Paperback Brewing — a beer and art paradise helmed by Chris Cesnek — is opening a taproom at 123 N. Artsakh Avenue in Glendale’s Arts and Entertainment District. The space was recently home to the Rock Photography Museum pop-up.
Cesnek tells What Now Los Angeles the taproom should be open this spring, and will be a more experiential project than the maiden operation located at 422 Magnolia Avenue.
“We’re going to have massive murals on the wall, like one with a bunny wielding a chainsaw (a la Paperback’s Bunny with a Chainsaw double hazy IPA),” says Cesnek.
Because the ~1,200 square-foot Artsakh space is designed to house retail, the taproom won’t have a kitchen or offer food of any kind. However, customers are more than welcome to bring food into the taproom, and the many surrounding eateries will provide ample opportunity for such.
As for how the project came to be, Cesnek says The City of Glendale approached him with the idea of “doing something” in the space. Initially, Cesnek wasn’t hyped about the idea of taking on another endeavor. However, once he laid eyes on the venue, his vision was actualized.
“Once I saw the space, I knew something really cool could be done here. We’re going to focus on showcasing all of our beer can art from throughout the years, and it will be a much more immersive experience than our other location that’s more mid-century inspired.”
Right now, the taproom will operate in pop-up mode with a lease of six months, but Cesnek says pending the project’s success, it could be around a lot longer.