In the spirit of caring for one another, I engaged in rigorous, boots-on-the-ground journalism to learn how our local beer industry and restaurants work together. It’s a mutuality that benefits the breweries, the venues, and the consumer.
The plan: visit favorite places and pair each with a local beer and something delicious. Oh, and ask about the communal relationship. As stated, rigorous investigative journalism.
As my appreciation for local craft beer took off, Board & Brew helped me discover new breweries. Seemed like the best place to launch the investigation.
Board & Brew: Chicken Club (add avo) paired with a Pocket Pale Ale from The Roadies Brewing Company. And a check-in with Roadies CEO Diane Hilz.
ILB: Why is it important to have your beer served locally?
Hilz: Even after being open for just over a year, we continue to welcome new visitors. Naturally, we hope this never changes—there’s nothing better than having people discover our brewery for the first time. Having our beer available out in the community helps make this happen even more often. When someone tries our beer at a restaurant, venue or festival, it encourages them to visit the brewery and experience it firsthand.
My next stop is a hometown favorite. The 508 Tavern in Vista for Kickin’ Chicken Sliders (add pickles) paired with Pizza Port Chronic Ale. Shelly Kentner was happy to share her side of the story as a restaurant owner.
ILB: Why is it important to serve local beers?
Kentner: Supporting locals is a huge part of who we are. We’re lucky to be surrounded by so many incredibly talented breweries. Serving local beer lets us showcase the creativity happening right here in our backyard. It keeps our tap list fresh, supports our neighbors and connects our guests to the community in a really fun, flavorful way.
ILB: Do you have a favorite pairing?
Kentner: Since we rotate all 12 of our taps regularly, the perfect pairing is always changing, and honestly, that’s the fun of it. I love matching our dishes to whatever great local releases are coming in that week. Whether it’s a bright IPA with our wings or a smooth lager to show off our fish tacos, there’s always a new combo to get excited about. That’s part of the experience we love sharing with guests.
ILB: What’s your relationship like with the local breweries?
Kentner: Honestly, it feels like family. Vista’s brewery scene has always been collaborative, not competitive. We all root for each other.
Next up was Enzo’s BBQ Alehouse in Encinitas. The beet salad and BBQ plate with my favorite: Alesmith’s Nut Brown Ale. Enzo Mistretta searches far and wide for the best beer, but he’s smart enough to know that many are brewed right here. For more about Enzo’s passion for serving amazing beer see my 2024 article.
In San Marcos, I met with Dermot Owens, co-owner of Copper Kings. I enjoyed a Confused Tree Hugger sando with an Unseen Things Rye IPA (Lost Abbey). And a Marionberry Parfait Sour from Harland Brewing for dessert.
Owens: We live in one of the greatest beer regions in the world, and since 2020, we’ve been popping up at local breweries—so supporting local beer has always been part of our DNA. Quality food and quality beer go hand in hand for us.
ILB: In your DNA?
Owens: When we were first getting started, breweries like The Lost Abbey, Dogleg, Belching Beaver, South O Brewing, Pure Project and Dos Desperados helped get our name out there—and we still collaborate with them.
ILB: A favorite pairing?
Owens: A standout is our Copper Kings Mexican Lager, brewed by Lost Abbey. It’s the perfect match for our OG “The Burger.”
ILB: Will local beers be served at your soon-to-open Oceanside location?
Owens: Absolutely. Our Oceanside location will carry the same philosophy — local beer will remain a priority, along with rotating craft selections and, of course, our staple Irish beers.
Burgeon Beer Company can be found in quite a few of my favorite restaurants. A Trevana IPA with a Kenziana Roll at Junmai Sushi Bar & Grill is a standout. For the sake of the article, I headed to Junmai just to make sure. I’ve mentioned the rigor involved, right?
Matthew Zirpolo, co-founder of Burgeon Beer, understands the mutual rewards.
Zirpolo: Brewing beer for our community is our top priority here at Burgeon. Having our beer at local venues allows us to achieve that goal. They support us by buying our product and selling it. Our goal is to brew the best beer possible. So their customers keep coming back and have a better overall experience.
And there you have it, locals supporting locals. Next time you’re out, take a peek at the taplist. And order local!
Jeff Spanier is the co-host of I Like Beer the Podcast. Follow Spanier’s adventures on Instagram @ilikebeerthepodcast.
