Our latest roundup from the San Diego suds scene is a mixed bag of info pertaining to far-removed breweries and a one-year old beer-centric eatery. Read on for the long and winding story of a couple’s ordeal to open a satellite venue less than two blocks from their Ramona brewery, details about a new name and other developments at a Gaslamp Quarter brewpub, and news about a cult-favorite Bay Park brewery making upgrades to better serve themselves and their patrons.
What a long strange trip it’s been for Cassie and Eric Goforth. Last year, the Ramona-based couple purchased their community’s lone brewing company, Smoking Cannon Brewery, from founders Mike Nelson and Natallie Phillips. Once they felt they had their footing with their new business, they decided to move forward with plans to increase production to meet demand. That would mean closing their combo brewery and taproom to the public in order to convert it into a production-only facility. Given almost all of Smoking Cannon’s revenue comes from across-the-counter beer sales, they didn’t want to shut their doors until they could provide customers a new public venue. And they had just the place after striking up a deal with Pamo Valley Winery to share an 855-square-foot venue with 2,000 square feet of front and back patio space. Located less than two blocks north of the brewery at 638 Main Street, it was an optimal space that would require minimal work to gain necessary governmental approvals. Or so they thought. While they received federal clearance almost immediately, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) proved far more challenging, coming back to the Goforths with piece-meal issues resulting in myriad action items for the couple to attend to before they could open their doors. The process took roughly 11 months, during which rent was being paid without any revenue coming in to offset that expense. It was getting to the point where the Goforths were going to need to decide whether to fish or cut bait, but on the first Friday of October, the ABC signed off on Smoking Cannon’s new location, which is now open to the public.
In July, we reported that Rhett Terrebonne, the founder of defunct Niuhi Brewing, had become majority owner of downtown bar and restaurant Timestead. Located at the corner of Fourth Avenue and C Street in the Gaslamp District, the venue had operated as The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole for 22 years before being taken over by international restaurateur Duncan Ward and converted into a pub with Modern Times Beer branding, beers and coffee in late 2025. Ward is no longer affiliated with the project, allowing Terrebonne to move forward with changes for the location, starting with a new name, Infinite Bar & Grille. Wings & Arrow Brewing CEO Wes Van De Vort, who currently owns the Modern Times brand, states he has zero affiliation with the downtown venue, but that doesn’t mean it won’t have a beer component. Terrebonne confirms he will be moving forward with his previously shared plans to install a Hawaiian-themed beer operation called Makali’i Brewing in the 1,700-square-foot brewery, which is connected to the business and previously served as the base of operations for Resident Brewing. That business shuttered in January of last year, and the brewery has sat dormant since. There is currently no firm timeframe for Makali’i’s debut.
In Bay Park, Deft Brewing has taken steps to up its production to meet demand while increasing overall efficiency. Several months ago, the business (which is part of The Gärten food-and-beverage hub, which is also home to Lost Cause Meadery, Oddish Wine and Pizzeria Cassette) increased the capacity of its brewhouse from two barrels to three-and-a-half barrels, while also upgrading most of its fermentation tanks. As a result, Deft can now produce more lagers and keep its taps stocked while brewing two-to-three times per week as opposed to four or five times per week. It also provides flexibility in dealing with the current, turbulent beer market. “Being lean and having a relatively small system has helped us handle challenges,” says co-founder and Brewmaster Mo Nuspl, citing slower tasting room sales than expected over the summer. “We’re still not distributing our beer as we did on a limited basis prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now we have the capacity to do so if and when we decide to.”