In March, Barley & Sword Brewing was announced as the new inhabitant of the North Park Brewery Igniter suite formerly occupied by Pariah Brewing. Since then, its quartet of co-founders have been hard at work bending the lease-to-brew space to their will. Operationally, that’s included installing four serving tanks to ensure added freshness from beer served on-site. As far as the design aesthetic of the business’ taproom, they are looking to the past.
“The tasting room has been redesigned to give the feel of a classic tavern. We will be incorporating elements of the history of beer across all time periods wherein we highlight the impact of beer on society,” says co-founder Mike Howell. “Unique artwork will be curated and added to the space over time to offer our patrons an enjoyable experience where they just might accidentally learn something.”
The historic rusticity Howell and his partners are aiming for comes courtesy of a stone façade along the back bar. That new element meshes well with the existing brick, wood and stone bar left by the previous client. A collection of lantern-style light fixtures, including a wooden crossbar chandelier, add to the pseudo-medieval vibe. All of the above will be on display when Barley & Sword soft-opens to the public on Thursday, June 15.
“Having an existing framework has been a boon for us. We’ve been able to hit the ground running and this project has gone from a dream to a fully realized business in six months,” says Howell. “As we’ve progressed there has been a common theme of ‘if you build it, they will come’. Fortunately, we’ve not lost sight of the reason people will stay. The quality of our product and our brand has always been in the forefront of our minds.”
Howell adds that he and his partners aren’t primarily motivated by monetary success and aren’t in a rush to package or distribute their beer. They would rather focus on cultivating a thriving taproom business offering a unique experience with quality beers. Those products will consist of session-strength historic Old-World styles hailing back to the U.K., Ireland and Germany. The following are the beers Barley & Sword will offer on day one:
- Alstadt Kölsch, 4.7% ABV (alcohol-by-volume)
- Beor Dearg Irish Red Ale, 4.4%
- Bier von Bayern Hefeweizen, 5%
- Bridge Blonde, 5%
- Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) London Brown Ale, 3.8%
Howell says DORA is a classic British style that, while rarely seen nowadays, was popular in London during the latter years of World War I.
“I am so excited to share my passion with other people. Beer and history have been a big part of who I am,” says Howell. “In another life, I ran a Viking-age living history group here in San Diego, and sharing history with people has always brought me great joy. For me, the experience of brewing and sharing a beer with friends is like reaching back through time. Every sip we take in good company is the continuation of a human tradition that has lasted for thousands of years.”
Barley & Sword will be open daily. Its hours of operation will be noon to 10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m., Sunday through Tuesday, noon to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. Howell says he and his partners plan to throw an official grand-opening party toward the end of summer.
Barley & Sword Brewing is located inside the CRAFT by Brewer Igniter facility at 3052 El Cajon Boulevard, Suite 102 in North Park