
The concept is from artist husband and wife Hillary & Luke. If you're hoping they have wine, they don't. But one plus to this type of beer only license means that this place is family friendly.
Hillary's grandmother is from the Bahamas, Luke and Hillary are lucky enough to spend time there. Inspired by the pink sand beaches and glowy colors, they knew they wanted to create a pink bar.
I went here with my designer friend, Mead Quin, who asked me to ask the owner "who is the designer?" The answer: Luke! His background is in woodworking and furniture design. He handmade all the tables and wood surfaces himself. He swapped his profession and his hobby. He used to make furniture for a living and brew beer on the weekends. He now makes beer for a living and dabbles in wood when he feels like it.
The beautiful lights are from Cedar & Moss. Do you like the tile backsplash? It's from Fireclay.
The story on the name is adorable. Note that it's Roses' (plural) Taproom. Rose is Hillary's grandmother's name along with her middle name. When Luke & Hillary were married, she took his last name, and sent in the paperwork. Right after they sent the paperwork for the official name change, she told Luke "Hey-I took your name, you should take something of mine. Why don't you take my middle name Rose as your middle name? It's an important name in my family." Lucky for Luke, the paperwork had already been sent, so I'm not sure if it's official official, but he gladly changed his middle name (Gerald) to Rose. So, Roses' Taproom really means it's both of theirs.
While they don't offer full dinner, Roses' Taproom does offer snacks to enjoy with your beer. We devoured the bread with salted butter.
I am not a huge beer drinker; I don't know much about it. Those who do will enjoy chatting with Luke, the beer maker. I chose a saison which was easy to drink; my friend chose the toasted coconut porter with lime. More types of beer coming soon including IPA, something Belgian like a pilsner, and something that involves hibiscus. Again, I don't know a lot about beer so sorry I am light on the details!
Here I am chatting with Luke as he is measuring the alcohol content for his next release. It was cool to see the big and feel part of the process.
Trying to remember what was here before? A cutlery store where you could buy knives. I love how they kept the old sign-you can see the label from the back.
Diving Board Tables:
I'm sure there is a better name for these, but see how the small tables come out from the wall? Almost like a fold down ironing board. Maybe they were inspired by the outdoor ironing board tables at Bakesale Betty's down the street. Anyways, this design allows for small group conversations. Since there are no legs on the table to avoid, they can add more seating in an otherwise small space without feeling too crowded.
When should you go to Roses' Taproom?
I met up with friends on a mellow Saturday evening. This place would also work well for either a date or a drink before dinner at Pizzaiolo or Doña Tomas.
Verdict:
Even without wine, I had a great time at this cheerful pink bar with wonderfully welcoming people.
