Readers not in or near North San Diego County probably aren’t all that familiar with Vista’s Barrel Harbor Brewing Company. A three-years-young business, it started off a bit bumpy, but has found solid footing behind its second and current brewmaster, Lance McCoy. A former shift-brewer for Green Flash Brewing Company, McCoy came on in 2014, increasing the efficiency and consistency of Barrel Harbor’s core-beers while introducing his own, largely Belgian-inspired creations. As a result, the company has built a significant following in Vista, a municipality with more breweries than any other, save for the City of San Diego. Now, Barrel Harbor is ready to give it a go in San Diego proper, when it opens a satellite tasting room in the most densely brewery-saturated part of the city—Miramar.
Located at 8990 Miramar Road, the tasting room is in the center-interior of a commercial center with direct access to Beeramar’s main artery. The space is 6,600-square-feet on the inside, 900 square feet of which is devoted to a rentable, private mezzanine. The public-area is furnished with 15 custom-built tables that are designed specifically for table-top gaming, a unique angle that hasn’t yet been explored by local brewing companies. Says owner Tim St. Martin, “Just bring your armies and we’ll have everything else you’ll need.” That includes board-games and a staffer well-versed to help newcomers acclimate to the gaming subculture. There will also be outdoor seating and a dedicated space for mobile food caterers.
Originally, Barrel Harbor had been negotiating with contract-brewing operation Fightertown Brewing Company to occupy 3,000 of its planned 42,000-square-foot cohabitational brewing and tasting-room facility, but that deal fell through, leaving the path to Beeramar wide open. When asked what led to the selection of this particular space, St. Martin points to a high-school friend who owns At Ease Games next door to the new tasting-room. He wanted to expand, but couldn’t take on the lease for the neighboring space on his own. His landlord recommended he partner with a local brewery, so he approached St Martin, and the rest is history (or gaming lore, as the case may be). The fact Barrel Harbor being veteran-owned (and offering 20% military discounts) should make for another natural-fit given the cross-street proximity of MCAS Miramar.
The business will go by the working-title At Ease @ Barrel Harbor. If all goes well, increased business from the Miramar tasting room will provide the necessary revenue to fund expansion back at Barrel Harbor’s Vista production facility. St. Martin says he has the ability to replace three 10-barrel fermenters with 30-barrel tanks, and has the option to take over 8,000 square feet of adjoining space at his home-base. He would also like to install a larger brewing system and cold-box as well as a canning-line. But for now, his hands are full rolling out At East @ Barrel Harbor, which is currently on-track to open sometime in November.