Hoppy beers are not new territory for Green Flash Brewing Company. The Mira Mesa-based operation has been dealing in lupulin-rich ales ever since brewmaster Chuck Silva came aboard, and have never looked back. Quite the …

Last September, I introduced readers to Valley Center’s first brewery, Valley Center Brewery. At the time, the family-run operation was in the midst of its very humble beginnings, but they’ve been busy in their northerly …

Last July, I reported the establishers of Local Habit (3827 Fifth Avenue, Hillcrest) were selling the business. Immediately, regulars at the “Cali-Creole” spot were worried it would veer away from that unique style of cuisine …

So, this guy walks into a bar (University Heights’ Small Bar to be exact), orders a beer, and promptly has it snatched up by a young woman who takes a sip and correctly identifies its …

Last September, a most alliterate duo — Coronado Brewing Company and Tampa, Florida’s acclaimed Cigar City Brewing — collaborated to create a “not so common” India pale ale. Dubbed “Last Spike,” it was the first …

When most San Diegans celebrate the history of beer, they start out with Karl Strauss Brewing Company. Or, if they really comb the annals of suds’ story, they mention the original Aztec Brewing Company and …

From day one, the first image visitors to the tasting room at Manzanita Brewing Company’s associated with the Santee operation was its namesake lumber. The twisted tree was painted on the walls, and front and …

Last year, Societe Brewing Company (8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Kearny Mesa) made a lot of noise behind an ever-expanding fleet of diverse India pale ales that, even in a town awash with IPA, rated among …

The eternal debate over religion and a German shepherd. These are the factors that led aptly named Michael Brewer to name his prospective business, Dogma Brewing Company. The homebrewer of more than ten years is …

The history of Belching Beaver Brewery (980 Park Center Drive, Vista) is short, but with a number of projects near completion, its future’s looking bright. A recent conversation with owner Tom Vogel turned up plans …

When it comes to craft beer bars and restaurants, it’s important to the success of such a venture (at least in San Diego, where there’s such a high level of competition) to have an owner …

How does a modern day San Diego brewing business go about celebrating a quarter-century of continual operation? It’s a daunting task and there is no blueprint for it, as none of our county’s 70 brewing …

Late last year, the journalistic tables were turned on me as I, the perennial interviewer, became the interviewee. The reason for this 180-degree shift was the release of my e-book, the San Diego Beer News …

Have you ever walked into a restaurant, perused the menu, and felt like it was custom-designed around your taste? It’s a rare occurrence, but every now and then, it’s like a chef has reached into …

The most anticipated brewery opening of 2014 is that of Bagby Beer Company. As reported in September, it is the passion project of award-winning former Pizza Port director of brewery operations Jeff Bagby and his …

Last August, news of a fatal accident at Stone Brewing Co. made its way across the Internet, radio, and airwaves. Many reports listed the victim as merely a “worker,” “employee,” or “brewer.” Eventually, the media …

It seems like only yesterday that Grantville had nary a brewery in its little-understood boundaries. That’s because it was almost yesterday that this was the case. But no more. With last year’s arrival of Benchmark …

I write about beer and food. As anyone who's really invested in these mediums might guess — hell, as anyone who has ever had any good beer and/or food would suppose — I am privy …

In this age of nanos and neighborhood-geared breweries, many brewing companies’ beers will only ever be available at their tasting rooms or, at best, on draft. In the case of the latter, most of those …

Steadily growing, family-run Vista interest Mother Earth Brew Co. recently signed a distribution deal that will help them to get more beer to an expanded number of accounts throughout Southern California. Obviously, this is good …

Though San Diegans logically think of succulent, sauce-slathered meat at the sounding of the words Phil’s BBQ, the minds behind the business aren’t singularly focused on ‘cue. Phil Pace and company also harbor a devotion …

It’s too early to tell if it’s a phoenix, but something has risen from the ashes of the defunct La Jolla Brew House. Namely, La Jolla Brewing Company (7536 Fay Avenue, La Jolla). The space …

Does the name “North Park Flavordome” sound good to you? Probably not without a little context, but when one considers it follows in the footsteps of the “Lomaland Fermentorium,” that crazy moniker makes a little …

Since reviving a historic brand six years ago, the folks behind the current iteration of Mission Brewery (1441 L Street, East Village) have been slow to roll out new beers. This isn’t a knock on …

Sadly, macro-lager keggers will likely always rule at SDSU, but when it comes to on-campus drinking, Aztec nation will soon have a quality craft beer option. Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Company just won out on …

A period of adjustment accompanies nearly every brewery expansion. Going from one system to another, particularly a much larger brewing apparatus, requires some getting used to. Recipes need to be ramped up, efficiencies tested, recipes …

Twenty-five years ago, Chris Cramer had an epiphany when he entered an Australian brewpub called Sail and Anchor and drank one of its house beers. The concept of brewing beer on-site blew him away, leading …

With the camaraderie between San Diego County breweries, collaboration beers are natural and frequent occurrences. For many brewers, the only inhibitor to embarking on a group project is the inability to fit a collaboration into …

I bet you thought that miraculous, playoff berth-clinching Chargers victory was the coolest thing to happen on December 29. Well, you’re probably right about that. But nearly 60 miles east of Qualcomm Stadium, something big …

The words Clarity-Ferm won’t mean much to the average beer drinker, but the impact of that product, which was introduced in 2013 by local yeast-production company White Labs, is likely to be so huge that …

The times, they are a-changin’…for the better, if you’re a fan of spirits. With the New Year comes a change in state policy allowing local distilleries to offer samples of their products to customers, and …

One of the biggest parts of my job as a beer journalist is keeping up on work-in-progress brewing companies looking to come online throughout the county. The current number of upcoming breweries I’m monitoring is …

As one might expect, I sample a lot of beers over the course of a year; easily hundreds. It’s rare that I drink the same beer twice in twelve months as I’m too addicted to …

The number of brewing companies opening around the county in 2013 was unmatched, and so too was the number of new facilities opened by existing brewing companies. The following is a list of the most …

As I did last year, I’m calling out the best new brewing operations to debut in 2013 or so late last year that they didn’t qualify for the 2012 rookie of the year race. Last …

Last week, I shared my opinion that Saint Archer Brewery just may be the most improved brewing company in San Diego over the last year. That assessment led me to the idea that I should …

I’m a completionist. If there’s a series of something, I want every single component and usually can’t rest until I have each securely hoarded. Music, books, collectibles…it really doesn’t matter. Make a set of anything …

I’d heard good things and even sampled some good beers from Wiens Brewing Company (27941 Diaz Road, Temecula). I’d even made one of the company’s brews, Far Post Brown Ale, a San Diego Beer News …

The beers of Acoustic Ales Brewing Experiment (1718 Hancock Street, Mission Hills) have been available at local bars and restaurants for much of the past year, but it took the company a long time to …

Few, if any, breweries have been as polarizing among local beer fans and industry members as Saint Archer Brewery (9550 Distribution Avenue, Miramar). Some see the business — partially owned by, and marketed by, action …

There’s more for small brewing companies to focus on than simply brewing beer. Once fully fermented and kegged, that beer has to somehow be transported to market. With the exception of a few new brewing …

When I originally wrote about Groundswell Brewing Company (6304 Riverdale Street, Grantville), it was in the very early start-up stages. Owner Kevin Rhodes and his crew had their location, a storefront almost perfectly equidistant to …

For many, it’s monuments in Washington, D.C. that put people in a patriotic mood. But for me, the son of a soldier born on an Army base, the grandson of a Navy man who served …

Two weeks ago, I shared news about the latest entrant into Vista, the county’s most brewery-saturated municipality on a per capita basis. That operation goes by the name Booze Brothers Brewing Company (2545 Progress Street, …

Gazing downhill at a former jailhouse, being met by a cuttingly chilly wind carrying with it the scent of freshly cut cedar — this was my introduction to Nickel Beer Company (1485 Hollow Glen Road, …

Nowadays, just about every brewery uses their tasting space to hold special events that explore craft beer to a deeper degree than the basic sampler flight. Some, take things to the next level in a …

Those who follow my writing have probably read the name James Petti before. Two years ago, his last name was attached to a brew he created while employed at Karl Strauss Brewing Company that served …

The staff at The Lost Abbey (155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos) is known throughout the world—seriously—for its inspired takes on Belgian-style beers. From peppery saisons to a dubbel and quad rich in dried …

The little nanobrewery that could, Mother Earth Brew Co., has been on a tear over the last year-plus. Once a single business suite operation with little more than three stock pots on portable propane burners …

The family that brews together, stays together. OK, that’s not a real adage, so I can’t confirm if it’s true, but I can say that brothers that brew together, go pro together—at least in the …