It was big news in February 2021 when two senior-level brewers from Ballast Point Brewing announced they had resigned from one of the country’s largest craft-beer companies to team on construction of a small brewery with a 1,000-square-foot production area in downtown San Diego. Many marveled at the level of determination displayed as they followed their personal passions, and have remained glued to their screens watching a year-and-a-half of product- and equipment-sourcing, construction and brewing content on East Village Brewing’s social-media accounts. Now, Aaron Justus and Brandon Green are in the home stretch. Their beers are ready to serve, their tasting room is nearly finished and they expect to show off what they’ve created in less than a week.
“We are a little tired and a lot wiser,” says Justus. He and Green had hoped to debut East Village Brewing last year, but what he calls the “COVID hangover” made it difficult to get a bank loan and led to a 14-month wait just to get building permits. “Starting a business and monitoring construction is exciting, but hard work. It’s fun to finally get on the brewhouse and make beer.”
That brewhouse will be on full display for customers. The tasting room is situated within the production area to create a fully immersive experience in which patrons find themselves surrounded by tanks and wine barrels right upon entry. Beyond that is a 24-foot bar forged from a fallen Torrey pine salvaged from Bonita, as well as a mix of low- and high-top tables. An outdoor patio will feature similar seating, as well as lounge chairs and unique wood elements.
“We are outdoor enthusiasts, and are committed to being a sustainable brewery and tasting room. We wanted the tasting-room décor to match this ethos and have an earthy, natural look,” says Green. “We have a few murals painted by local artist, Britten Valdivieso. The main wall at the entrance showcases a mural of plants native to San Diego. We also have dark-stained reclaimed wood wrapping our cold-box, which helps to accentuate Britten’s painting.”
Some of East Village Brewing’s suppliers will also be on display in the tasting room to help communicate another aspect of the business’ philosophy.
“We want to celebrate the terroir of ingredients grown in the Western U.S.,” says Justus. “All of our hops and barley are sourced within a 1,000-mile radius of our brewery. We are going to hang photos of our partnering farms throughout the tasting room and brewery.”
East Village Brewing will have beer flowing from six serving tanks, with an additional three or four offerings. Here, Justus and Green provide details on their inaugural offerings.
- Freehike | Double IPA (8.4%): Freehiking is the act of navigating through nature without trails, sometimes with an unknown destination. We feel like this is a perfect metaphor for our new adventure in brewing. Freehike IPA will be an ongoing series of IPAs where the recipe changes with each brew. This batch is a double IPA with Strata, Citra, Idaho 7 and Centennial hops, a combo which yields intense tropical-fruit flavor and aroma.
- Big Break | Double Red Ale (9%): We absolutely love Simcoe hops from the 2021 harvest. They give this beer a pleasant ripe-strawberry aroma and flavor. Just a touch of dark roasted malts adds a subtle chocolate note and red hue.
- COG Bomb | Hazy IPA (7.2%): As the name implies, COG (cost of goods) was ignored with this beer. We were heavy-handed with our addition of Mosaic, Cashmere and Chinook hops. Pineapple and mango are the primary flavor notes. We were also excited t use spelt from LINC Malt, which is a co-op of family farms in Eastern Washington. This malt provides a thick haze and soft mouthfeel, which balances out the intense hoppiness.
- Harbor Lights | Rye Brown Porter (6.4%): Biscuit Rye is a wonderful malt from Great Western Malting in the Pacific Northwest. It adds flavors of sourdough bread crust and a slight spiciness. This beer is designed to be dry so that it finishes like a fine cup of cold-brew coffee.
- Bee Patient | Honey Golden Ale (5.4%): This beer is brewed exclusively with ingredients grown in California from Admiral Maltings, Thomsen Hops and San Diego Honey Company. The beauty of it is its simplicity. It’s delicate with a pleasant aroma of honey and crackers.
East Village Brewing also has a pair of lagers in the works, which will be tapped once they have properly conditioned. One of those offerings, Kampala Special (see below), is a nod to Justus’ wife, who hails from Uganda.
- Kampala Special | African-style Lager (5.8%): This beer is inspired from sorghum beers of East Africa. We sourced our sorghum from Nu Life in Western Kansas. They grow it sustainably so that it is carbon neutral. The sorghum adds a smooth mouthfeel to this crisp, refreshing lager.
- San Diego Super Lager | Helles Bock (7.6%): This beer is brewed with 100% organic ingredients. We are excited to use organic Adeena from Roy Farms. It’s grown in the Pacific Northwest, though it has all the characteristics of a German aroma-hop, which is great for lagers. It has a distinct and zest citrus bite, which elevates this beer and makes it a delight to drink.
“Once the dust has settled from opening week, we will commission our small canning line and offer take-home six-packs,” says Justus. “Every beer we brew will have a unique recipe, so there should be something new every time you visit, both on-tap and in cans.”
Once they’ve settled into a groove, Justus and Green also intend to start up their barrel-program by brewing up an imperial stout that will be siphoned into wine barrels. They’ve also secured four 500-liter puncheons, which they will use to ferment mixed-culture beers.
If all goes as planned, Justus and Green hope will officially open their tasting room to the public on Tuesday, August 23. Following that, East Village Brewing will be open from 3 to 9 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, noon to 10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
East Village Brewing is located at 201 Park Boulevard, Suite 101, in downtown’s East Village