It's been a little over five months since we first reported that a microbrewery called Black Sands was being planned for the corner of Haight and Pierce.

Today, an update.

We caught up with co-owner Robert Patterson, who told us that construction inside the space officially began on Friday.

The permitting process took longer than they had hoped, but now the team has all the necessary paperwork in hand, and is moving forward with all the electrical, plumbing, and framing work required to turn the former laundromat into a fully functional brewery.

They've also been refining their beer recipes. When it opens, Black Sands will feature a menu of 4-6 beers made in-house, with a stock of about 20 additional beers available. Patterson tells us that there will be a full bar as well, so expect a variety of spirits "to keep it interesting," as he puts it.

In addition to the drinks, there will be food. They haven't settled on a chef yet, but the vision is for small plates of casual, healthy, "Route 1 surfy food," to pair with all that beer. There will also be coffee and other items like Brewer's granola made from spent grains left over from the brewing process. All that, plus a home brew supply store, under one roof.

Finally, remember how we told you about the "Free Beer For Life" promotion that Black Sands was offering in an effort to raise $15,000 for the brewery's construction? Well, they blasted past their goal, with the total raised currently standing at over $30,000. You can still snag yourself a free beer each month for the rest of your life, but you'll need to act quickly—the campaign ends tomorrow night at midnight.

Currently Black Sands is tracking to open by August, if all goes well. We'll be sure to keep you updated.