Joshua Schreer is the product of a brewer’s bloodline. Both of his great grandfathers were brewers and starting a brewery has been his lifelong dream. That dream is on-track to be realized in early 2020 when his labor of love, WestBrew, debuts in Vista.
Located at 1061 La Mirada Court, WestBrew’s facility—like so many in brewery-dense Vista—is in close proximity to a number of existing breweries. Aztec Brewery, Barrel Harbor Brewing, Booze Brothers Brewing and Ebullition Brew Works are less than a mile away, and two other beverage companies—Twisted Horn Mead and Cider and 2 Plank Vineyards—in the same industrial park. So, what inspired Schreer to set up shop in a community that’s home to so many competitors?
“We were inspired to move to Vista because it is a brewery-friendly city,” says Schreer. “We purchased our building in November and moved in February. I currently own a construction company and have been a homebrewer for 10 years, and always thought it would be great to have a tasting room in our warehouse space adjacent to my company’s offices. We moved out of our old building in Sorrento Valley after we acquired this one.”
That building is 4,800 square feet, and will feature a 2,000-square-foot tasting room and a 500-square-foot lab, with the remaining space dedicated to production. Schreer expects to have a whopping 20 core beers plus 10 rotating, more-experimental offerings. While WestBrew will be all about West Coast culture, starting with the region’s namesake IPAs, its portfolio will go beyond hoppy styles.
He plans on adding a “California twist” to blondes, saison, wheat ales, lagers, dark beers, Belgian-style ales, sours and American wild ales. They will be produced on a 10-barrel brewhouse. For now, Schreer and assistant brewer (and industry newcomer) Cesar Zamudio Garcia are developing recipes on a half-barrel pilot system.
“Our MO is to highlight what San Diego is known for and what it does best,” says Schreer. “Bring a new twist to some Old World styles as well as offer a few options not seen at any other brewery.”