Giants Make History as First MLB Team to Bring Beer From Tribal-Owned Brewery to Oracle Park

The MLB season may be delayed due to the ongoing lockout, but when the first pitch does finally fly, fans at San Francisco’s Oracle Park will have a new beer option. Last month the San Francisco Giants inked a deal with Humboldt County’s Mad River Brewery, a deal that’s being touted by Tribal Gaming and Hospitality Magazine as the first partnership between a major league team and a tribal-owned brewery. Per the brewery’s website, Oracle Park will begin selling a number of the brewery’s products including Historic State Park IPA, Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, and Undammed Huckleberry Hopped Hard Seltzer.

The Yurok Tribe purchased the brewery in 2019, just before the pandemic began, and under the direction of Linda Cooley, Yurok Tribal Member and Mad River Brewery CEO, have since rebranded and focused on growth. Tribal Gaming and Hospitality Magazine reports the Yurok Tribe is the largest tribe in California, and “one of the most economically disadvantaged tribes in the state.” [Tribal Gaming and Hospitality Magazine]

Oakland’s pandemic-born parklet program is permanent

Oakland city officials voted to streamline the city’s parklet program on Tuesday, the Mercury News reports. That means restaurant, bar, and business owners in the East Bay city who want to set up an outdoor seating area will only have to submit a free form online, which in many cases can be instantly accepted. [Mercury News]

Those cheese-producing water buffalo found a new home

Pat Benatar and Dolores O’Riordan — two of the water buffalo behind Ramini Mozzarella, not the rock stars — have a new home in Sonoma County, cheesemaker Audrey Hitchcock tells SFGATE. Hitchcock previously told the outlet that she had just days to find a new pasture for her herd of 29 water buffalo. [SFGATE]

Berkeley’s Cheese Board re-confirms its expansion plans

It’s been years since Berkeley’s worker-owned Cheese Board bakery and pizzeria first announced plans to take over the former Berkeley Produce Center at 1500 Shattuck — an expansion that’s still yet to happen. But this week Berkeleyside confirmed with the union that the plan is still on, just delayed in part due to the impacts of the pandemic. [Berkeleyside]