Less than a year after Device Brewing went dark on 14th Avenue, the lights are back on and the beers are flowing again. Five former Device employees have reunited with their families to open Balance Beerworks, a new family-run brewery and production taproom that is stepping into the old Device space with a lager-heavy lineup and a laid-back neighborhood vibe.
The crew has already been canning a rice lager, dialing in a small but focused list of beers, and getting the long-quiet equipment humming again ahead of a free, family-friendly launch weekend. The two-day opening party will welcome kids, dogs and anyone curious to see what the new team has done with the familiar warehouse taproom.
According to the Sacramento Business Journal, Balance Beerworks will hold its grand opening on June 13 and June 14, 2026, at the former Device Brewing address on 14th Avenue. The celebration is set for 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. both days, with freshly brewed pints pouring alongside a rotation of food trucks. The owners are billing it as a no-cover, community-focused weekend at their production taproom.
"We now have the freedom to brew exactly how we want to brew," partner Bryce McEfee told the Sacramento Bee, explaining that the group leans toward lagers and lower ABV beers instead of boozy novelty releases. The Bee reports that the ownership group includes brewers Bruce MacPhee and Ian Marriott on the production side, with family members stepping into marketing and taproom roles. When a reporter stopped by, the team was busy troubleshooting a long-dormant canning line and cranking out four-packs for store shelves.
What they'll pour
Balance will debut with eight core beers, according to Balance Beerworks' website. The opening lineup includes a rice lager, a pilsner, a West Coast IPA, a hazy IPA, a double IPA, a farmhouse pale ale, a dark lager and a nitro cream ale, all available on draft. The brewery also plans to pour two hard seltzers. The online beer page features label art for several of the first releases and lists the seltzer flavors the team has been testing.
The owners say the idea is not to chase every passing trend but to focus on clean, consistent, highly drinkable beers that locals can come back to week after week. Lagers and approachable IPAs will be the backbone of the board, with the occasional experiment slotted in when tank space allows.
From Device to Balance
The new ownership group purchased much of Device Brewing's old equipment and signed a lease for roughly 10,000 square feet of production and storage space, along with a planned 55-seat taproom, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. The move let the brewers stick with a familiar system and kept a sizable brewery footprint active in the same south Sacramento industrial pocket.
Device Brewing had shut down abruptly in April 2025 after landlord disputes, which left the 14th Avenue facility sitting idle and primed for a new operator, the Sacramento Bee reported. For the former employees now running Balance, salvaging equipment and keeping production in the neighborhood were key reasons they were able to reopen the taproom so quickly.
They say their goal for Balance Beerworks is to stay relatively small, function as a true neighborhood spot and give locals a relaxed place to grab a lager after work or bring the family on weekends. For current hours, food truck schedules, beer lists and future events, the team directs customers to Balance Beerworks' website.
