In 2015, after years of absorbing life lessons in high-volume hospitality venue management at their family Gaslamp Quarter business, The Field Irish Pub, sister-and-brother duo Stacy and Daniel Drayne opened a business all their own, Half Door Brewing. Sited in a converted circa-1900 two-story house on the corner of Ninth and Island Avenues in the East Village, the homey, European-style venue became popular among downtown inhabitants as well as Padres fans taking in games at nearby Petco Park. A solid location, welcoming atmosphere, hearty food and homespun ales and lagers kept the business going strong, but a decade in, the Draynes have decided to move on, selling the business to Villains Brewing.
Based in Anaheim, Villains launched in the 33,000-square-foot site that previously housed Point Loma-based Modern Times Beer’s “Leisuretown” brewpub in the summer of 2023. The product of the hospitality veterans behind Los Angeles’ popular barbecue enterprise, Smoke & Fire Social Eatery, the original Villains offers house beers from Head Brewer Brad Kominek (previously of Noble Ale Works, Green Cheek Beer Co.) along with a cocktail program and multiple culinary concepts all under one roof.
It remains to be seen what the Villains team plans to implement at the Half Door site, which is considerably smaller at 4,000 square feet. The business license transfer is still in process, so the Draynes aren’t yet able to determine a last day of service, nor is there an estimated debut date for Villains. For now, it’s business as usual at Half Door, providing patrons the opportunity to enjoy it in its current state before the changing of the guard.
“It’s been 10 years and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but it just feels like the right time,” says Stacy, who in recent years has managed both Half Door and The Field. “It’s a lot having two places. My dad is getting older and he wants to do his life. Also, I want to have kids. So this is really more of a life adjustment.”
From day one, Daniel headed production from the pub’s dual-level brewery, which was visible to patrons from outdoor seating on the upstairs and downstairs patios. While a red ale and stout celebrating his Irish heritage were expectedly popular staples, Drayne never shied away from popular styles, trends or experimentation. When Belgian ales were en vogue, he embraced them, and as adjuncts became more commonplace he experimented with them. But the most recognition he received was for being one of the first local brewers to go all-in crafting hazy IPAs in the soupy style of Northeast U.S. brewers just as those now-ubiquitous beers began to take off.
When asked about her favorite memories from the decade gone by, Stacy immediately recalls the day Half Door opened, seeing a line down the street and being in disbelief that so many people were excited to check out the business. Similarly memorable was their overwhelmingly successful first Padres opening-day weekend, seeing people get married in the domestic space they’d created and countless nights spent across the bar from people who enjoyed the business as much as her.
“To all the regulars that come in nightly and enjoy us as their last stop before home, we thank you for creating so many great memories here at this ‘home’,” says Stacy. “We hope that we still get to see all the familiar faces over at The Field once Half Door officially closes.”
Half Door Brewing is located at 903 Island Avenue in downtown San Diego’s East Village community