Last week, Kilowatt Brewing soft-opened its new tasting room in Oceanside. Located at 406 Mission Avenue in a former Subway sandwich store, it’s been revamped to include a roll-up door along with the local beer brand’s colorful artwork, inventive lighting treatments, and giant hand-crafted games. Twenty-four handles dispense the company’s beers and, thanks to the ability to serve food, guests beers can be tapped as well. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday.
Down in La Mesa, another offshoot venue is open for business. This one provides Bolt Brewery a second location in that municipality. The first is its all-outdoor, Quonset-hut brewery on Center Street, while the second is a bar and restaurant at 7081 University Avenue. That space was previously occupied by Mr. G’s Tavern and now operates under the moniker Bolt Brewery & Spirits. No distilling (or beer production) is taking place there; the “spirits” portion of the name communicates that the venue has a full bar. Its hours of operation are 2 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Thursday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to midnight on Sunday.
It looks like Fallbrook may once again welcome an operating brewhouse. The inland North County community was home to one of San Diego’s first craft breweries when the first iteration of the aforementioned Bolt Brewery opened in 1987 (and closed shortly thereafter). Craft brewing did not return to the region until 2013 when Fallbrook Brewing opened on Main Street. That operation closed last year and its space is now home to a tasting room for Vista-based Prohibition Brewing. Recently, winery, farm, and Christmas-tree outlet The Vineyard 1924 applied for a brewing license at 1924 East Mission Road.