What once was Mother Earth Brew Co.’s bustling Tap House in Old Town Vista will soon be brought back to a lively state as Barrel and Stave Pour House. That business is owned by entrepreneur Chris White (not to be confused with the White Labs owner of the same name), who is also co-owner of San Marcos’ Wild Barrel Brewing. The Vista Pour House will be Barrel and Stave’s second. White opened the first in Fullerton in 2019 as the starting point for a company that will include a brewing arm following the opening of a Vista brewery and retail space it will share with two other breweries—Breakwater Brewing and Laguna Beach Beer Co. That is still months away, but the Vista Pour House will open to the public at 9 a.m. this Friday. Eventually it feature house beers from Barrel and Stave Director of Brewery Operations Chris Banker (who is well known for having created the original recipe for Stone Brewing‘s popular Xocoveza Mocha Stout) but it will call on ales and lagers from local and further-removed locales in the meantime.
“We are thrilled to revive a once popular location for North County craft-beer fans,” says White. “We have modernized the interior and will have one of the best draft lists and to-go offerings in San Diego County.”
It’s a lofty statement that’s backed by Barrel and Stave’s inventory of beers from popular breweries that either do not distribute to San Diego or are extremely difficult to come by. Those interests include Alvarado Street Brewery, Casa Agria Specialty Ales, Fieldworks Brewing, HenHouse Brewing, Humble Sea Brewing, Moksa Brewing, Moonraker Brewing and The Rare Barrel. The Pour House is equipped with 40 taps, most of which will dispense beers from San Diego breweries, plus six coolers of canned takeaway options. Wine, hard seltzers, ciders and kombucha will also be available. On the food front, their catty-corner neighbors at URBN Coal-fired Pizza have developed a special menu that’s deliverable to the Pour House. URBN’s full menu can be ordered, as well.
The 4,000-square foot venue includes six big-screen televisions, a 120-inch projector screen and an outdoor patio that seats up to 90 guests. Following the grand opening, Barrel and Stave’s Pour House will be open from Sundays and Mondays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For Super Bowl Sunday, the Big Game will be shown on multiple screens.
Barrel & Stave’s Pour House is located at 206 Main Street in Old Town Vista