The world keeps turning and its brewers keep brewing. Along the way, plenty of craft-brewing industry happenings continue to develop, making our every-now-and-then Beer Briefs roundups a quick way to keep San Diego Beer News readers informed of what’s going on throughout the county. Read on for info on a 30-year-old brewery’s recent facelift, plus news about a pair of sister brewing operations in Barrio Logan.
It was 2015 – and quite the watershed moment – when AleSmith Brewing moved from its original Miramar digs on Cabot Drive into a 110,000-square-foot production facility less than a mile west. Located on a cul-de-sac on a street that now bears the company’s name (AleSmith Court), that headquarters features what has been billed as the largest brewery tasting room west of the Mississippi River. After over a decade of welcoming roughly 140,000 visitors per year, ownership decided to freshen up the exterior of the building, applying a new coat of paint and adding the AleSmith wordmark on the side of the building facing the street. Inside, new digital screens have been added for the many sports fans who patronize the taproom, along with interactive games, including pinball and Golden Tee (with the potential to add more in the future). The improvements are geared toward enhancing the guest experience and equipping the space for special events, particularly those revolving around food and beer, such as June 27‘s Burger Pop and upcoming monthly steak nights which will be held in collaboration with Beach Bum Burgers.
In February of 2025, Border X Brewing’s decade-old Barrio Logan taproom was taken over by craft-beverage group House of Mason. The latter organization’s plan when doing so was to continue serving beers from Border X (which had shuttered in late 2024) at that location, but the deal fell apart just as news of it broke. Resultantly, House of Mason reopened the venue under its flagship brand Mason Ale Works, serving its IPAs, fruited sour ales and imperial stouts along with beers from other companies in the House of Mason portfolio, such as Eppig Brewing. (House of Mason’s portfolio was purchased by Latitude Brewing in January of this year.) Meanwhile, Border X owner David Favela moved on, eventually launching a new entity called The Latino Startup in Old Town San Diego. But that’s not his only project in the historical community. Working with the owner of a Mexican eatery installed in the former San Diego Avenue home of The Living Room Cafe, he is working to revive his brand in a different form. Going by the name Border X Hospitality at Papa Guapo, it now supports special events, such as a Border X pop-up that happened in April, as well as a World Cup watch party for the Mexico versus South Africa match which took place last week.
It’s also been an active time for the other Barrio Logan business founded by Favela and his wife, Carmen Velasco, Mujeres Brew House. In May, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) issued a citation for license violations pertaining to on-site music and entertainment. In lieu of a standard 15-day license suspension, the business was fined $6,000, leading Velasco to set up a crowdfunding campaign via online platform GoFundMe. To date, that initiative has raised nearly $5,000 of its $5,500 goal, which the company says has been put toward supporting staff and covering operating expenses. Mujeres Brew House has applied for a modification of the restrictions on its license in order to continue with the multitude of public events it holds on a regular basis, and says its application is under ABC review. In the meantime, the company is preparing to hold a six-year anniversary celebration on the afternoon of Friday, June 19. Individuals who donated to the GoFundMe campaign are in line to receive complimentary beers at that event, as well as a future appreciation night.