Narrative Fermentations

We went to zoom trivia the other night for the first time and had a blast. Big patio in the front and back and ample seating inside. We live nearby so we walked, but looks like there was plenty of parking in the front and back of the building. Fantastic beer. Well-run trivia (we connected to the wi-fi and used a phone). It was our first time here but we will definitely be back for more trivia nights.

Solid line up of beers. I only went to grab some cans to go but would love to stop by sometime soon to enjoy some pints when things get safer to do so. I think they have some restaurants on rotation - when we went, Poor House was dishing out some yummy treats!

In A Nutshell: -Narrative Fermentations is the only "narrative" I'll pay attention to these days. -Now that the joke is out of the way, this location used to be Santa Clara Valley Brewing. -The beer here is phenomenal! -They are now one of my favorite local breweries in the South Bay. -When fully operational, they have seating both in front, inside and the back. -The back is nice & quiet & when it's a nice sunny day w/ Hazy IPA in hand, it's a wonderful thing like sitting in the backyard chillaxing. Overall, you should definitely come by to check out Narrative Fermentations!

Andy Rolfs

Smaller brewery with some amazing beers. Interior seating options were great with bar counter, bar top tables, sit down tables and couch area. Only wish they had outdoor seating. Been drinking NF beers for years and finally got a chance to visit. Good selection of 11 IPAs, stouts, lagers, ales, Pilsners and sours. Was blown away by the PB&J sour. Grabbed another sour 4-pack to go.

Tere

We discovered this spot through their peanut butter and jelly sour beer, which sadly they no longer brew. This time, we visited because my wife has gotten turned on to fresh hop IPAs, which are hard to find because they require that the hops be added within 24 hours after being picked. My wife liked hers and they had enough non-IPA beers for me. The beers were good. I would prefer a bit more variety, such as some sours, or dark ales, or more than one stout, but I can only drink two beers at the most anyway. The bartender said they are going to release a sour soon, so we'll check back for that. What made it one of my most enjoyable nights out in a long time was the friendly staff and laid-back atmosphere. We brought our card games and ate good food from the food truck and listened to an interesting variety of music from a decent sound system. There was indoor seating, but we sat out in the brewery warehouse area which was open to the outdoors and had a big TV. There was also a patio area, and both it and the warehouse were pet friendly. Narrative has a Facebook page on which they post their events and food truck vendors. They appear to have a good variety throughout the week. We will definitely be back.

Kevin Ten Brink

Even amid a pandemic that is affecting everything we do, Narrative Fermentations provides an experience that helps you remember the way things used to be. Tasty beers, friendly staff, and a chill vibe are just what I needed in these chaotic times. 2022/12/20 Update: beers are always quite good, especially the West Coast IPAs! Very friendly staff and great food vendors rotating through. 2023/05/13 update: Getting busy enough that I think they should consider expanding the restroom situation. Currently just one unisex and there is quite frequently a line of 3 to 4 people.

Tam Le

I Kaiju beer that I had tasted fresh and good!

DANNY LIN

So glad that the brewery had opened back up. We've ordered a few samplers to try first. My favorite being the Hazy IPA. The chicken sandwich available that day was excellent and well. The ladies up front were super friendly also. Will return for sure.

Joshua Diget

Absolutely awesome spot. Showed up for a collab with them,red roses premium,super smash burgers,and Tito's pizza. Everyone inside was super kind and helpful and there is sooo much seating even during reduced capacity. Will definitely be returning

Arthur T

Narrative Fermentations came highly recommended by my friend! I ordered the Sasquatch Feet (hazy) and my friend ordered the Bits & Pieces (West Coast Pilsner). I highly enjoyed the hazy :D definitely want to be back to try their other hazys! The space is huge. They have some seating out front, but it wasn't until we left, did I realize they had huge picnic tables in the back. Easy parking. We did come by closer to closing, so wasn't too busy. A good spot for both casual or large groups! Follow the adventure @shoyuthebest on IG!

Joe Aiello

At a brewery, you expect great beer and friendly service. Narrative delivers!! Sit among the stainless fermenters, enjoy the cold breeze from the huge chiller fan, drink some great beer among other friendly beer lovers. Inside is air conditioned if that’s your thing too.

Andrew Tufts

We went to zoom trivia the other night for the first time and had a blast. Big patio in the front and back and ample seating inside. We live nearby so we walked, but looks like there was plenty of parking in the front and back of the building. Fantastic beer. Well-run trivia (we connected to the wi-fi and used a phone). It was our first time here but we will definitely be back for more trivia nights.

Natsuko Konishi

Solid line up of beers. I only went to grab some cans to go but would love to stop by sometime soon to enjoy some pints when things get safer to do so. I think they have some restaurants on rotation - when we went, Poor House was dishing out some yummy treats!

Dude

In A Nutshell: -Narrative Fermentations is the only "narrative" I'll pay attention to these days. -Now that the joke is out of the way, this location used to be Santa Clara Valley Brewing. -The beer here is phenomenal! -They are now one of my favorite local breweries in the South Bay. -When fully operational, they have seating both in front, inside and the back. -The back is nice & quiet & when it's a nice sunny day w/ Hazy IPA in hand, it's a wonderful thing like sitting in the backyard chillaxing. Overall, you should definitely come by to check out Narrative Fermentations!

Megumu Sonobe

Maybe the best brewery in San Jose!?

Best brewery in San Jose! The quality of the beer is top shelf, and the rotating taps offer something new to try at every visit. I love their west coast IPAs & hazy IPAs the most, but their other beers are great as well. On the weekends, they offer a slushy option with one of their sour beers, which is great during the warmer months. The clientele is a mix of friendly regulars & new comers, and the setting is very welcoming. They have great food trucks everyday of the week, and they host events pretty regularly (trivia on Wednesdays & live music on Sundays).

Came in just for some four packs to go, but loved the vibe when we went in. Awesome place tucked in an industrial complex that is unassuming from the outside. Great local SJ beer, and I'd love to make it back in and have a drink on site. Well done, NF!

A very cool brewery with some great food trucks . 🚚 My favorite is chicken Bros. It has Live music . And some great specialty drinks. It's a cool little place tucked away in Silicon Valley.

Great Brewery with a large selection of excellent beer on tap. Highly recommended for anyone in the area!

chris perguidi

A very cool brewery with some great food trucks . 🚚 My favorite is chicken Bros. It has Live music . And some great specialty drinks. It's a cool little place tucked away in Silicon Valley.

John Bigelow

Best brewery in San Jose! The quality of the beer is top shelf, and the rotating taps offer something new to try at every visit. I love their west coast IPAs & hazy IPAs the most, but their other beers are great as well. On the weekends, they offer a slushy option with one of their sour beers, which is great during the warmer months. The clientele is a mix of friendly regulars & new comers, and the setting is very welcoming. They have great food trucks everyday of the week, and they host events pretty regularly (trivia on Wednesdays & live music on Sundays).

Colleen Hanson

Came in just for some four packs to go, but loved the vibe when we went in. Awesome place tucked in an industrial complex that is unassuming from the outside. Great local SJ beer, and I'd love to make it back in and have a drink on site. Well done, NF!

Jason Sawicki

Great Brewery with a large selection of excellent beer on tap. Highly recommended for anyone in the area!

Hannah Meeks-Carrigg

Visited on a Wednesday afternoon. We got a flight + 1 to try every beer they had. All were amazing and there was something for both me and my husband which was great since we have different tastes. We were hungry but they had a food truck out front that EVERYONE else ordered from and it smelled great. Wish we lived here so we could visit more!

This brewery is tucked into a busy intersection in an industrial zone, but the space itself is beautiful and thoughtfully designed. The bar is well appointed, with an open layout that showcases the inner workings of the brewery. Seating includes high tops, tables, and a relaxed outdoor patio out back. I really enjoyed the pastry stout—rich and well-balanced. The IPAs were solid, though not standout. Overall, definitely worth a visit.

Great beer and friendly staff. Cool settings. There's indoor seating close to the bar and inside the main warehouse. There's also some seating outside. Outside food vendors and trucks provide a nice variety of food to go along with the beers. There's only one main bathroom.

One of the coolest local breweries in San Jose. Constantly rotating selection of creatively-imagined craft beers from Pilsners, IPA’s, sours and stouts. Usually have a choice food truck in the parking lot as well.

David Terry

This brewery is tucked into a busy intersection in an industrial zone, but the space itself is beautiful and thoughtfully designed. The bar is well appointed, with an open layout that showcases the inner workings of the brewery. Seating includes high tops, tables, and a relaxed outdoor patio out back. I really enjoyed the pastry stout—rich and well-balanced. The IPAs were solid, though not standout. Overall, definitely worth a visit.

Erwin Abidog

Great beer and friendly staff. Cool settings. There's indoor seating close to the bar and inside the main warehouse. There's also some seating outside. Outside food vendors and trucks provide a nice variety of food to go along with the beers. There's only one main bathroom.

Danny K (DSKO)

One of the coolest local breweries in San Jose. Constantly rotating selection of creatively-imagined craft beers from Pilsners, IPA’s, sours and stouts. Usually have a choice food truck in the parking lot as well.