If there’s one constant in the populous San Diego County brewing industry, it’s activity. At any given time there are a dozen or two work-in-progress breweries hammering, welding, mashing and fermenting their way into reality, and existing brewing companies looking to increase production, establish satellite locations or both. Meanwhile, other businesses are looking to contract, press pause or shut their doors for good. This weekend, a pair of polar-opposite events will take place, with one brewery making its public debut and another conducting its final service…at least for now.
Earlier this month, Palomar Medical Center maintenance mechanic Bill Carter took to social media to announce that his Backyard Brewery would open on Friday, April 1. Located in the 1,500-square-foot site that formerly housed the Sand Crab Restaurant in Escondido, it’s just a stone’s throw from the brewery of the same name, but much smaller and intended to be a simple, uncomplicated, friendly place to enjoy a beer.
A homebrewer with 15 years of recreational fermentation under his belt, Carter has installed the one-barrel brewing system he purchased from Kearny Mesa’s Quantum Brewing at his refurbished spot. That nano-sized apparatus has so far been used to produce the following opening-day beer list:
- More Fun Blonde (Belgian-style Blonde Ale)
- A Dark Belgian (Belgian-style Dark Ale)
- In Town Brown (English-style Brown Ale)
- Bill’s Big Belgian (Belgian-style Strong Dark Ale)
- Hopinstein (American IPA)
- West Coast (Double IPA)
All of Backyard’s beers will be served exclusively at Backyard’s tasting room, which is replete with hearty, deep-grained wood and equipped with an outdoor patio to accommodate additional patrons.
Backyard Brewery’s hours of operation will be 3 to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 3 to 11 p.m. on Fridays, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
As one small brewery prepares to begin its sudsy journey, another is pressing the pause button. That business is Align Brewing, a five-year-old operation in Miramar’s Miralani Makers District. Sited in the industrial suite the originally housed Pacific Brewing, Align was opened by one of that interest’s co-founders after he and his business partner parted ways. After reopening under new branding with new beers, the business chugged along before current owner-operator Guillermo Nasser (pictured below) took over in 2019. In doing so, he kept Align’s heritage beers while tweaking them as he saw fit and introducing his own new creations.
In March of 2020, Align closed in accordance with Governor Gavin Newsom’s COVID-related stay-at-home order. It wasn’t until February of 2021 that Nasser was able to reopen. Under his regime, the business had its share of regulars, but location has been an issue that has plagued Align from its inception, especially in recent years as the once-popular Miralani Makers District has had breweries vacate the complex. In the case of former tenants 2kids Brewing and Thunderhawk Alements, the businesses went under. It’s a fate Nasser is looking to avoid.
“The location wasn’t working for us, so we want to take this opportunity to take a step back, relocate and strengthen our position,” said Nasser. “Align will be for sure be back. This isn’t ‘good-bye’, this is ‘see you later’.”
Nasser says he and his partners have yet to determine where in the county they would like to start searching for a new home, though it is possible a multiple-location approach may be employed. For now, all that is certain is that the last service at the current location will be Saturday, April 2 from noon to 6 p.m. In addition to selling the rest of the three beers Align currently has on tap, Nasser is also looking to sell off equipment and welcomes interested parties to contact him via email about that.
Backyard Brewery is located at 2229 Micro Place in Escondido, and Align Brewing is located at 8680 Miralani Drive in Miramar