Brewery Guide: Escondido

The inland North County city of Escondido has been a major destination for craft beer since the county’s largest producer, Stone Brewing, established its base of operations there in 2006. While that illustrious locale remains a must-visit, a host of smaller operations await beer tourists venturing to the area. From taprooms situated along downtown’s main drag to relaxing craft compounds nestled on the fringe, these operations are unique in their offerings and experiences. Join us as we veer off Interstate 15 and take a good look around at what Escondido has to offer in the way of local ales and lagers.

BREWERIES

Backyard Brewery
2229 Micro Pl

After homebrewing for over a quarter of a century, an Escondidian maintenance mechanic working a literal stone’s throw from Stone Brewing secured a spot down the hill from that summit spectacle in which to open his own craft-beer haven. Intimate and homey, it’s built for kicking back with friends—including those of the four-legged variety—and decorated with colorful murals painted by a talented beertender as well as scores of ceramic gnomes tucked away here, there and everywhere by regulars.

Backyard’s rarely changing beer board consists solely of scaled-up versions of ale recipes from owner Bill Carter’s amateur days, and fall into three categories: American, English and Belgian. The latter is highlighted by Bill’s Big Belgian, a strong dark ale with deep dark-fruit and caramel notes, and its popular pale-hued polar-opposite, More Fun Blonde. A West Coast IPA blends classic “C” hops with highly uncommon varietal Sorachi Ace, while Mosaic, Galaxy and Lemondrop combine to bring big citrus and tropical-fruit character to New England-style IPA, Hazedelic. Belly up to the bar and you’re likely to be served the above by Bill, himself.

Earlier this year, Escondido amateur-brewing outlet, Wild West Homebrew Supply, closed its doors after a car rammed into its front window, rendering the space a complete loss. The store has since reopened in Backyard’s backroom, providing North County homebrewers with a spot to get the ingredients and supplies they need in tandem with local beer.

Mac Daddy Beer Co.
Not Open to the Public

There may be no smaller local beer concern than this nano-est of nanobreweries from a homebrewer gone pro. With no tasting room, your best bet at getting a taste of Mac Daddy beer is by visiting the small handful of retail accounts in Escondido that carry it. Happy hunting!

Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido
1999 Citracado Pkwy

Described by many as “the Disneyland of craft beer”, Stone Brewing’s majestic World Bistro & Gardens bar and restaurant is a one-of-a-kind destination that inspired many San Diego breweries to up their public-venue game when it debuted and continues to inspire nearly two decades later. Castle-like in its stone, wood and iron composition, its interior comprises a bar with floor-to-ceiling views of Stone’s flagship brewery, a company store offering all manner of be-gargoyled merchandise, a base-level dining room and mezzanine segueing to an outdoor balcony. That perch allows one to take in a sprawling outdoor area with an abundance of seating, a dedicated bar, water and fire features, a shaded pea-gravel lounge, lush grassy area and trails winding around a tree-canopied lagoon.

Stone’s al fresco expanses are ideally suited for hosting myriad festivals stocked with plenty of the 27-year-old interest’s beers, as well as those of breweries from near and far which share the company’s ethos for quality. That same variety applies to the beers available on Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens’ everyday menu, the food portion of which is made up of elevated casual fare infused with culinary creativity and house beer.

While many locals and tourists are familiar with Stone’s core and seasonal offerings, this is the place to taste the impressive breadth of adventurous, experimental and just-plain-fun ales and lagers produced at its nearby pilot and small-batch breweries, including special-edition, collaborative and test-batch beers.

SATELLITE TASTING ROOMS

Black Plague Brewing – Purgatory Lounge
239 E Valley Pkwy

Jet-black walls are perked up with skeletal mural work and framed art of the eclectically odd ilk. Take both in along with crushable lagers, hoppy fare and more at this inland offshoot of a popular Oceanside-based brand urging fans to thumb their nose at the concept of death while living life to the fullest. Visitors may do so within the cavernous, shotgun “lounge” or a shaded backyard while tempting fate and the Grim Reaper with over-the-top decadent carnivore fare from Black Plague’s longtime culinary partners, Full Metal Burger.

Burgeon Beer Co. – The Oasis
649 Rock Springs Rd

An enclave to an animal feed store, this nano-est of setups was taken over by Burgeon in 2020, following the closure of original tenant, Escondido Brewing. While the Carlsbad-based producer of IPAs, pales and SoCal-suited lagers has made the all-outdoor venue its own, it has also worked to honor the business that came before as well as the devoted, mostly local members of its fanbase who continue to flock to this tucked-away neighborhood gathering place to kick back over cold ones, including annual reincarnations of Escondido Brewing’s Hopcondido IPA.

Little Miss Brewing – Escondido
132 N Kalmia St

Back in 2019, Little Miss Brewing was the first out-of-town beer concern to install a satellite venue in Escondido. In doing so, it followed its MO of instituting an interior-design scheme celebrating an Allied Nation from the World War II era, in this case, the former Soviet Union. A sickle-and-hammer flag hangs behind a bar with that iconography etched into its surface, while Russian nesting dolls stand sentinel atop the register. Grab a beer then head to a back-alley patio decked out in wall-to-wall scarlet, to take in a graffiti-style portrait of Stalin.