Updated 10:20AM with some revisions. Thanks Jeff!
There was some confusion regarding Aztec Brewing Company, so we called and asked a few questions. We spoke with Claudia Faulk, who is one of a team of three people that make up Aztec Brewing Company and Seven Nations Brewing Company (both operations will be under the same roof, same equipment, same people). The team of ABC / 7 Nations is John Webster, who organizes marketing, graphic design, and helped put together ABC’s website; Claudia Faulk, who is in charge of public relations, financial matters, and helped with the coding of the company’s website and Rob Esposito, who is the head brewer that graduated from the established Chicago brewing school Siebel Institute of Technology (alma mater of our writer, Sam Tierney -Ed).
The original plan was to open ABC in its current location at 2330 La Mirada Dr., Suite 300 in Vista, CA. However, when the Green Flash location presented itself, plans were drawn up to move ABC into that spot. It was then a second brewery was born, Seven Nations, and it was to remain at the La Mirada location (as work for ABC had been started there already.) Claudia explains how ABC ended up back at it’s original location at La Mirada: “Starting a business is tough and unexpected things happen. Our original core team had one path we were focused on, while our other partner and investors at the Vantage Court location had a different plan in mind. They will do their own line of beers at the former Green Flash location under a new brand yet to be named.”
All of the three are homebrewers with varying experience. Rob has nearly 10 years of brewing under his belt, while Claudia was introduced to the hobby by her husband, John Webster, and together they’ve been homebrewing as a team for around 3 years. Aztec is very much a product of the North County Homebrewers Association, of which Esposito helped found and organize.
What about the beer? The recipes are a team effort, and the three have come together with Aztec Amber, Agave Wheat, El Dorado Blonde, Chipotle IPA, Aztec Eclipse Chocolate Stout, Aztec Sacrifice Double IPA. Claudia told us that the names are a work in progress.
The group that is starting a brewery at the former Green Flash location off Vantage Ct. wishes to remain anonymous at this time. We’ll keep watch.