It’s been seven months since Pariah Brewing vacated its lease-to-brew suite at North Park’s Brewery Igniter facility. That move came after the six-year-old company opted to relocate to Baltimore, where it’s since made an impact on that city’s growing beer scene. Since then, a new tenant has taken over the suite next door (GOAL. Brewing, which will be helmed by veteran brewer Derek Gallanosa and is subleasing space from former tenant, Barrio Logan-based Attitude Brewing), but Pariah’s spot has remained vacant…until now.
A group of friends have signed on to bring their new business to life in Suite B. Outfitted with a medieval aesthetic and a mission to honor the beers of yesteryear while honoring the history of the beverage, that passion project goes by the name of Barley and Sword Brewing. It’s the product of a quartet of U.S. Navy veterans, all of whom have wanted to follow their shared dream of opening a brewery for years. That foursome includes long-time homebrewer Mike Howell, who still works for the Navy in a civilian capacity and will serve as Barley and Sword’s head brewer.
“The best way to describe our approach is ‘back to basics’. We are all about paying homage to the styles of our ancestors,” says Howell. “There is no shortage of bold, new and experimental styles in San Diego. We will be offering a variety of styles that are approachable and provide a window back to when beer was truly a way of life.”
That window gives way to the Old World, England and Germany as they were centuries ago. Expect porters, stouts and other ales of British and Scottish origin, as well as various lagers and wheat beers. There will also be some lesser-seen, more esoteric styles Howell and company are looking forward to introducing patrons to.
They will do so from a taproom that will combine elements from U.K. taverns and German beer halls. Described as “comfortably rustic”, it will be stocked with a multitude of amusing, historic easter eggs for visitors to discover. It’s a big departure from the dimly lit, purple-accented motif of the tenant formerly known as Pariah. The ability to have a completely customizable public space is just one of the factors that made the Brewery Igniter model an enticing one for the Barley and Sword team.
“We all want to see this dream come true, but we’re not selling our homes in order to do so. Brewery Igniter gives us a huge leg up by providing a near-turnkey space that we can swiftly make our own and focus on brewing instead of building,” says Howell. On top of that, the shared facility comes with neighbors the quartet are already thankful to have.
Dave Ohmer at Seek Beer Co. has been an invaluable resource for us as the new kids on the block, and the folks at GOAL. have been really open and welcoming, as well. We are really excited to be a part of a cooperative collective of breweries.”
Mike Howell, Head Brewer, Barley & Sword Brewing
Looking beyond the start-up phase, the team hopes to someday be distributed throughout San Diego County and expand its offerings to include distilled spirits. And when discussing preferred communities for a permanent headquarters, they would be happy to settle down in North Park, La Mesa, Point Loma or even Seaport Village.
“We would like to see Barley and Sword become a staple brewery within the San Diego beer scene. We don’t need to be everybody’s favorite, but we hope to be known for our quality and dedication to the craft,” says Howell. “We hope that our brewery will become an extension of our patrons’ homes, a place where everyone can go to relax and be surrounded by friends.”
The Barley and Sword team is in the license-approval phase, which figures to take several months, and hope to soft-open to the public in July during Independence Day weekend. Once open, the tasting room’s hours of operation will be 2 to 7 p.m. on Mondays, 2 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays, noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Barley and Sword Brewing is located at 3052 El Cajon Boulevard, Suite B, in North Park