San Diego is the hands-down pinnacle of beer towns. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t had our share of tough times. The closing of several breweries, taprooms and restaurants dedicated to local beer may cause some to doubt the strength of local, independent breweries in San Diego.
However, in conversations with brewers and industry insiders over the last few weeks, I’ve seen a resilience and creativity within the craft beer community that has me raising a glass to all who play a part in keeping San Diego the Capital of Craft.
I met with San Diego Beer News founder Brandon Hernandez to discuss the state of beer in San Diego. Nobody has followed the ins and outs, ups and downs of the industry as closely as Hernandez.
ILB: We are losing some of our favorite brands and breweries at what seems to be an alarming rate? What have you seen in terms of the number of breweries declining?
Hernandez: We still have over a 100 different breweries. If you go anywhere else in America, that would be an incredible number. And at this point, the quality has never been better.
ILB: So, focus on quality over quantity?
Hernandez: Would you like Major League Baseball more if there were 60 teams instead of 30? No. In fact, it would water it down. We are so lucky, and beer fans need to appreciate what we have. I haven’t had a bad beer in a long time.
ILB: How would you rate the state of beer in San Diego right now?
Hernandez: Better than you may think. But times are tough. If you really love a brewery, now’s the time to show them as much love as you can. Don’t worry about the total brewery count because you can’t go to them all anyway. Just go to the places you like.
ILB: What excites you about beer in San Diego right now?
Hernandez: I’m excited that breweries are really embracing who they are and finding out their thematic. Find your people, your tribe and also be nice to everyone else who walks in your doors. People have discovered, the more we are ourselves, the more we have something to offer.
ILB: That makes me think of BattleMage Brewing in Vista.
Hernandez: BattleMage may be the most perfect example in San Diego. They tapped into that (role playing) scene because they are into that scene. And people can see that it’s legit. Weir Beer as well. Summer in the 90s! You walk into their taproom and you know exactly what that is.
ILB: There’s been a switch to family, community-based brewery versus the big swing, get rich doing this model. Is this sustainable?
Hernandez: It’s more than sustainable. The most sustainable operation is a hyper-local operation. Breweries are managing their expectations. They want to make a living making beer and doing something they are proud of.
ILB: What’s the best thing about San Diego beer right now?
Hernandez: The great thing about San Diego beer is it’s based on quality and bringing people together.
Local breweries are providing many opportunities for enjoying good cheer as well as great beer. Here is an incomplete list of what’s happening near us. Check out your favorite brewery’s website or Instagram for specific dates, times and details.
Laugh it up at a Comedy Night: Inzane Brewing (Vista), The Roadies Brewing Company (Vista), Duckfoot Brewing (Encinitas)
Line it up for Dancing: Inzane Brewing and Colab Public House (Vista), Tipping Pint (Oceanside)
Lace it up for Run Clubs: South O Brewing (Oceanside) and Culture Brewing (Encinitas)
Roll (Role) in for D&D: BattleMage Brewing (Vista)
Dress it up for the Tiki Party: Dogleg Brewing (Vista)
Toss it at a Cornhole tournament: Weir Beer and Mother Earth Brewing (both Vista)
Flip it in a Pinball tournament: Kilowatt Brewing (Oceanside)
Bring everyone for Family Feud, Paint n’ Sip or a cooking class: Weir Beer (Vista)
Root for the home team: San Diego FC watch parties at Beertown (Oceanside) and Padres everywhere!
And Bingo and Trivia nights available any night of the week you want. And there’s live music on the weekends featuring local talent and many of our local breweries.
We are all in this together — and what better place to be together than at a brewery enjoying great beer, stories and laughs.
Jeff Spanier is the co-host of I Like Beer the Podcast. For the entire interview with Brandon Hernandez, take a listen wherever you get podcasts. Follow Spanier’s adventures on Instagram @ilikebeerthepodcast. Follow San Diego Beer News at sandiegobeer.news.
