“Partnering with the Seals was a natural fit for us, as their commitment to the local community echoes our own mission statement and ties to our San Diego roots,” explains Marc Truex, VP of Sales …
March 21, 2024
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Stories by Matthew Flynn
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Seals hook up with Beaver
GOAL. gets enough Centennial hops for now
“The Bistro’s competition is the oldest and one of the most respected IPA competitions in California,” says Derek Gallanosa, head brewer at GOAL. Brewing. “I first learned about it when another San Diego brewer medaled …
February 15, 2024
Brewing for good
“The story actually dates to 2019 before we were open,” recalls Jamie Minotti, managing partner at My Yard Live, which recently released 4 Wise Dudes Winter IPA, a collaboration with 4DUDESBREW. “I received an email …
January 18, 2024
Fowler snares seasonal suds
“Seasonal beers are a staple for craft breweries to allow consistent creativity and the ability to change what you brew for shifting weather,” explains Erik Fowler, the new Executive Director of the San Diego Brewers …
December 21, 2023
Craft brewery’s creative collabs
“Our production capacity is extremely small compared to the average,” says Remy Zurita, founder of Hopnonymous. “But we turned our small size from being an inconvenience to an actual real advantage. In fact, being able …
November 16, 2023
Shoots takes aim at Carlsbad
“We have been working hard for two years at our first location inside Bottle Craft at the Tremont Collective in Oceanside to dial in the menu and cost of goods, and come up with the …
October 19, 2023
Stone rolls on
Stone, the best brewery in San Diego? What is this, 1999? Sure, it’s a bit of an obvious choice — and there are plenty of amazing smaller breweries in the county that deserve attention — …
October 4, 2023
Oktoberfest offerings
Late September is a time of celebration for beer lovers around the world as Oktoberfest gets underway. Making the pilgrimage to Munich each year isn’t realistic for most, but local breweries make it possible to …
September 21, 2023
As anniversary nears, Stone prepares to get social
It’s August, and that means, just as surely as you can expect your favorite beach to be overrun by tourists from Arizona, you can also anticipate an anniversary release from Stone Brewery. And if we’re …
August 17, 2023
Bolt’s new location in Old Town
Old Town is known for a lot of things: shops and tourist traps, Mexican food of varying quality, mariachi, haunted houses and graveyards…. One thing that has been lacking, however, is the presence of a …
July 19, 2023
Gamers garner gold at BattleMage
“We wanted something original that was true to the other passions we had besides brewing,” explains Ryan Sather, owner of BattleMage Brewing. “We grew up pretty nerdy, playing games like Everquest, World of Warcraft, and …
June 14, 2023
The beautiful game gets a bold brew
San Diego has no shortage of sports-related beers. Padres fans have Ballast Point’s Swingin’ Friar Ale and AleSmith’s .394 Pale Ale, while Aztecs fans can sip on AleSmith’s San Diego State Ale, and even Gulls …
May 17, 2023
Tropical Terps uses terpenes that mimick strains of marijuana
“I’ve always wanted to have the ability to marijuana-up my beer, but that’s a no-no,” beams Belching Beaver Brewmaster Troy Smith, discussing the motivation behind his latest beer, Tropical Terps IPA. “If you had to …
April 19, 2023
Local beer honors local radio
“Karl’s alignment with 91X centers around independence, the arts, and a mutual admiration for craft beer,” explains Andrew Wilde, Marketing and Creative Director at Karl Strauss Brewing Company. “91X and Karl go way back — …
March 16, 2023
New beer from old wine grape skins
“HBC are the same folks that developed Mosaic, Citra, Loral, Sabro, and Talus,” says Jeremy Moynier, Stone Brewing Sr. Manager of Innovation and Supply Chain, when discussing the brewery’s partnership with Hop Breeding Company. He …
February 16, 2023
Two for six at Burgeon in Carlsbad
It’s standard operating procedure for breweries to concoct anniversary releases. But for its sixth anniversary, Burgeon Beer Company amplified the trend and brewed not one, but two commemorative beers. “We knew for sure one of …
January 19, 2023
Beery Christmas (and other holidays)!
It’s that time of year again: time for some of your favorite local breweries to release their holiday quaffs — and whether you’re looking for pronounced pine notes or something dark and heavy to get …
December 22, 2022
Cutwater releases a line of just-add-hot-water mixers
The days are shorter, and the temperature is dropping. It may not get truly frigid in San Diego, but that doesn’t mean a warm beverage doesn’t have its appeal during the fall and winter months. …
November 16, 2022
Stone gets hard
Stone has thrown its longtime fans a few curveballs over the past couple of years, from its release of hard seltzers to its $165 million buyout by Sapporo USA in early September. Clearly, they are …
October 20, 2022
Bottlecraft gives San Diego access to beers you never thought of
There was good beer in San Diego near the turn of the millennium, back when I was a newly legal drinker, just returned to San Diego from my years at college. But it took some …
October 5, 2022
Capital of Craft pulls into Port
“I approached Pizza Port this year to host the collaboration brew because they met the requirements for the size of the batch (90 bbls), packaging needs, and distribution,” says San Diego Brewers Guild Executive Director …
September 22, 2022
Eppig’s new digs
“As soon as we saw the space,” recalls Eppig Brewing co-founder Todd Warshaw, “we knew it was ideal for a new Eppig tasting room: proximity to La Jolla Cove, neighboring some of the best restaurants …
August 25, 2022
Burgeon’s kelp help
There aren’t many things more closely associated with San Diego than craft beer and the ocean. So it makes perfect sense that a local brewery like Burgeon Beer Company would team up with a nonprofit …
August 11, 2022
Death Row favors Second Chance
Second Chance Beer Company has always had an affinity for dogs, with a portion of all brewery sales benefitting dog shelters in San Diego and Arizona. As Virginia Morrison, CEO of Second Chance, explains, “We …
July 28, 2022
Kové moves on Miramar
"There are always challenges with trying to create and sell new products,” explains Josh Makler, co-founder of Kové Hard Yerba Mate, which recently opened a taproom in Miramar. "Not only are we bringing a new …
July 14, 2022
Strauss spills the tea on collab
“There are drastic differences between kombucha production and craft beer,” explains Boochcraft’s Operation Brewing Manager Korey Severson, commenting on the recent collaboration between his brewery and Karl Strauss, which produced When Worlds Collide. “This collaboration …
June 30, 2022
Blue Fire: coming in hot
Tommy Gordon and his brother Charlie didn’t exactly pick the easiest time to open a brewery when they opened Blue Fire Brewing last September. “There were numerous challenges that we came across in building our …
June 16, 2022
Hop-Fu! — from homebrew to world champ
“I’ve been chasing this specific award since I made the leap from homebrewer to brewery owner almost six years ago,” beams Kelsey McNair, founder and head brewer at North Park Beer Co., discussing his gold …
June 2, 2022
IPA’s IRL
Beer trended on Twitter recently as people debated (or screamed into the void about) the supposed overabundance of IPAs produced by craft breweries. And it’s certainly true that at breweries, bars, and liquor stores around …
May 19, 2022
Cosimo Sorrentino’s final San Diego beers?
“Austin checked all the boxes for me,” says Cosimo Sorrentino, explaining his impending departure from both Original 40 Brewing Company and his hometown. “A growing city with young residents who have expendable income. The culture …
May 5, 2022
Old beer finds new life in the spirit
Wasting good beer is a serious faux pas. Leaving wounded soldiers stranded on the living room table after a party is bad enough, but what happens at a brewery when gallons upon gallons of craft …
April 21, 2022
Adventure beer and spring events abound at Pure Project
Juicy hazy IPAs and barrel-aged stouts are certainly excellent choices for beer lovers looking for unique flavors that pack a punch. However, as the days get longer and San Diegans have the opportunity to spend …
April 7, 2022
Canned cocktail collab at JuneShine
“When we originally started in 2018, it was because we couldn’t find any transparently and sustainably brewed organic options in beer or wine, so we decided to brew our own hard kombucha,” explains Morgan Tenwick, …
March 24, 2022
San Diego Brewer’s Guild gets ready to celebrate 25 years
“Since its inception in 1997, I, and/or someone else at Coronado Brewing Company, have been involved with the SDBG. I’ve always felt that it’s incumbent for all in our brewing community to be engaged and …
March 10, 2022
Slaking thirst in the beer deserts
Certain parts of San Diego — areas like Miramar, the 78 corridor, and North Park — are well-known as local beer meccas. But having so many breweries concentrated in certain parts of town can leave …
February 24, 2022
Fan favorites from Stone’s past being released throughout the year
It’s a common problem for the craft beer lover: the heart-wrenching experience of visiting to a local brewery only to find that your favorite beer is no longer being brewed. Typically, the only solution is …
February 10, 2022
Hop, hop, hops
“The word ‘rouleur’ is a French word, translating to ‘roller,’” explains Rawley Macias, head brewer and founder of Rouleur Brewing Company. “However, in cycling, a rouleur is a rider who is multifaceted and is able …
January 27, 2022
At five, Burgeon is burgeoning
The desire to explore the new flavors brought about through unique brewing and aging processes is a big part of what draws die-hard beer geeks to breweries. Burgeon Beer Company played to this exploratory urge …
January 13, 2022
Coronado Brewing branches off into ciders
One thing that has long been a calling card of San Diego breweries is their willingness to experiment and introduce new beverages to local imbibers. Originally, San Diego’s craft beer scene was best known primarily …
December 30, 2021
JoyJars for kids fighting cancer
“Our mission is to bring people together over great beer around great causes, and this is certainly one of the most impactful and meaningful — especially this time of year,” explains Mike Hess, founder of …
December 16, 2021
Six-pack reycling hack
If you’ve ever bought a four- or six-pack of local craft beer cans, you’ve most likely encountered the solid plastic, colored carriers that hold together the majority of local canned brews. Those carriers are made …
December 2, 2021