A tennis ball makes up the top half of Match Point Brewing’s logo. Co-founders Johnny Weng and Simon Chen grew up playing the sport together. Their ongoing dedication to the game includes an annual tennis tournament held in June at Albany’s Memorial Park and a recent U.S. Open Finals Watch Party. Chen and I spoke before the men’s final and he told me he was rooting for Carlos Alcaraz since Jannik Sinner won last year—in prime form, Alcaraz won in a decisive four sets.
But tennis isn’t the only sport Match Point hosts. “We’ve also been trying to let people know we are playing the WNBA Valkyries’ games,” Chen said. Earlier this summer they held a homebrew bottle share and a speed-dating event. Match Point is a welcoming place, closer in spirit to the dearly departed Albatross than it is a man cave.
“We only have TVs directly behind the bar, but near the front we have room for open-mic nights,” he said. There’s also a mahjong table set up for people who know how to play.
Weng and Chen began making beer as a homebrewer’s hobby. They bought their first starter kit and supplies at Oak Barrel Winecraft in Berkeley. “They’ve been around for a really long time,” Chen said. “I think a lot of local Bay Area breweries also started homebrewing there first.” The kits, Chen explained, come with detailed instructions about portions and how to thoroughly sanitize the equipment.
In 2024, they moved into Albany Taproom’s former location on San Pablo Avenue. “It did come with things that we would have needed to get it going, so that saved us time and some upfront startup capital,” Chen said. Match Point was also eligible for a new business grant from the City of Albany—proof that government can work for, rather than against, its citizenry.
“We’re making small batches of beer that we self-distribute to local independent grocery stores, restaurants and bars,” Chen said. That includes stores and restaurants such as Natural Grocery, Berkeley Bowl and FOB Kitchen. Match Point has actually been on Berkeley Bowl’s shelves for over two years, but the store has only recently allowed in-store tastings. “We found that the majority of people trying our beer there had never heard of us before,” he said. “It’s such a big beer aisle that it’s very easy to miss [us].”
To distinguish their brand from the many other local breweries, Match Point has positioned itself as a maker of lighter beers. “We try to stay under 6% ABV,” Chen said. In lieu of making stout, they made Drip Shot, a black lager with Vietnamese coffee beans. “We want our beers to be easily enjoyed after being active, after playing tennis, basketball, golf, biking, hiking, etc.,” he added.
Match Point’s flavor profiles come from Weng and Chen’s experience of having grown up in the Bay Area. “Flavors that we think other people are also interested in and have probably tried before,” Chen said. The Tea Time Hojicha Cream Ale is a Japanese roasted, green-tea-infused beer that is boba-adjacent. The wheat ale, Buzzer Beater, includes a mandarin orange fruit purée.
“One thing I enjoy about making craft beers is that you are able to collaborate with other small businesses and use ingredients that they are the experts on,” Chen said. The Drip Shot coffee beans come from Little Green Cyclo in Brisbane. “We liked their coffee; they liked our beers,” he said. “And then about a year later, we were able to make the Vietnamese coffee lager in cans.”
At an ICA Fund event, they met Joshua Chemparathy from Oakland’s Sinwise Farms who was serving his chai oat milk lattes as a vendor. This fall Match Point will release Rise & Grind, a masala chai amber lager made with cardamom and a chai spice blend from Sinwise. The beer is meant to correspond with autumnal flavors and Oktoberfests. “We hope to be able to pour this beer at some of the upcoming festivals we’ll be attending,” Chen said.
Match Point Brewing, 745 San Pablo Ave., Albany. Open Mon and Wed 5–8pm, Thu 5–9pm, Fri noon to 10pm, Sat 11am to 10pm, Sun 11am to 8pm. IG: @matchpointbrewing. matchpointbrewing.com
