Whether its brewery venues that are opening, being vacated or getting taken over by new owners and rebranded, there’s always a lot going on in the local beerosphere. So much that our quick-hit Beer Briefs feature is the best way to disseminate all that info to you in a way that avoids TL;DR syndrome. Read on for the latest on several San Diego County suds sites.
Earlier this year, despite producing quality beer and racking up a substantial fan base over 20 months, GOAL. Brewing ceased operations, moving out of the largest of three suites at H.G. Fenton’s lease-to-brew Craft by Brewery Igniter facility in North Park. Over the nine-year life of the unit, it has played home to three breweries (San Diego Brewing Co., Attitude Brewing, GOAL.), but held the distinction of being the only suite to house a non-beer operation (hard kombucha brand, Juneshine, which moved to a larger HQ in Scripps Ranch after three years in North Park). That will once again be the case as Modern Times Coffee (a division linked to the Modern Times Pub hospitality side of the reconfigured, multifaceted beverage brand) has taken over the 2,500-square-foot space. Located at 3052 El Cajon Boulevard, the suite is being converted from a brewery to an HQ for the brand’s java operations, including cold-brew, flash-chilled and barrel-aged coffee. The new venue will go by the name Cathedral of Caffeination and include a “coffee taproom” with numerous varieties available on-tap. That project is underway at the same time as two soon-to-be-completed downtown San Diego projects: Modern Times’ new Timestead bar-and-restaurant at the former downtown home of The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole and defunct beer company Resident Brewing located at 1065 4th Avenue, and a 6,000-square-foot special-events venue called Chronos Hall at 325 15th Street.
Two year’s worth of congratulations go out to the team at Hodad’s Brewing. Last week, Director of Operations and Head Brewer Marlow Myrmo and Assistant Brewer Jake Fritzges took the stage at the European Beer Star Awards in Munich, Germany to accept a first-place award in the Hazy India Pale Ale category for their foggy hop-bomb Turtle Town. Originally brewed last year in collaboration with the aforementioned Resident Brewing, the beer took bronze at the 2024 edition of the competition, as well. As they did last year, the Hodad’s team made it to the medal stand by beating out scores of breweries from around the world in what was one of the most highly contested categories of the entire contest. The beer is currently available at Hodad’s locations as well as in cans at select retailers throughout San Diego County.
Scripps Ranch-based Harland Brewing was only a few months into its existence when it opened a satellite taproom at Del Mar Highlands‘ One Paseo retail development in 2019. Outfitted with pool tables and an airy patio, it’s always looked right at home within the upscale shopping center, but come October, Harland will have moved on from that space, as the company further sharpens its focus on its upcoming 3,400-square-foot bar and restaurant in San Diego’s 4S Ranch neighborhood. That venue is loosely scheduled to open to the public before the end of the year and will be located at 16480 Paseo Del Sur, Suite 105. Harland will continue to operate its other locations in Bay Park, South Park and its Scripps Ranch headquarters, which recently welcomed the addition of an onsite kitchen called The Ocotillo.