May 1 marks the first birthday for the Altadena Ale & Wine House, and the fulfillment of a dream for Gail and Judah Casburn.
The Casburns, 22-year Altadena residents, have created the pub experience they've always wanted -- and it's only four blocks from home.
"We like to call it the neighborhood pub," says Gail. Judah chimes in: "Not just Altadena, but people in Pasadena consider it their neighborhood pub ... [Customers] actually thank us and shake us by the hand for that very reason. So it is very much a local spot."
Pictured: Gail and Judah Casburn
Originally from Yorkshire, England -- "which is where the best beer comes from, but you can't bring it here" -- Judah moved to California to "get away from the bloody rain." He and Gail have been married for 23 years. They became interested in running a pub in the early 1990's because, Judah says, "there was nowhere in the Pasadena area where you could enjoy a pint of good beer or wine at a reasonable price."
What's the difference between a pub and a bar? "A pub is a place for social intercourse, instead of a place for getting blasted, getting [drunk] ," Judah says. He compared it to the bars in Old Town Pasadena, which are sports bars, have big TVs, and are very loud and not conducive to conversation.
The Casburns purchased a Pasadena deli and sandwich shop with a beer and wine license -- Lucky Baldwins -- and turned it into nighttime pub. It enjoyed considerable success, but they ended up selling it to one of their bartenders sometime later.
"The city of Pasadena was impossible to deal with," Gail says. "And, with two young kids, it's difficult to raise a family and be away in the evenings." Judah affirmed that "we decided our kids were the priority," but also says, before the indoor smoking ban, "the smoke was making me ill, it was really getting to me."
Pictured: The Ale & Wine House also offers an extensive wine selection.
After selling Lucky Baldwins, Judah spent some years buying, selling, and renovating British sports cars. ("I've always been working on old cars, old houses," Judah says. "We have a home in the south of France we're restoring.") Gail still keeps a day job teaching math and computer science at Baldwin Park High School.
But as their sons, Gareth and Owen, grew older, the Casburns wanted to find a place where they could create a new pub and put to work Judah's expertise with beer and Gail's with French wine. A ranchero bar on Fair Oaks went on the market, not far from where they live, and the Altadena Ale & Wine House was born.
While Judah admits "the exterior needs attention," it's what's inside the pub that makes it work: A friendly bar with multiple taps. A TV with the sound low to encourage conversation. A large room that can be used for special events (Altadena Heritage recently held a tribute to Altadena art promoter Ben McGinty there). And, says Judah, a "proper [wine] cellar, which is rare."
One of the things that sets the pub apart from others is its emphasis on wine: "We have fabulous French wine, probably the best French wine of anywhere in the area," Judah says: "My wife is the aficianado."
Gail nods. "We also have Argentine and Australian wines ... we try to do a wine tasting at least once a month."
A customer recently gave them a large pizza oven, so the Casburns are mulling addition of some simple food to their offerings (they already offer cheese plates).
Besides being a family business (Gareth, 21, pitches in on weekends), the Casburns are big supporters of the community they've called home for over two decades. "We support our local sheriff, we participate in their fundraisers," Judah said. In additional to supporting other local charities, Gail is gearing up the pub's team for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. She also announced her candidacy for a seat on the Altadena Town Council.
The Casburns mix in their love of home with a love of travel -- after all, they do have another home in France. When they married 23 years ago, they married on March 17, St. Patrick's Day.
"The rationale behind that is we like to travel around the world," Judah says. "And you can always find a party on St. Patty's Day."
This year, they stuck close to home: "St. Patty's Day was our busiest day this year," Judah said. "It was a really good feeling."
Altadena Ale & Wine House
2329 N. Fair Oaks
Open Monday-Fri. 5 PM-1:30 AM
Sat.-Sun. 3 PM-1:30 AM
