Last summer, veteran Coronado Brewing head brewer Ryan Brooks realized a longtime ambition, launching his own passion project, SouthNorte Beer, with the aim to celebrate the overlapping artisan beer cultures of Southern California and Baja. Since then, his beers have been brewed at CBC’s Bay Park brewery (the owners of that facility also have a stake in SouthNorte) while Brooks and his team search for a base of operations. Today, a partnership was announced between SouthNorte and Tijuana’s Telefonica Gastropark, which will allow Brooks to brew at the latter hospitality collective. This partnership makes SouthNorte the first independent American craft brewery to have a permanent brewery and tasting room presence in Mexico. It also provides Brooks a high-profile spot with epicurean fans on both sides of the border from which to operate and grow his business.
Established in 2015 by entrepreneur Antonio Gamboa, Telefonica was erected in a vacant lot, and now consists of an 11,000-square-foot main building featuring numerous food-vendor enclaves and multiple public seating areas adorned with bright artistic touches and creative motifs. Right outside is an outdoor patio surrounded by chef-owned kiosks that’s equipped with shaded picnic tables as well as a rooftop dining area, both of which are regularly packed at this it spot for Mexican and American foodies and craft-beer enthusiasts.
Brooks is no stranger to Mexico. His wife has familial roots there and he’s spent a great deal of time in Baja over the past several years. In the process, he has become something of a cult-figure and much-beloved mentor to brewers throughout the area. During countless visits, he’s kept an eye on the growth of the Baja beer scene and culture surrounding it. Telefonica has been key to both, establishing itself as a foremost center for the sampling of local and SoCal craft beer. Having been to Telefonica and seen Gamboa’s authentic passion for beer and brewing, and knowing firsthand Brooks’ genuine love of his homeland and Mexican culture, I can’t imagine a better, more fitting partnership.
Brooks has been test-brewing in Tijuana of late, and will produce small-batch beers from a 10-barrel brewery sited in the center of Telefonica’s main structure. From there, he also plans to collaborate with Mexican brewers and experiment with infusing the area’s ingredients into his beers. Meanwhile, large-scale production of the flagship beers in SouthNorte’s portfolio—Sea Señor Mexican-style lager, No Güey mango IPA and Agavamente agave-infused pilsner—will continue at CBC’s facility. SouthNorte and Telefonica expect to debut their first round of Tijuana-produced beers in late-summer or early-autumn.