On a lucky day in May, Dominic Li Mandri, director of the Downtown Chula Vista Association, sent an invitation to check out the beer scene on Third Avenue.
In my interview with Li Mandri, he made some excellent points about why we should all take the trip to downtown Chula Vista.
Li Mandri: Chula Vista has a lot of momentum right now. Our downtown is growing at an exponential rate. It has been a lot more of a utilitarian downtown…but what you’re seeing now is more restaurants and breweries opening up. That is intentional on the city’s part.
ILB: It’s a great, walkable area that appears to be very locally centered.
Li Mandri: The people who own shops down here have a lot of pride and sense of ownership of the block. Most of the shop owners on Third Avenue grew up here in Chula Vista. They wanted to invest back into the community that raised them.
ILB: A tight-knit community?
Li Mandri: Absolutely. And there’s character and authenticity on the block you can’t find everywhere in San Diego. We want to create a self-sufficient ecosystem here on Third Avenue, and it starts with bringing people down to try some amazing beers.
And with that cue, we headed out of Dominic’s office a few paces away to Groundswell Brewing to enjoy a beer with owner Kevin Rhodes.
ILB: Thanks for hosting us at Groundswell, Kevin. Tell us the origin story.
Rhodes: I had been a longtime homebrewer and was in the restaurant business and then teaching at the culinary school. My wife likes to say that I sold her the idea of starting a brewery as my midlife crisis. No fast motorcycles, no fast cars…I just wanted a brewery.
ILB: What are we drinking?
Rhodes: This is our Undulation IPA, one of my original recipes. I call it our sunshine IPA. It’s citrusy, lighter with wheat in it.
ILB: Like all of Third Avenue, Groundswell Brewing has an inviting feel.
Rhodes: We have a Cheers! type of place and feel.
ILB: What brought you to Chula Vista?
Rhodes: I was living in Chula Vista. My daughters run this venue. We also opened a restaurant called the Lime in the Coconut Tiki Bar three doors down. An island vibe full bar with a tiki bar speakeasy in the back. We just want to be in our local market right here.
In addition to his own beers, Rhodes provides a curated selection of local and hard-to-find beers on tap. During the interview, I enjoyed an Eel River Organic Amber ale, which had a fruity and slightly sweet caramel notes balanced by noble-style hops.
I would have tried more of Groundswell’s offerings, but Third Avenue had much more to see and try. So out the door I went toward Chula Vista Brewery where Tim and Dali Parker welcomed me in. Another family-run venue, Chula Vista Brewery was the first on the block. Tim, a US Navy veteran, had a dream of creating a family (and dog) friendly place in Chula Vista.
ILB: You started the whole thing here on Third Avenue.
Tim Parker: We really got started around 2014 as I headed toward retirement from the US Navy. There wasn’t really anything here downtown for younger people.
ILB: So 10 years ago, you started the shift here on Third Avenue.
Parker: I was the shift [said with a big smile and obvious pride]. But that wasn’t my intent. I just wanted to bring something nice to the neighborhood I had lived in for years. We came along and changed that.
ILB: None of that would have worked if the beer wasn’t good. The beer is excellent.
Parker: This first beer is our War Planes Hazy Pale ale. That beer was made for one of my buddies who is still on active duty. He asked me to make him a beer that was hazy and light. I looked at him like he was crazy because it was the beginning of the hazy IPA movement. This was supposed to be a one and done beer, but he liked it, everyone liked it, and it’s now been around forever.
ILB: And this beer is Beautiful View.
Parker: That’s what Chula Vista means. It’s one of the first beers we made here. The locals love it. It’s like one of those things that the locals know and that’s their favorite. It’s an homage to Sierra Nevada. We focus on making beer for our neighborhood. That’s why when you come into our brewery, you don’t see 101 IPAs. That’s not what we drink here.
ILB: Love the vinyl collection as well.
Parker: We have everything. Someone comes in and wants to hear a record, we put it on. That’s just who we are as a community. That’s what you get when you walk in here. You get us, you get our music, you get our traditions. That’s what Chula Vista is all about. It’s a melting pot. And that’s the best thing about our brewery as well.
Parker is a fantastic host, brewer and story-teller so don’t be surprised to see more of the interview in an future article. 3 Punks Ale was the third Third Avenue stop of the day… more on that soon!
In the meantime, find the time to visit — or revisit — Chula Vista’s downtown. Park the car and spend the day strolling through the shops, restaurants and exceptional beer scene.
Jeff Spanier is the co-host of I Like Beer the Podcast. For the entire interviews take a listen wherever you get podcasts. Follow Spanier’s adventures on Instagram @ilikebeerthepodcast.
