Meet Dos Desperados Brewery

Some people just aren’t cut out for retirement. Such is the case with Steve Munson, a long-time homebrewer who, rather than ride off into the twilight of life, has decided to follow his passion for beer into a second vocational stint as the owner and brewer at upcoming North County operation, Dos Desperados Brewery.

Munson won’t be alone in turning his hobby into a business. His wife Dora (the other “desperado”) will assist. The couple have chosen a spot between San Marcos’ Restaurant Row and the Grand Plaza Mall. That space will be outfitted in an old western saloon motif reminiscent of spaghetti westerns and a time when Spanish garrisons guarded the Camino Real or “King’s Road” from Mexico to New Mexico.

In the beginning Dos Desperados’ brewery and tasting room will be the only pace to try Munson’s beers, but he plans on selling kegs to nearby businesses as soon as he’s able. The beers, which will consist of a highly hopped West Coast IPA and a variety of Belgian-style brews, will be produced on a seven-barrel system with a dairy tank outfitted for use as a mash tun (quite common throughout the history of American craft brewing).

Munson is receiving some assistance in his start-up venture by Dean Rouleau, the former head brewer at San Diego Brewing Company, who is in the process of opening his own interest, Prodigy Brewing Company, but is still looking for the right location to house his fermentation vessels, which include wooden foudres to be used for sour beer production. Roleau will also assist Munson with brewing once the business is up and running.