In the craft-beer industry — especially the network of professionals making up San Diego’s suds scene — it’s commonplace for brewers from different companies to help one another out. Many are the now-established brewery owners who have long lists of industry personnel to thank for lending them crucial advice, equipment, ingredients or a helping hand during the formative stages of their businesses. Local brewer Ramiro Salas (pictured below) has joined those ranks after teaming with a local brewery to enter into an alternating-proprietorship agreement that will make it possible for him to launch his new venture, Cerveza California.
This will be Salas’ second time opening a brewery. The first came in the city where he spent much of his youth when he co-founded Calexico Brewing. It was its namesake municipality’s first-ever local beer operation and was inspired by the scores of quality breweries Salas and his partners discovered during countless visits to San Diego County. Unfortunately, friction between the partners led to Salas exiting the business shortly after its debut. It was something the young entrepreneur took very hard.
“I was devastated. I had put a lot on the line in order to make this dream of starting a brewery come true, and just like that it was gone. But life does that to you. It’ll test you to see what you’re made of,” says Salas. “I had previously left my corporate job in order to start Calexico Brewing, so when I was not part of the business anymore, I decided to continue to pursue a career in beer. I moved to San Diego, enrolled in UCSD’s Brewing Program and was soon hired by Ketch Brewing, which was in its infancy. I have been with them ever since.”
During his time in San Diego, Salas says he has met many talented and passionate industry contemporaries. Two of them are Daren Rudy and Alex Kim, the founders of Kearny Mesa brewing concern, Ataraxia Aleworks, who he met through his work at Ketch, where he currently serves as Production Lead.
Earlier this year, Salas had an investor lined up to help bring Cerveza California to life, but when that arrangement didn’t pan out, he started brainstorming about other, more prudent and efficient ways to get his business going. That’s when he approached Rudy and Kim with his idea for an alternating proprietorship that would allow him to license and share their brewing and cellar equipment to produce Cerveza California beers for him to sell to retail establishments. The proposal was well received. “Our neighbors at Ketch have been a huge help for us, providing us with services we weren’t able to do ourselves just yet. In return, we like to help them out in any way we can, so when Ramiro approached us with the idea, we were excited to be able to help,” says Rudy. “Still being relatively new ourselves, we don’t take for granted all the help that was given to us when we were starting out, so we’re excited to be able to pay it forward.”
I opted for an alternating proprietorship because it provides a way for me to begin building my brand and developing my beers on a small scale without having to invest the hundreds of thousands of dollars it takes to build a brewery.”
Ramiro Salas, Founder, Cerveza California
Salas will be solely responsible for producing his beers, which will consist of drinkable lagers, mostly in the Mexican style, augmented by session-strength ales and, eventually, a West Coast IPA.
Cerveza California’s tagline is “Hecho en [translation: made in] San Diego with Mexican roots”, and its goal will be to celebrate brewing cultures in San Diego and Baja California; something Salas will be able to do on a broader scale once he eventually opens his own production facility and tasting room. For the latter, he hopes to offer not only Cerveza California beers, but also craft ales and lagers from brewing companies on both sides of the border.
At present, Salas is working to obtain the necessary licensing to begin brewing. He hopes to self-distribute his first beers beginning in early 2024 and aims to produce just 50 barrels in his first year as he works to prove his multicultural concept.
Ataraxia Aleworks is located at 7292 Opportunity Road in Kearny Mesa