A web-surfer in search for info on Alta Brewing (1983 Julian Avenue, Barrio Logan) isn’t bound to come up with much these days. The company’s Facebook page has been disabled, and the latest post on Instagram states that “what began has come to an end.” We reached out to Brett Stampf, Alta’s co-founding head brewer, and learned that the tasting room has been closed roughly two weeks following his resignation from the company’s board of directors.
According to Stampf, interactions with fellow shareholders had become untenable, leading to his resignation. He believes the company will reopen under new direction, though communications to Alta’s ownership had not been reciprocated as of press time. Though he has stepped down and will not be brewing at Alta anymore, Stampf maintains primary shareholder status, meaning he will benefit if the brewery soldiers in a successful manner.
Alta opened last summer just east of Interstate 5, in a portion of Barrio Logan formerly uninhabited by brewing interests (though there are several on the coastal side, including Border X Brewing, Thorn Brewing, the soon-to-open Attitude Brewing, and a tasting room operated by Vista-based Iron Fist Brewing). Under Stampf, Alta produced mostly sessionable beers, a number of which were English-inspired ales reminiscent of what one might find in San Diego more than a decade ago. They were balanced and brought something different to the area, style-wise.
When asked what he feels is his greatest accomplishment at Alta, Stampf says, “The fact I was able to make it viable, from conception to reality. To me, that’s a good accomplishment. Making the beer was going to be the easy part. The best parts are the relationships I developed within the neighborhood, in particular, and meeting people that found out about and visited Alta, giving us an opportunity to speak and connect.”