Not always for the faint of heart (or should we say “faith of heart”) as this tongue-in-cheek faith inspired brewery has a tasting room and then a bar called “The Confessional.” The Lost Abbey is actually inspired by Belgian brewing traditions to create ageless ales such as their Judgement Day and Lost & Found as an ode to Trappist Breweries. A true beer enthusiast will love this brewery.
Beachwood Brewery fronts as a BBQ joint smoking up mouthwatering bites like ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. But don’t overlook the main course of craft beers that range from an equally smoky porter, a coconut milk stout, and some Belgian-style indulgences.
Noble Ale Works continues to grow from its humble beginnings back in 2009 and is currently constructing a bigger brewhouse to accommodate the extreme growth. This is thankfully one of those breweries which allows outside food in the form of food trucks that are stationed outside, so come thirsty and hungry. As for beers to try, we say take it easy here and sip on the Tank Top Cream Ale.
Black Market is one of the few breweries in the heart of wine country, but the local drinkers welcome its inclusion. There’s a huge array of IPAs, other pale ales, and the incorporation of wheats paired with other unlikely flavor profiles. The IPA with Passion Fruit is a perfect combination of flavors, and the white coffee stout is one-of-a-kind.
The name of this brewery, Modern Times, is derived from a crazy utopian community founded in 1850; true story. As such, each beer is named after similarly failed attempts at Utopia: Lomaland, Fortunate Islands, and Black House to name a few. We love how they describe themselves as a company: “an intrepid cadre of brewers, coffee roasters, and culinary wizards that began as a 30bbl production brewery and tasting room in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego.”
Bootlegger’s Brewery has a focus on locality, embracing the surrounding community with a huge patio to enjoy the California sun. There are several tempting year-round options such as the coffee chipotle stout (great for winter) and El Chango, a Mexican-American style lager that is perfect for summer drinking. With all of that said, don’t sleep on the seasonal offerings as the intriguing Slice Master, which is a saison incorporating cucumber and pink peppercorn.
This dog-friendly brewery is serving drinks from Noon till late every day of the week. Founded by two beer lovers who learned the trade at the Bruery (another San Diego brewery) the pair is proud to continue that passion into brews that really speak to their palates. Their cravings for beer making are insatiable as they have dozens of brews which they classify as Out West, Old World, Stygian, and Feral; we like the Feral series as it uses barrel-aging.
The largest craft brewery on this list, Stone has made a name for itself in the craft scene for decades. They have a number of locations where you can try their hoppy and delicious Stone IPA, but their brewery is located in Escondido. There are multiple tours offered per day, every day of the week, and you can even request a swanky private tour.
Since 1995 The AleSmith has been honing their skills to create the best brews around. That’s a pretty accurate statement as they were rated #1 Best Brewery in the World and #1 Brewery in California (seems like that would be a requisite) back in 2014. Check it out for yourself and while you’re there see if they have a Barrel Aged Wee Heavy in stock; it’s a 10% ABV Scotch ale.
There’s a subtle air of confidence and maturity that The Bruery exhibits. They are one of the few breweries we’ve seen that actually maintains a blog, and the brews have a sensibility to them. The current seasonal of Bourbon Barrel Aged Etain is delightful but more alcoholic than most wines so take it easy here.
