This Friday, January 13, OB will welcome a new bar and restaurant called Voltaire Beach House (4934 Voltaire Street, Ocean Beach). In doing so, it will also become a home away from home to a brewing-company satellite of sorts, care of an in-house taproom partnership with Golden State Brewery. For most, this is an unknown entity, but the company has been around for two years. So how is it you haven’t heard of them? They are based in Santa Clara, and teaming with Voltaire Beach House presents the opportunity to gain a foothold in San Diego, something Golden State has already done to a smaller degree via limited distribution of its bottled beers to several local Sprouts Farmers Market stores.
It’s a highly logical decision for Golden State, but an interesting one for Voltaire Beach House, which is located in a community that has seen more aggressive growth than nearly any distinct region in the county regarding installation of brewery-owned properties. OB is home to two brewpubs (Pizza Port and new-arrival OB Brewery) and four satellite tasting rooms, with a fifth from Kearny Mesa-based Kilowatt Beer Company coming online later this month, and a service-only venue from rookie operation Little Miss Brewing rumored to be in-planning. That’s a lot of beer—a lot of local beer—in a town that’s historically fierce in its support of local businesses.
How will beer from 49ers territory fare in the previous home to the Los Angeles Chargers? It could be tough to compete with San Diego interests, but then again, Golden State beer is a completely new option for locals who might just crave something different. Voltaire Beach House’s taproom seats 40, is equipped with multiple TVs and has 20 taps, 12 of which will dispense a mix of year-round and seasonal Golden State beers. The company’s portfolio includes its flagship Heritage Honey Ale, Cold Brew Coffee Stout (brewed with coconut sugar and two gallons of cold-brew java per-keg) and Eureka IPA. Food and craft cocktails from the venue’s restaurant component will be available in the taproom as well. Voltaire Beach House’s restaurant-component will also feature 20 taps as well as a coastal-inspired, East-meets-West Coast menu consisting of a variety of salads and bowls, sandwiches and burgers, flatbreads, fish tacos, desserts and more.
Golden State debuted its home-taproom in Santa Clara’s old Memorex building last February, becoming the city’s first post-Prohibition brewery. Owner and brewmaster Seth Hendrickson says he is excited about having a presence in San Diego. He has been in the restaurant business for 15 years, and has brewed beer for more than a decade. He is aware of and thankful for the talent and camaraderie that are its hallmarks.