It’s hard to believe the first issue of West Coaster came out one year ago. In that first issue, I wrote about the general state of the craft beer community in town, so we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the highlights, as well as preview the new breweries and craft beer-focused bars coming up soon.
Just last month, San Diego breweries brought home 20 medals from the Great American Beer Festival – winning more than every state in the US except its own, and Colorado. The awards for both Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year as well as Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year went to Pizza Port Ocean Beach and Pizza Port Carlsbad, respectively. This award was the third in a row for Pizza Port Carlsbad, proving San Diego’s staying power as a nationally celebrated craft beer destination.
The momentum isn’t slowing. Three new breweries opened in the last 12 months and there’s eight more in the planning stages. On-The-Tracks Brewery in Carlsbad quietly opened in May with a handful of beers and while they haven’t made a huge splash yet, their loyal following suggests only time will change that; El Cajon Brewing Company’s soft opening in October debuted four house beers with more to come; and the latest incarnation of Aztec Brewing Company debuted in Vista last August. The brand’s history stretches back to the early 1900s, and is perhaps the only brewery to ever migrate from Mexico to the US. Blending our shared geography, brewers will focus on Mexican style lagers and California style ales like their Chipotle IPA and Agave Wheat. Their sister brand Seven Nations operates out of the same facility and focuses on English style ales.
Latitude 33 Brewing Company is expected to be the first of eight breweries opening in coming year. Located in the old Green Flash brewery in Vista, it’s led by Kevin Buckley formerly of Backstreet Brewery in Vista, and Alpine Beer Co. before that. If all goes according to plan, they’ll have a soft opening towards the end of November.
Thanks to Scot Blair (Hamilton’s Tavern, Small Bar, Eleven) the East Village got more craft beer when Monkey Paw opened in late August. Blair’s latest venture and first brewpub will be producing its own ales soon; equipment is installed, and celebrated homebrewer Derek Freese will be at the helm for what is to be his first professional brewing gig.
Another bar with plans to go the brewpub route is The Bailey BBQ in Julian. Run by two guys that know beer – Tom Nickel of O’Brien’s Pub and Vince Marsaglia of Pizza Port – it sounds like a recipe for success. Nickel isn’t new to brewing; before he took over O’Brien’s Pub he brewed at Oggi’s and Pizza Port. Brewing at The Bailey BBQ is tentatively scheduled to begin sometime in November.
With all the excitement of new places opening up, let’s not forget all the expansion news from the last year that includes some of San Diego’s longer-reigning breweries. Green Flash opened their new Mira Mesa brewery in June with an initial capacity of 45,000 barrels and room to grow up to 100,000 barrels per year, and Mission Brewery debuted its vast facility complete with 3,000 square foot tasting room and event space back in April.
Stone Brewing Company and Coronado Brewing Company have both announced big expansion projects for the coming years. Coronado will open a new production brewery and tasting room in the Linda Vista area; Stone announced earlier this year a major expansion in Escondido which will increase capacity, allow for more barrel aging and they’re even delving into the hospitality industry by opening a hotel right across the street from the brewery. They’re also hard at work on a restaurant and pilot brewery at Liberty Station in Point Loma, which is scheduled to open in Spring of 2012.
Speaking of Liberty Station – Slater’s 50/50, an Orange County-based burger joint known for its half and-half ground beef and bacon sandwiches celebrates their soft opening November 1st. With 111 total taps featuring a fair mix of local and mainstream brews, the new-to-San Diego restaurant will be taking part in San Diego Beer Week events like the Brewers Guild Festival, and more announcements as dates approach.
San Diego’s craft beer scene is growing at a rapid rate, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. Stay tuned for what’s to come, and West Coaster’s continuing coverage of the evolution.
Editor’s note: This piece is from the November issue. View/download the entire issue here.