In June, after many months of searching for a site to house a satellite tasting room in San Diego proper, Eppig Brewing announced it would be hammering down stakes in a 1,300-square-foot former art studio in La Jolla. Located on the north end of Prospect Street’s business district, it’s the company’s third location, joining its headquarters in Vista and Waterfront Biergarten in Point Loma. It’s also the only current brewery-owned venue in La Jolla, following the January 2021 departure of a Karl Strauss Brewing brewpub which had a 25-year run on Wall Street.
Though meeting the primary criteria of being located in San Diego proper, Eppig’s La Jolla Bierhaus is a considerable distance from where ownership had originally planned to settle down. The team had been gung-ho about returning to North Park, the neighborhood where they launched the company in 2016. Though Eppig was able to temporarily do so by operating a pop-up tasting room in the building that formerly housed Waypoint Public from 2020 to 2021, negotiations on a permanent spot in a separate North Park space broke down earlier this year, inspiring leadership to broaden its search area.
Co-owner Todd Warshaw says he’s glad they did, as the La Jolla location has a lot to offer. In addition to being in a prime location near high-profile, well-patronized restaurants such as George’s at the Cove and Eddie V’s, the space receives regular foot traffic from tourists and locals alike year-round. And being the only game in town where local beer is concerned is another big plus.
Wanting to get open as soon as possible to be able to take advantage of the summer tourist season, Warshaw and his colleagues had planned to work fast to complete work on part one of a two-phase construction plan. That initial work would allow the Bierhaus debut in an interim state around Labor Day before closing down in early 2023 to complete work on phase two, which would involve installation of a cold box and bathroom reconfiguration. Now, it appears enough progress was made over the past few months to constitute a change of plans.
“We were able to do more than we expected in phase one and get closer to our overall long-term vision for the space,” says Warshaw. “While we have a few plans for additional enhancements, we no longer believe we will need to close in the winter months to accomplish our goals.”
Designed by New York architect Tyler Caine, the Bierhaus will offer a mix of indoor bar seating as well as additional space on a dog-friendly patio. That al fresco area will offer what the company calls “peek-a-boo views” of the Pacific Ocean. Overall, the design motif aims to link the Bierhaus to the venues that have come before it.
“The new space features décor tying into our other locations, with walnut-stained tables, reclaimed wood on the walls and bar fronts, and historical artwork and a central logo on the wall to capture and communicate the brand’s identity and Bavarian roots,” says Warshaw.
“We are excited to finally have a craft brewery open a tasting room location in the neighborhood. It’s something we have been lacking and will help round out the offerings to guests visiting our area as well as locals,” says Hitoshi Yuhara, who owns neighboring restaurant Shiku Sushi. “Eppig makes some of the best beer in the county, so they will be a welcome addition to Prospect Street.”
Eppig’s La Jolla Bierhaus will hold a soft-opening weekend from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28. Days and hours of operation have yet to be determined beyond that as the company works to adequately staff the venue.
The Bierhaus will be the fourth local brewery-owned venue to open in the past week, joining Pizza Port‘s Imperial Beach brewpub (open for food-only service while awaiting the arrival of its liquor license), Little Miss Brewing‘s Eastlake tasting room and East Village Brewing. Societe Brewing‘s Old Town San Diego tasting room is also expected to make its debut once it receives license approval, which could happen as soon as today.
Eppig Brewing’s La Jolla Bierhaus is located at 1273 Prospect Street