As the name suggests, Booze Brothers Brewing has always been a family affair. The business was founded in Vista by fraternal siblings Donny and David Firth in 2013. Eight years in, the company had grown to include four locations following the 2021 launch of a retail location at a small collective in Fallbrook dubbed The Mill. The brothers followed the lead of their sister, Tiffany Garcia, when she settled her furniture-rental business there, installing a taproom for Booze Brothers and a wood-fired kitchen for its sister-concept, Pizza Bros.
The brothers and sisters enjoyed their time together at The Mill, but several months back the property’s owners informed them they were looking to sell the land on which it sat. At that point, Garcia and her business partner opted to sell their company. Rather than follow suit and move on, the Firths went on the hunt for a new location that would not only allow them to continue serving Fallbrook residents but also incorporate a brand-new culinary concept called Party Burgers. They found just that a block off the town’s main drag at the former home of Smokin Bird BBQ.
“We fell in love with the location from the moment we toured it. With it having a full commercial kitchen as well as ample space to facilitate a taproom, it was a no-brainer,” says Booze Brothers General Manager Josh Thompson. “The location has an amazing local rustic feel with a large, roughly 2,500-square-foot covered patio stocked with picnic tables. We are also excited about it being one block from Main Street, and are looking forward to contributing to the already awesome culture in Fallbrook.”
The taps at the new location will exclusively dispense Booze Brothers beer. A curated selection of wines will also be available. In addition to an assortment of smashburgers, Party Burgers will offer a variety of sandwiches, wings and other beer-friendly options, all of which can be ordered along with beer at a walk-up counter.
Fallbrook has proven a challenging area for the handful of breweries that have taken it on. Billed by many as San Diego County’s first modern-era craft brewery, the original Bolt Brewery opened in a quonset hut in 1987. (One of the company’ founders revived the business in La Mesa in 2014.) Ahead of its time, small and remotely located, it lasted just over a year. In 2013, Fallbrook Brewing opened on the Main-facing side of the same block as Booze Brothers’ new location. While it made it five years, it was tough-going the whole way for brewer-proprietor Chuck McLaughlin, who closed the business in 2018. The following year, Vista’s Prohibition Brewing reopened the space as a combination taproom and sandwich shop. Like many small-scale hospitality businesses, it was wiped out by the pandemic.
Despite a spotty track record of support from locals – a necessity in a community that doesn’t draw many out-of-towners or beer enthusiasts – the Booze Brothers team sees promise and is excited to extend their stay in Fallbrook.
“We have absolutely loved being a part of the craft-beer scene in Fallbrook,” says Thompson. “We got an immediate, amazing welcome and it was important for us to continue to grow with the community. We created a family-friendly atmosphere at The Mill and we are looking forward to continuing that at our new location.”
Thompson says Booze Brothers’ Fallbrook satellite will be up and running by late July. Once open, its hours of operation will be 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. Thompson says to keep an eye on the business’ social-media accounts, including Instagram, for updates on the project as well as future beer releases and events at the companies’ taprooms.
Booze Brothers Brewing’s upcoming tasting room will be located at 121 North Pico Avenue in Fallbrook