Fresh Brew at a Neighborhood Near You

Here's an amazing fact: San Diego has more than 140 brewery locations. That's an astounding number given the county's size and population. What's more amazing is the fact that, even with so many locations, there doesn't seem to be enough places for beer lovers to enjoy great craft beer!

In addition to all the brewery sites, San Diego has more than two dozen "satellite" tasting rooms. These tasting rooms bring beer from their main production facilities and serve it up in proprietary spaces that are sans hoses, barrels, and bulky brewing equipment.

Just as the brewery scene has exploded in recent years, so has the tasting room scene. Well, Ocean Beach is the big winner, with North Park a close second, but Barrio Logan and Miramar/Mira Mesa are coming up fast.

Tasting Rooms Are a Win for Everyone

Every brewery has its own reasons for expanding with a satellite tasting room (some have already done two or three!). Most, however, see these outlets as an effective way to increase brand exposure while maintaining control of additional distribution. Direct-to-consumer profit margins are also the most favorable for breweries, so the added cost of a tasting room can be offset by increasing production and selling more beer retail, at a better price for the brewery. Tom Vogel, founder of Belching Beaver (main production in Vista and Oceanside), was one of the first small breweries to open a satellite location. As Tom explains it, "In the beginning, we didn't have a lot of production capacity, so we had to sell to our highest margin potential. Selling beer by the glass has the best margin and the extra income allowed us to buy more equipment." A new tasting room provided a similar boost for The Lost Abbey (main production in San Marcos). Co-founder Tomme Arthur says their second location in Cardiff, called The Confessional, helped to offset some increased expenses for the production brewery in year one. "We purchased a new packaging line last fall and expect to use some of the revenue stream from the offsite space to pay for the equipment," says Tomme. "It's a win-win for us." 

Owners realize that an off-site tasting room doesn't provide visitors with the same "hands-on" experience as visiting their brewery, but most agree there are definite advantages that satellite locations have over production locations. Jacob McKean, founder of Modern Times (main production in Point Loma) says, "The satellite tasting room experience is quite different from the brewery experience. There's no production happening in our North Park tasting room, which makes the scale much smaller and more intimate." Tom Vogel likes the fact that, at his tasting room, customers aren't being "disrupted" by noise and machinery from the brewery and his patrons can enjoy a more "relaxed and casual" environment.

Tomme Arthur also likes the fact that his brewery and his tasting room provide very different experiences for Lost Abbey fans. "In San Marcos, our experience is centered on the interaction between our staff and the patrons," Tomme says. "The entire brewing process can be seen from the bar environment, which gives the patrons a chance to be immersed in the action. As an added benefit, our brewing crew is constantly milling around the tasting room and are available for conversation. Cardiff has a much smaller footprint. As such, we focused on creating an intimate space with a well-versed staff that can deliver a high level of hospitality."

Having satellite tasting locations can also be an invaluable marketing tool, especially for smaller breweries. Jacob McKean says his North Park tasting room has done wonders for the Modern Times brand. "It has helped tremendously," he says. "Besides providing a crucial source of income to a very capital-intensive business, it has made many more people familiar with us and our beer. We sell way more beer at bars and restaurants in North Park than we ever did before the tasting room opened. Familiarity is a huge factor in how people decide what beer to order."

If current expansion plans are any indication, the satellite room boom will not be slowing any time soon. Currently, new locations are slated for Liberty Station, Ocean Beach, and Sorrento Valley, with more in Barrio Logan and North Park sure to follow.

Tasting Rooms by Neighborhood

Here's the list of tasting rooms now open organized by neighborhood:

North Park

Belching Beaver North Park
Where: 4223 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104

Modern Times Flavordome
Where: 3000 Upas St, Ste 102, San Diego, CA 92104

Rip Current
Where: 4101 30th St, Ste A, San Diego, CA 92104

Chuckalek Biergarten
Where: 3139 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104

Little Miss (Normal Heights)
Where: 3514 Adams Ave., San Diego, CA 92104

Ocean Beach

Helm's Brewing Company Ocean Beach
Where: 4896 Newport Ave, San Diego, CA 92107
> Find out more about Helm's Brewing Company

Mike Hess Brewing Ocean Beach
Where: 4893 Voltaire St, San Diego, CA 92107
> Find out more about Mike Hess Brewing

Culture Brewing Co - Ocean Beach
Where: 4845 Newport Ave, San Diego, CA 92107

Belching Beaver
Where: 4836 Newport Ave, San Diego, CA 92107

Kilowatt Brewing
Where: 1875 Cable Street, San Diego, CA 92107

Little Miss
Where: 4861 Newport Ave, San Diego, CA 92107

Downtown/Barrio Logan

Stone Brewing Tap Room
Where: 795 J Street, San Diego, CA 92101
> Find out more about Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Company Store on Kettner
Where: 1202 Kuttner Blvd, Set 101, San Diego, CA 92101

Iron Fist Brewing - Barrio Logan
Where: 1985 National Ave, #1132, San Diego, CA 92113
> Find out more about Iron Fist Brewing

Border X Brewing
Where: 2181 Logan Ave, San Diego, CA 92113

Bolt Brewery Little Italy
Where: 1971 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Liberty Station

Oggi's Pizza & Brew House Point Loma
Where: 2562 Laning Road, San Diego, CA 92106

Vista/Oceanside/Cardiff

Stone Company Store Oceanside
Where: 310 N. Tremont St., Oceanside, CA 92054

Mother Earth Brewing Tap Room
Where: 206 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084

Lost Abbey Confessional
Where: 2007 San Elijo Ave, Cardiff, CA 92007

Poway

Cellar 3 - Green Flash Brewing Co.
Where: 12260 Crosthwaite Cir, Poway, CA 92064
> Find out more about Green Flash Brewing Co.

Miramar/Sorrento Valley

Legacy Brewing Tap and Kitchen
Where: 7060 Miramar Rd #100, San Diego, CA 92121

Mike Hess Brewing
Where: 7955 Silverton Ave #1201, San Diego, CA 92126
> Find out more about Mike Hess Brewing

Grantville/Friar’s Road

Groundswell Brewing
Where: 6304 Riverdale St, San Diego, CA 92120

Imperial Beach

Coronado Brewing Co. Imperial Beach
Where: 875 Seacoast Dr, Imperial Beach, CA 91932
> Find out more about Coronado Brewing Co.