The month of March is filled with good times with family and friends. The March Madness basketball tournament is (usually) in full swing and St. Patrick’s Day leads to massive festivities. One thing that can almost always be found at watch parties and holiday celebrations is a delicious cold brew. Luckily for those who love beer, of which there are many, you won’t have to look far to find the perfect drink to satisfy your cravings.
Stanislaus County is home to several local breweries, including one right here in Turlock. Dust Bowl Brewing Co. has been a staple in the Turlock community for nearly a decade. Founder and owner Brett Tate spoke about his journey to creating and building a successful business in our own backyard.
Brett Tate grew up in Turlock and is an alumnus of Stan State. Tate first attended school at Grossmont Junior College in San Diego, later transferring to Stan State to play baseball and major in Physical Education. Tate spoke about how it was special for him to come back and be a part of the community he had grown to love so much.
“I really enjoyed my time at Stanislaus. There’s something special about playing at the college level in your hometown. My family and friends could support me – it felt like home to me. 
The return to Stanislaus County was one of the first major sparks for Tate to make a positive impact in the town he knew so well and loved so much. “Attending Stanislaus really marked my return to the Valley. It reflected my desire to plant roots where I grew up.”
After graduating, Tate returned to the campus to obtain his teaching credential and his Master’s in Business Administration. After accomplishing those goals, he spent his career teaching and coaching at local high schools.
Although he loved teaching and coaching, Tate always had a desire to run a start-up and run his own business. “I had always wanted to branch out in business on my own, and it was just natural to stay local and do business in the community I knew best,” Tate explained. “Beyond my personal connection to the area, Turlock was prime for craft beer growth.”
During the early 2000s, Tate started thinking about opening a craft brewery that paid homage to his family and their Oklahoman roots. After much thought he created Dust Bowl Brewing Co.
Dust Bowl Brewing Co. officially took off in 2009 when they released their first ever drink, the “Hops of Wrath” IPA. Today, Hops of Wrath continues to be the brand’s flagship drink and a fan favorite.
A year after the release of Hops of Wrath, Tate teamed up with fellow Central Valley native Brett Honore to expand their brand. Together, they eventually opened their first official taproom location in downtown Turlock. The taproom opening would serve as a preview of what was to come in the future for the business.
After an extremely successful six years of brewing drinks and running the downtown taproom, the team took a huge leap forward, opening a massive 30 thousand square foot brewery and restaurant off of Highway 99 in Turlock. Stanislaus County is not the only place where Tate is expanding, though. In 2019, Tate and his team opened a third taproom in Monterrey, California.
Today, Dust Bowl offers nine year-round beers along with 24 specialty packaged beers. Draft beers are also offered and are typically delivered and served at Dust Bowl locations and at a variety of local patron locations across the country, but Tate’s vision for the brand doesn’t stop there.
“Our plan is to continue to brew more beer and reach new markets,” Tate said. Our brewery has the infrastructure to increase production. We are always looking for expanded distribution for our packaged products.”
The three existing Dust Bowl taprooms have been largely successful, so it only makes sense that Tate desires to keep the good trend going and open more.
“We also plan to open more satellite taprooms in Northern California. The taprooms offer a great opportunity for us to reach new consumers and introduce them to our brand experience, which in turn leads to sales in the off-premise market,” Tate explained.
As more breweries continue to pop up around Turlock’s surrounding area, Tate knows that he needs to keep improving his brand and remain competitive. As a matter of fact, Tate says he feels a sense of pride in being one of the very first local breweries to open and getting the ball rolling on the craft beer industry in Stanislaus County.
“It’s nice to see the local craft beer scene growing and thriving,” said Tate. “There was very little craft beer presence in the area, so Dust Bowl set the stage in building local consumer awareness and interest,” he continued.
It’s clear that Brett Tate’s homegrown roots and his experience in teaching and coaching have given him an outstanding work ethic and have taught him the appropriate skills to lead. Dust Bowl Brewing Co. has expanded immensely and will only continue to do so under his watch.