The Local to go the brewery route

Popular watering hole The Local Eatery and Drinking Hole (1065 Fourth Avenue, Downtown) is working on establishing its own brewery. A an early adapter to the craft beer model, The Local regularly serves a long and quality variety of artisanal ales and lagers. So, its stake in the game is well hammered into the San Diego soil.

Still, making the jump to producing beer versus serving it is significant. In doing so, they join other bar-and-restaurants including Urge Gastropub (working on Urge: Craft Alley and on-site Project X Brewing in Vista), The Field Irish Pub (Half Door Brewing Company in the East Village), Caffe Calabria (Beerificio Calabria in North Park), Newport Pizza & Alehouse (Ocean Beach Brewery) and possibly Downtown Johnny Brown’s (where a potential new owner has ideas about installing a nano-sized brewing rig).

The project is in its earliest planning stages, but a candidate has been selected to head the brewing operations. That individual is a homebrewer who has had the opportunity to brew on a professional system and have their beer produced and distributed commercially. Having tasted that brewer's beers, I can confirm that they have skills. Bonus, the brewer is local, so their selection is in keeping with The Local’s MO.