Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Vista has a new brewery. It’s true; more great beer can now be found in North County’s beer mecca of Vista.
The newest edition to the lineup is The Roadies Brewing Co., which celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 13. Owners Diane and Sean Hilz were inspired and encouraged to start their own brewery after years of working as roadies for the Rancho Buena Vista Color Guard.
The experience was a catalyst for the brewery’s theme, which is evident in every detail of the venue.
A few days before the grand opening, the doors were already open, and the beers were being served. I was lucky enough to sit down with the Hilzes and not only enjoy some fantastic beer but also hear their story.
ILB: I love a great origin story, and you have one.
Diane: We’ve always liked beer, going to breweries, chasing craft beers. But the story and the concept come from our daughter. She went to Rancho Buena Vista High School and was in the color guard and marching band program. And we were the roadies.
Sean: We built props. Carried instruments. Set up the field. Long days of volunteer labor.
Diane: But we loved it! And together, we wanted to own a brewery. We had other careers but had always wanted to work for ourselves. We love music, and we love making beer, so it was a way we could do both.
ILB: It’s hard to describe how cool the vibe is here. You’ve done a fantastic job with turning this into an event space.
Diane: One of our fellow roadies, his name is RJ, built all of this. There’s nothing in here he didn’t touch. Our tap handles were made by another roadie. It’s just a community project and environment because that’s what beer is all about.
Sean: Our friends and family night felt like a reunion. It was awesome! The “roadies” were showing up in their original [RBV band] gear. You can now buy the new gear!
(*side note: The Roadies Brewing Co swag is spot on.)
ILB: Alright, we need to talk about a beer. What are we drinking here?
Sean: Uncle John’s Lager is one of our core beers and will stay just as it is. We wanted something that would emulate the king of banquet beers: a little corn flavor, a little sweetness, and not a whole lot of hop character. We really wanted the malt to shine.
Diane: We wanted a lighter beer on the menu, too, so we could have some variety.
ILB: Who is Uncle John?
Diane: Uncle John is my uncle. He gave me a great gift. And that’s why we were able to do all this.
ILB: What were the beers that inspired your brewing?
Sean: Our roadie meetings were at Oggi’s. We’d enjoy food, craft beer and each other’s company. And we would travel together on the weekends to try out new breweries. That’s where beer and roadies fell in together.
Diane: We also really did our homework before opening. The people we’ve hired have extensive experience. Our head brewer is Peter Perrecone. He knows what he’s doing.
ILB: The pale ale Pocket Pale is also delicious. I do love a traditional pale ale.
Diane: It has a little of the hop bitterness, but not too much.
Sean: It’s got mosaic, citra and 586 hops. Definitely a crushable pale ale, something you can easily drink. It was very popular on industry night. Brewers like a good pale ale.
ILB: Special beers for the grand opening?
Sean: We have a double IPA for the opening. An Irish red and a ghost pepper stout coming soon.
ILB: What’s next for The Roadies Brewing Co.?
Diane: We’re truly enjoying the process of refining our beer and gathering feedback from both staff and customers. We’re excited to share that we have many upcoming events, shows, and new beer releases as we head into the fall and holiday season. We can’t wait to share it all with you!
Lia Garcia, venue manager and brand developer, has been busy booking events through the new year. Beer releases, live music and other events can be found on Roadies Brewing’s Instagram page @theroadiesbrewingco.
The Roadies Brewing Co. is at 1495 Poinsettia Avenue, Unit 148 in Vista.
Jeff Spanier is the co-host of I Like Beer the Podcast. For the entire interview, take a listen wherever you get podcasts. Follow Spanier’s adventures on Instagram @ilikebeerthepodcast.
