The Rise of Highland Park Brewery: from Hermosillo Roots to Chinatown Stardom

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Before the broader craft beer industry caught on to the modern lager renaissance, HPB established itself as a premier producer of craft lagers and pilsners. The brewery’s crowning technical achievement remains Timbo Pils. Brewed like a German pilsner with traditional malt and clean lager yeast, Timbo is aggressively dry-hopped with Mosaic and Citra hops. The result is dry, bitter, and endlessly drinkable, offering the punchy aromatic profile of a top-tier West Coast IPA without the palate-coating malt weight.

Timbo Pils won gold at the Great American Beer Festival, cementing Kunz's technical standing among national peers. It also signaled a philosophical split from prevailing trends. Instead of masking beer flaws with lactose, vanilla, or fruit purees, the brewing team committed to extended horizontal lagering tanks, slow cold-conditioning, and meticulous water chemistry.

Parallel to its lager program, HPB developed a quiet mastery over barrel-aged ales. Kunz utilized neutral wine barrels sourced from Central Coast wineries, blending cultures of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and wild yeasts. Unlike harsh, acidic kettle sours that flooded retail shelves in the mid-2010s, HPB’s mixed-culture bottles exhibited structured oak character, delicate stone-fruit acidity, and champagne-like carbonation. These limited releases built national demand, drawing enthusiasts to bottle releases that regularly sold out within minutes.