Meet Martin Quinones

Today we’d like to introduce you to Martin Quinones.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. In 2002, I moved to L.A. to go to film school and spent about 14 years as a film/TV post-production sound editor and mixer. While working at the studio, I decided to start homebrewing, just as a hobby. I always liked beer, so why not make it? In 2016, I started working on a business plan for a brewery, and in 2017, I found a warehouse that was perfect for what I wanted to do. I live in Pasadena, CA, and back then there were no breweries with taprooms operating in the city, so I wanted to fill that gap. I wanted to open my brewery in my city and share our beers with this community. My goal with Del Pueblo is to showcase our South American culture through beer, using Colombian coffee, Peruvian Quinoa, and Argentinian Yerba Mate, among others, but also offering classic beer styles that can educate and encourage people to take a break and enjoy the moment. Just like craft beer is more than IPAs, immigrants are more than what some say. We have so much to contribute, and this journey through another continent by means of beer is an invitation to taste the unexpected.

After I signed the lease, the permitting and licensing process began. It was an odyssey. We got our certificate of occupancy in February 2020, so I gave myself a month to clean up the place and get ready to open. We had beer ready to go, and all the fermenters were full of fresh beer. The taproom was waiting to be filled with people. Then the pandemic hit, and we all know how awful that was for everyone. We couldn’t open, so it was either dumping all the beer and pretty much giving up or pivoting. We pivoted. Canning beer is expensive, especially for such a small brewery, but that’s what we did for the rest of the year, and that’s what kept us coming back and brewing more. We were selling cans out the door and doing deliveries ourselves. The community knew we were coming, and they showed up and supported us in a way that I never expected. They saved us. We had a couple of press mentions (LA Times and Telemundo) that put us on the radar of some and at one point people were lining up out here. It was memorable and humbling.

2020 went by and then in 2021, the City allowed businesses to open a patio with strict limitations, and that was it. We were finally able to host guests and share with them our story and our beer. It, obviously, started slow, but things picked up and beer was flowing. These past years have definitely been an amazing experience with ups and downs, but they say that if the road to the goal is easy, then you’re on the wrong road.

Today we are brewing more than before, with more than 16 different options and some national and international awards under our belt. We host comedy nights, open mics, karaoke, trivia, bingo, birthday parties, weddings, you name it. This is the people’s brewery thus our name Cerveceria Del Pueblo. We’re active members of our community and support local organizations such as Pasadena Fire Dept and some of the foundations its members benefit from, as well as PUSD and others.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No. First, being the only brewery and taproom in Pasadena made the licensing and permitting process particularly difficult. We opened almost four years after we moved into the space. Also, we were scheduled to open in Feb 2020, but COVID hit. That added another year or so to the timeline.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Film/TV post-production sound for almost 14 years. Worked in all kinds of movies and TV shows. It was fascinating. Now, I make beer. Wouldn’t, and couldn’t, do anything else. What sets Del Pueblo apart is our unique approach to beer by using South American ingredients that invite people to try new things, be open to new experiences, to taste, and enjoy the unexpected.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
We’re active members of our community and there’s no better way to achieve success than by working together and not alone. We care about them, and they care back.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.delpueblo.beer
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delpueblobeer/?hl=en
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cerveceria-del-pueblo-pasadena

Image Credits
1. David Rey. 2. Mellow & Banana.