Coastal exposure

In going coastal, Twisted Manzanita Ales (4652 Mission Boulevard, Pacific Beach) has departed from the interior motif of the tasting room at its Santee headquarters. Ironically, this comes from the company desiring to provide a taste of the brewery experience at its new PB digs. Located just a block from the beach, the news spot, which opened the Saturday before last, is replete with stainless steel, a nod to the material of choice for mash tuns, boil kettles, and fermentation tanks. And although it wasn’t up when I visited shortly before opening day, one wall will feature photographs of the Santee brewery, while the other will be outfitted with a graphic history of the company, which originally debuted under the name Manzanita Brewing Company before rebranding less than a year ago.

But the differences between PB and Santee don’t stop at aesthetics. The tasting bar is steely and stocked with 20 taps, plus a pair of nitro taps and cask setup. Ale offerings are laid out on a large screen, flat-screen television that features an impressive array of specialty beers that go far beyond what most know of Twisted Manzanita’s stock. Among the more out-there items up for bid on opening day was a hoppy, 14% alcohol-by-volume strong ale brewed to commemorate the company’s four-year anniversary. There were also sours (an oude bruin with currants, brettanomyces-stoked saison, sour brett ale, gose), pepper beers, a wine barrel-aged version of Twisted Manzanita’s Gillespie Brown Ale, and numerous versions of Witch’s Hair pumpkin ale including one described as “latte.”

The new tasting room is open daily from noon to midnight, hours that match the tendencies of PB’s late-night, party-ready residents and frequenters. Upping its viability is the fact it’s sandwiched between hot spots The Duck Dive and Buffalo wing lover’s delight, Dirty Birds. Eats from both venues can be consumed on-site. Ditto any neighboring businesses. Bare Back Grill, which is located just a block away, is talking about putting together special menu items designed to pair with specific beers. All in all, it’s a nice place that should nicely expand Twisted Manzanta’s reach and appeal beyond its deep inland roots.