In February, Miramar-based Kings & Convicts Brewing closed its tasting room in Leucadia. That 1,500-square-foot satellite venue had been acquired as a companion piece when the company took over the Distribution Avenue production brewery previously operated by Saint Archer Brewing in early 2022, following parent company Molson Coors’ discontinuation of the brand. When announcing the tasting-room closure, Kings & Convicts ownership explained that neither of the aforementioned locations were part of their plans for the future, and while a deal is not yet done, North Park-based Fall Brewing is in the process of acquiring the Miramar facility.
Conversely, turnover of the Leucadia venue was instantaneous. Before Kings & Convicts shuttered the site, a new tenant, seven-year-old gluten-reduced beer operation Duck Foot Brewing, had been lined up and was chomping at the bit to get to work making the taproom their own. The team from that Miramar-based interest has been hard at work over the past two months infusing its colorful aesthetic into its spinoff location while paying homage to its new surf-town surroundings.
“For the interior we kept the modern bones everyone liked, but as we were working on the space and meeting our new neighbors, the overwhelming request from the community was to bring back the location’s old surf vibe. So, we listened,” says Duck Foot founder Matt DelVecchio. “Our community celebrates surf, art and music culture along with good craft beer, so I think it’s all in line.”
DelVecchio and his creative team got in touch with local surf artist Andy Davis, who the company collaborated with in 2018 on can artwork for a series of hazy IPAs called “Hop On”. Together, they went through the artwork Davis had produced for that series, selecting scenes from a beer dubbed “Secret Spot”, which they then blew up and hung on the walls of the taproom.
Duck Foot is also applying the name of that beer to the tasting room. Not only is “Secret Spot” a popular surfing term, but the team feels it applies to the new taproom, which is sandwiched between a pair of surf shops just a block from Leucadia State Beach (AKA: Beacon’s). The name is particularly fitting given the fact Duck Foot’s signage—which DelVecchio says will be a sight to behold—isn’t up yet.
While a sign may not be ready on opening day, the beer will be flowing. DelVecchio expects to have 26 of the venue’s 30 taps hooked up to Duck Foot kegs. Several opening-day beers will be specialties celebrating the new location’s arrival. They will include the return of Secret Spot hazy IPA, the release of a wild ale that’s been aged for two years in wine barrels, and the debut of One Friendly IPA, the name of which is a nod to the tagline (“one friendly place”) of the business that previously inhabited the taproom space, Roy’s Market. And expect another popular beer-based beverage.
“Our beer slushie program is such a hit in Miramar. We look forward to bringing it to the Leucadia location. We plan on serving the same lineup of slushies at both locations all year so that nobody will miss out,” says DelVecchio. “We think he beach community is going to be pretty stoked about it.”
The tasting room will open today at noon. Its hours of operation are noon to 8 p.m. on Mondays, noon to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Wednesday, noon to 10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays. Duck Foot will hold an official grand-opening later this month with food and live music. Information on that event will be announced via the company’s Instagram account.
Duck Foot Brewing’s satellite tasting room is located at 978 North Coast Highway, #2051, in Leucadia