Stone rolls on

Stone, the best brewery in San Diego? What is this, 1999? Sure, it’s a bit of an obvious choice — and there are plenty of amazing smaller breweries in the county that deserve attention — but not only did Stone pave the way for many breweries that followed, it continues to evolve and surprise. The brand, which at first seemed to be concerned with appealing to beer snobs and hop lovers, has become much more.

It would’ve been easy for Stone to rest on its laurels and simply keep churning out the big, hoppy beers that brought them to prominence. But the brewery, which once sold merch emblazoned with the slogan, “Fizzy yellow beer is for wussies,” seems to have mellowed with time, as indicated by its considerably expanded offerings. These days, Stone has something for everyone — the widest variety of beverages of any brewery in town.

Today, when I’m a drinking a Stone, it could just as easily be a seltzer, canned margarita, or Mexican-style lager as an Arrogant Bastard, Delicious IPA, or heavy-hitting special release like Downunderstruck IPA. Stone has even partnered with distilleries to release whiskey, most recently a 2021 collaboration with Foundry Distilling Company. Of course, the company still caters to the beer geeks as well with programs like One Batch Dispatch, a line of experimental beers that are brewed a single time and available only at Stone locations or on their website. This broad range of options help make the Stone tasting rooms or restaurants a go-to spot when I have guest in town. (Speaking of the restaurants, I find Stone’s food as much of an attraction as their beer.)

The Escondido and Liberty Station locations both offer food and ambience unique among restaurants in the area, let alone breweries. Lizzie Younkin, Stone Brewing director of communications, explains, “When Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido first opened, it was highly intentional that the food would be worldly and unexpected for ‘pub fare.’ The entire experience was designed to re-imagine what we’d come to expect of brewpubs.” So yes, you can get a burger or a soft pretzel with beer cheese, but you can also order a Miso Salmon & Yakisoba Noodle Bowl or Crispy Firecracker Tofu. Again: something for everyone.

While the company’s sale last year to Sapporo may have ruffled the feathers of some craft beer purists, it hasn’t meant corporate stagnation. Stone continues to take chances and explore new ingredients. For example, two of the brewery’s best releases this year, Patio Magic and the 27th Anniversary Double IPA, use Phantasm — an extract from New Zealand Savignon Blanc grapes. Younkin attributes the inventiveness to an enduring company culture, “We create space for our chefs and brewers to create. 

On the brewing side, this includes a team of brewers who are dedicated to creating new recipes on small batch brewing equipment, allowing them to brew one-off, experimental batches daily. Our co-founder Steve Wagner always said, ‘Fail fast and learn faster.’ Stone designed a culture around creativity and innovation that made a safe space for failing and learning. This has remained an undercurrent over the years.”