Tasting rooms are big business and brewery owners are discovering that great spoils come to victorious sampling space designers who go the extra mile when conceptualizing an on-site fan experience that’s a cut above. It makes sense to pour money and energy into such a space—breweries make the greatest profit margin on beers they sell themselves. But there’s even more profit to be had that goes beyond bar sales, and today’s brewing company execs are growing wise to that. Hence, the installment of private-event space at newer spots such as Iron Fist Brewing Company’s Barrio Logan tasting room and Santee’s Pacific Islander Beer Company. But perhaps the best soiree space of them all resides at Booze Brothers Brewing Company (2545 Progress Street, Vista).
Not long after opening and forming a fast following among North County imbibers, the fraternal duo behind Booze Brothers took over the suite next door to their industrial park brewery and tasting room. Now, with almost an entire building at their disposal, they have revamped nearly 2,000 square feet of it into a stylish, spacious, rentable event space that includes a lobby, private restrooms and an outdoor area that all add to its overall versatility.
The main entrance leads into the lobby, which offers almost literal creature comforts with a mounted mammal head watching over a cushy couch, chairs and an animal-skin rug in a hipster-meets-cabin setting. That area gives way to the main tasting room featuring its own bar offering multiple beer taps, walls diagonally paneled in different shades of reclaimed wood plus a chalk accent wall for custom doodling. Plant life (including hop bines), brick and even an old motorcycle add unique and aesthetically appealing quirk, while a projection screen and full sound system incorporate more utilitarian amenities. The latter extends to the outdoor patio where a wooden structure can serve as a stage or a spot for the utterance or renewal of nuptial vows.
And though it’s a brewery-owned venue, Booze Brothers’ license for the space allows patrons to purchase both beer and wine for consumption during their events. So far, the space has been utilized for wedding receptions, birthday parties, corporate events, art shows and movie premiers. It can be rented any day of the week between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.