Most people who open a brewery do so with a keen focus on providing a quality product, producing beers they themselves enjoy drinking, and communicating their passion for the art of brewing through their ales and lagers. Much of Mike Zane‘s attention and energy is being funneled toward those goals, but for him and his wife, Ewa, beer is only half the equation. They’re just as excited about bringing a fun hangout to Old Town Vista where their neighbors can kick back, relax and be entertained, and say good beer and good times will be co-headliners when their InZane Brewing debuts in Old Town Vista.
“InZane Brewing was born just this past March, but the dream of opening a brewery began about eight years ago,” says Mike. “The original brewery team started out with five friends, myself included, but due to the number of cooks in the kitchen, it only lasted a few years and we were never able to move out of the garage. Our second go only included me and a buddy, but when we started looking for locations he decided it was too big of a project. Then a location on Main Street opened up, and my wife and I decided it was too big of an opportunity to pass.”
Sharing a nickname its founder has personally sported for years, the business is being installed in the 4,500-square-foot storefront that formerly housed Wavelength Brewing. That seven-year-old space-themed interest went out of business last October, a casualty of the pandemic. Before COVID-19 regulations stymied its ability to remain profitable, the business successfully drew customers with a variety of events. That was the plan when Wavelength founder Hans Haas equipped his tasting room with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment.
The Zanes had explored other potential spaces but always knew they wanted to set up shop in Vista. Mike has lived in the North County city most of his life. On top of that, he and Ewa appreciate the fact that the City of Vista goes out of its way to create a brewery-friendly environment and regulations. They are also happy with the City’s efforts to revitalizing its downtown area.
“We live very close to downtown Vista, and over the years we’ve spent lots of time down there, first at Mother Earth Brew Co.’s taphouse and then Belching Beaver Brewery’s tavern. We’ve watched the area grow” says Mike. “Now, the bars and restaurants are allowed to have live music without special licensing. That makes for a downtown atmosphere that’s friendly and inviting, both for customers and owners. We feel very blessed to be a part of it.”
On track to open in August, InZane will host live bands, comedy shows and open-mic nights. On the beer side, a dozen taps will pour beers produced on-site on a 55-gallon system feeding into six 500-liter fermenters. When asked about the beers that will be available on opening day, Mike rifles off a list of styles that’s anything but everyday for San Diego breweries, listing a black rye IPA, California common, plus multiple lagers, brown and amber ales.
“I’m a small-batch brewer, which allows me to have a wide range of creativity blending flavors and styles. My passion is to play with recipes, techniques and styles,” he says. “I don’t tend to have a style I naturally gravitate to, however, one thing I will focus on is having full-bodied beers with lower ABV (alcohol-by-volume).”
Mike started homebrewing in 2001 and says he quickly became “addicted” to the process. Shortly after that, he started working for his local homebrew-supply store until he learned of a new brewery that was hiring. That Vista operation went by the name Green Flash Brewing, and was headed by Brewmaster Chuck Silva, who went on to win numerous prestigious awards for the company before moving to Paso Robles to open Silva Brewing.
Mike worked under Silva as an assistant and cellarman, before departing the industry to work a variety of jobs over the following two decades. All the while, his dream of someday opening his own brewery stuck with him, and he’s thrilled that he and his wife are hammering it into brick-and-mortar reality.
“We plan on creating a fun and inviting atmosphere,” says Mike. “Our goal is to have an InZanely fun place to spend an evening, watch a show and enjoy a good beer.”
InZane Brewing is located at 236 Main Street in Vista’s Old Town area