Five Threads Brewing Company: Behind the Scenes with Head Brewer Tim Kazules

What do the words “Tom Foolery”, “Hey I’m Single”, and “Game Day Blonde” all have in common? Head Brewer Tim Kazules of Five Threads Brewing Company.

A “jack-of-all-trades” brewer, Tim has not only created, but has mastered dozens of beers for Five Threads Brewing Company. I had the privilege of tasting five of them alongside Tim this past week when I paid Five Threads a visit.

Tim Kazules standing in front of his menu board. — Tim Kazules, “Head Thread” (aka Head Brewer) for Five Threads Brewing Company in Westlake Village, CA.

I’ve been a fan of Five Threads since they first opened in 2015, and I’ve loved watching Tim diversify the menu and expand the tasting room in recent years. Getting a chance to dive in and learn what goes into the process behind the scenes this week was a treat! Tim walked me through both tasting notes and anecdotes behind the brews, and even talked future goals for the brewery.

Here’s what we tasted:

Game Day Blonde (Cream Ale, 22 IBU, 5.5% ABV):

This could be called the flagship beer for Five Threads. Finished with a little dry hopping with the Liberty Hop, this easy-drinking beer has a crisp finish with subtle notes of lavender. I see this beer as a “gateway” beer for non-craft lovers…send your Coors Light-drinking friends to Five Threads for a pint of this instead! It’s their number one seller in the tasting room.

A flight of beer with head brewer Tim in the background — If you’re not sure what to try when you first visit Five Threads, try a variety of styles of beer. Tim does a fantastic job with each type, you really can’t go wrong.

Hey I’m Single (Belgian Single, 20 IBU, 6.2% ABV):

This beer has flavors of stone fruit and warm spices with every sip. It’s surprisingly complex in flavor, yet remains sip-able and light due to its low IBU. The effervescence and flavor of this beer make your mouth sing all the way through!

Tomfoolery (Hazy IPA, 32 IBU, 6.8% ABV):

Always evolving with each new brew session, this IPA features a core of Citra and Mosaic hops that is balanced with a variety of new hops in each batch. The best part of this beer (aside from the exceptional taste) is the story behind the name: with approximately 13 “regulars” named Tom, Tim felt it necessary to name a beer in their collective honor. The can even features six “Tom” caricatures modeled after a few of the regulars! This is another Five Threads best-seller.

A can of beer with Tom logos on it — A peak at the Tomfoolery can, complete with 6 “Tom” caricatures!

Cherenkov Stout (Russian Imperial Stout, 42 IBU, 12.3% ABV):

I called this beer a nightcap, but Tim called it a “night starter”! No matter when you enjoy it, this bourbon barrel-aged stout showcases complex, rich chocolate and vanilla flavors in each sip. This “RIS” was brewed in honor of Tim’s former life in biomedical engineering and the colleagues he worked with on the “RIS” project. The name “Cherenkov” also ties into this history. (Ever heard of Cherenkov radiation? Me neither ‘til I talked to Tim!)

Coconut Porter (Robust Porter, 45 IBU, 7.2% ABV…In case you missed it, this was my January 23^rd Sip of the Week!):

I can only describe the Coconut Porter as a beer of oxymorons: full-bodied yet light, earthy yet fruity, grounded yet fragrant, complex in flavor yet completely unified. Perfectly balanced in flavor with earthy oak and subtle hops, this Porter comes into its own after sitting on cocoa nibs and coconut for a full week during the brewing process. The Coconut Porter has become a staple on the menu and is often requested by customers.

A flight of 5 beers — Gotta love a good flight of beer. These five were outstanding! From left to right: Game Day Blonde, Hey I’m Single, Tomfoolery, Cherenkov Stout, Coconut Porter.

I asked Tim to describe the environment that is Five Threads, and he called it “The Third Place”.

If you’ve never heard this expression, it refers to a location away from home and work (the first two places) that allows people to come together in community with one another. In this case, it’s over a pint. Five Threads Brewing Company is warm, inviting, cozy, and classy casual in all they do. It’s truly a “third place” for so many locals and visitors passing through.

Locals enjoying the Five Threads tasting room — If any of you are named Tom, will you please raise your hand?

In terms of the beer, Tim strives to ensure that there is always something for every customer on the menu board. With approximately 12 beers on tap at any given time, you’ll find the menu divided into sections based on the type of brew. Five Shades of Blonde, the Dark & Delicious Series, the Hops Lovers Series, and the Five Pence Series currently populate the board. Tim is working to build more collections of beers, like the California Heritage Series, which currently includes the Sequoia Stout. A true testament to Tim’s talent as a brewer is that each of the Five Threads beers taste very different from one another, even when they live within the same series. You won’t find a series of overly-hopped IPAs running the menu board here.

menu board at the brewery — The current menu board at Five Threads Brewing Company. There’s likely to be something new each time you visit, and new threads are created for Happy Hour, too!

Wondering how Tim creates his new beers?

A pint of dark beer — Pictured here is a pint of the Coconut Porter, which is a recipe based off of Tim’s Pantry Porter staple.

His inspiration comes from both his customers as well as through recipe research and development. And sometimes things just fall into place, like it did with his Pantry Porter. His first batch of Pantry Porter used just about every type of malt, hop, and yeast he could find in his pantry. It was an absolute success and is now a staple beer on the menu (as well as a primary thread for many of Tim’s dark beer creations).

Oh yeah, you’re probably wondering what the heck a “thread” is, huh?

You’ll find this visual of the “five threads” on the Five Threads Brewing Company website.

This beer term comes from the 1700’s and refers to the process of blending two or more beers together. English pub-goers used to order their pints by the thread (“I’ll have two threads of ale and three threads of strong beer”). When naming his brewery, Tim took the term “thread” in both a literal and figurative sense. Five Threads refers to the blending of the five ingredients in beer: water, malt, hops, yeast, and YOU (representing both the brewer’s creativity and the beer lovers who enjoy the finished product). In practice, Tim (the “Head Thread”) regularly blends his beers by the thread and uses threads of his staple beers as bases for his new creations, too.

I’m a firm believer that good people attract good people, and that is exactly what Tim has done as he has built Five Threads Brewing Company.

Caitlin in the brewery with a beer. — Enjoying a beer on this awesome hanging bench swing in the tasting room. Cozy, inviting, and definitely a “third place” for me.

You’ll always find friendly faces behind the bar and in the tasting room, and his loyal customer base speaks not only to the quality of beer that Tim creates, but also to who he is as a person. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment that I got to learn from Tim, and I feel fortunate to have such an amazing entrepreneur in my community. I look forward to seeing and supporting the continued growth and success that I know Five Threads Brewing Company will find in its future!

If you want to pay a visit to Five Threads Brewing Company (which you should, obviously), here’s what you can expect:

Five Threads will be hosting a Speed Dating event on February 4, 2019 (just in time for Valentine’s Day!). This event was created after Tim witnessed many couples meeting for the first time over beers at Five Threads. Now the brewery is hoping to serve as matchmaker to many more!
The re-release of “Jessica”, the Five Threads Triple Red IPA will be back just in time for Valentine’s Day. Consider your date night plans made!
Sláintefest will take place on March 16, 2019 in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. You’ll want to stop by for some of Tim’s delicious dark beers on that day!
Comedy Night happens on every third Thursday of the month, and awesome comedians make their rounds through Five Threads for the event. Stop by for some good laughs and to try the new beers on the menu.
Trivia Night takes place every Tuesday, and (themed) Karaoke Night happens each Wednesday. If you’re a karaoke fan, stop by next week for “Emo Karaoke Night”, where you get to sing very sad songs about feelings all night long. I personally think this might be the most hilarious night of all!
Or you can stop by on a non-event night and still have a good time with great beer. Board games and good conversation await you in the tasting room!

Five Threads Brewing Company is located at 31133 Via Colinas Ste. 109 in Westlake Village, California. The tasting room is just a block off the 101 freeway and makes a perfect stop for the daily commuter of the weekend road warrior!