In November, Eppig Brewing‘s founders announced there would be big changes for the company following brand-growing consultancy West Coast Ventures & Resources (WCVR) taking over operations of the seven-year-old brewing company. The first was the immediate shuttering of Eppig’s tasting room on Prospect Street in La Jolla, but more changes are on the way. Following service on Sunday, December 17, WCVR will temporarily close the taproom at the company’s Vista headquarters with plans to reassess the space.
Another change for Eppig involves its organizational structure. While married co-founders Stephanie Eppig and Todd Warshaw are still involved in the business in a limited capacity, one of the pair of partners that was responsible for brewing and operations is no longer affiliated with the company. That individual, Nathan Stephens, joined Eppig’s opening quartet as principal brewer after years spent working at Miramar-based Ballast Point Brewing.
Following news of WCVR’s arrival, Stephens announced via his personal social-media account that this spring he had informed his partners he would be transitioning out of the brewery because he needed a break and that he officially left the company at the beginning of October. Meanwhile, partner and Lead Brewer Clayton LeBlanc, who transitioned to a sales-focused role roughly four years into Eppig’s lifespan, remains with the company.
While Eppig’s Vista and La Jolla tasting rooms will no longer be open, its popular waterfront biergarten in Point Loma will remain in operation, serving core and seasonal beers as well as the small-batch offerings produced in Vista. It is open Monday through Friday from noon to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
WCVR is also in the process of searching for sites in which to establish additional Eppig tasting rooms, with an emphasis on North County and areas near downtown San Diego. Increasing the company’s physical presence throughout the county and expanding the company’s distribution footprint to include new territories and states are primary goals for 2024.
Eppig Brewing’s production facility is located at 1347 Keystone Way, Suite C in Vista, and its Waterfront Biergarten is located at 2817 Dickens Street in Point Loma