The local beer news story are once again piling up faster than we can share them, so it’s time for another quick-hit Beer Briefs roundup. Read on for news about (yes, even more) local beer companies earning medals at a brewing competition, “smashing” new fundraising programming from a generous San Diego suds-maker and the shuttering of what was National City’s only brewery.
As evidenced by our recent coverage, awards season for professional brewers has been fast, furious and jam-packed over the past month and a half. So much that informing readers about San Diego County breweries’ many wins at assorted competitions has been challenging. But we’re determined to keep on top of it all, including the 2026 edition of the Best of Craft Beer Awards. Held annually in Central Oregon, this event doesn’t draw as many entries from San Diego brewing companies as similar comps, but a number of the county’s beers always make it to the medal stand. This year’s biggest local winner was Carlsbad-based Burgeon Beer Co., which took gold in the Imperial IPA category for its double IPA, Mixed Greens, as well as a pair of bronzes for Homegrown (Pale Ale) and Invita (North American Lagers). Miramar’s Athletic Brewing, which was named Large Brewery of the Year at the 2025 Best of Craft Beer Awards, earned top honors in the Non-Alcoholic Hop-Forward Beers category for its N/A hazy IPA, Freewave. Meanwhile, Barley & Sword Brewing nabbed a bronze in English & Scottish Ales for its Orkney Ale and Mother Earth Brew Co. landed a silver in the Pale Ale category for Boo Koo, an IPA brewed at the Vista-born company’s main production facility in Nampa, Idaho.
California Wild Ales is launching a long-term charity initiative that’s as fun and funky as the business itself. Starting this month, the 11-year-old company will hold the first in a series of monthly fundraising events supporting the good work of local nonprofit and community-based organizations. The first will be a Super Smash Bros. tournament taking place at California Wild Ales’ Point Loma tasting room proceeds from which will be donated to Rady Children’s Health to support its Children’s Miracle Network. The event will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 30. Participation will be limited to 24 players, and interested parties can reserve their spots online. California Wild Ales is located at 3826 Sherman Street.
While most breweries love coming in with a roar, they typically go out with a whisper. Such was the case for the latest local brewery to close its doors, Hannegan’s House Beer Co. & Creamery. Located in National City, it was that municipality’s only craft-beer producer, but that wasn’t the only unique aspect of the company. Hannegan’s House not only produced beer, but used that beer to craft a variety of ice creams. The business was founded in 2019 by Andrew Hannegan, a graduate of San Diego State University’s defunct Business of Craft Beer certificate program who chose to hammer down stakes in the city where he grew up. He wanted National City to be part of the local craft-beer conversation and was willing to go to all the work of producing beer one barrel at a time to make that happen.