This morning, Amplified Ale Works announced that after tomorrow, it will permanently close its Miramar brewery and tasting room. An inaugural tenant within H.G. Fenton’s original Brewery Igniter lease-to-brew facility along with next-door neighbors Pure Project Brewing, Amplified has operated in the space since 2015. Owner Alex Pierson was drawn to the Brewery Igniter campus as a means to increase production capacity. After vacating the Miramar space, he says he will enter into alternating-proprietorship agreements with several local breweries in order to supply Amplified’s other locations with house beers.
“While we found success during the pandemic, pivoting to more canning and increased distribution thanks to the incredible job of our Sales Director Sebastian Widman, who single-handedly sold all the beer we could produce through these pandemic months, 2020 has still proven incredibly difficult for us,” said Pierson. “The hardships have been particularly devastating to Amplified’s growth we had planned for 2020.”
The company, which also operates a restaurant with an adjacent tasting rom in Pacific Beach (where the company started) as well as a restaurant in the East Village, was on pace to move its headquarters from Miramar to a 5,000-square-foot building in Lemon Grove that would have included a 1,000-square-foot tasting room supplemented by 1,500 square feet of outdoor patio space.
“We began the year in escrow on a new brewery home that would allow us to expand our packaging and distribution, so we would not be as reliant on our two restaurants,” said Pierson. “Unfortunately, those plans were scrapped in April as the virus spread.”
While today and tomorrow will mark the final days of service at the Miramar facility, the PB and East Village locations will continue outdoor service in accordance with government regulations.
“We want to thank all of the customers, beer bars, liquor stores and craft retailers that have supported our pivot this year to packaging and outside sales,” said Pierson. “We are incredibly disappointed we’ve had to come to this decision and crestfallen for our team. We really hope 2021 begins to turn around for controlling the pandemic and for our hospitality industry at large.”
Amplified Ale Works’ Miramar tasting room is located at 9030 Kenamar Drive in Miramar