Alley Brews

Alley Brews is genuinely hidden — the entrance is off the alley between 43rd and 44th, behind Ohana Yoga, rather than on Tennyson Street itself, at 4342 Tennyson in Berkeley. Longtime friends and industry veterans Liz Hess and Chelsea Rhoads took over the site at the end of June 2025, acquiring what had been Berkeley Alley Beer Company and rebranding it. Rhoads brought serious brewing credentials to the deal, having helped open 4 Noses Brewing Company in 2014. Westword covered the takeover in October 2025 under a headline calling it a tiny Berkeley brewery setting a big example for success, noting how much the pair had changed in a few months.

What makes the room relevant here is that it was rebuilt as an all-day space rather than as a taproom with coffee bolted on. The business describes itself as a place where "beer, coffee, food, and non-alcoholic options all share the spotlight", and lists its zero-proof offering plainly: "Non-alcoholic beers, kombucha, coffee, matcha & in-house crafted mocktails", under the heading "Not drinking? No worries." The house beers cover classic and modern styles — Pucker Nuts, a bright tart ale at 3.3 percent that Westword picked out for packing flavour at low strength; Golden Hour, a cream ale; Sun Drip, a hazy IPA; and Black Dog, a dry Irish-style stout served on nitro — and gluten-free brews are a standing part of the list rather than an occasional guest. The owners have been explicit that the non-alcoholic side is a real part of trade, not a gesture: "We had different groups on Sunday, and everyone was drinking N/A beer," Rhoads told Westword, adding, "There isn't a stigma around it." The venue opens at 8:30am and runs to 9pm on weeknights and 10pm at weekends, and has plans to extend the morning offer further with cold foam flights, matcha tea flights and breakfast burritos. It regularly hosts remote workers who want good coffee, solid WiFi and a space that will not move them along.