In 2015, restaurateur and craft-beer enthusiast Grant Tondro established Mason Ale Works, a brewing operation supplying the hospitality venues of its parent company 3 Local Brothers. A decade later, that restaurant group is no more and Mason Ale Works is the cornerstone of House of Mason Beverage Collective, a varied portfolio of beverages – both adult and non-alcoholic – that Tondro has managed as part of Newport Beach-based holding company West Coast Ventures & Resources (WCVR) since 2023.
Under Tondro’s stewardship, House of Mason has brought on notable San Diego-based beer brands, including Eppig Brewing, Second Chance Beer Co. and Shoots Beer Co., as well as local beverage manufacturers Castellum Ciders, Old Harbor Distilling and Swell Soda, distributing their wares to retail establishments while selling them across the bars of a pair of taprooms in Barrio Logan and Point Loma, which operate under the Mason and Eppig flags, respectively, while offering products from the entire portfolio.
There have been plenty of ups, downs and changes over House of Mason’s lifespan. Some onboarded brands are no longer part of the portfolio, a 2024 pop-up East Village tasting room bordering Petco Park’s Park at the Park did not post revenues to support a long-term lease, and the 16,000-square-foot Vista production brewery inherited with Eppig’s acquisition has since been ceded to The Lost Abbey Brewing. The latter represents a successful streamlining move that has allowed Tondro to focus his limited energies on production of House of Mason beverages and the entity’s public venues, but it’s still a lot for one person to largely handle on their own.
Fortunately for Tondro, he has gained reinforcements. On December 31, Latitude Brewing – the parent company of local craft-beer brands Latitude 33 Brewing and Thorn Brewing – closed on a deal to acquire the House of Mason portfolio from WCVR. As part of the post-transaction structure, Finest City Beverages LLC (FCB) will serve as the holdings entity and operating platform for all brands across the combined portfolio, bringing them under one strategic umbrella.
Tondro will now serve as Executive Vice President of Commercial Business in charge of marketing, hospitality and new venue development. He will work with FCB Chairman CJ Sanchez, who owned Classic Beverage Distribution prior to the company’s sale to Hand Family Companies last April, and Latitude Brewing President Mike Ingram, the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Finance in charge of production operations, capital discipline, ongoing mergers-and-acquisitions efforts and performance management.
“Our long-term vision is to build a true beverage company – not confined to one category,” says Sanchez. “Craft beer remains a core engine, but the future is a broader portfolio spanning beer, ready-to-drink cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, cider, spirits and hospitality-led experiences. FCB gives us the structure to allocate capital intelligently, optimize execution and scale the brands that earn it – without sacrificing what made them special.”
Since House of Mason’s establishment, Tondro has endeavored to maintain the identities of the brands in the portfolio rather than homogenize them as offshoots of a central brand, retaining (and in some cases updating) logos, can art and interior design, and going so far as to keep brands’ popular annual events alive. Having worked closely with the founders of each brand, often for years prior to House of Mason’s establishment, he says he understands the people behind the businesses, their stories and what makes them unique, and wants to preserve that, both for established fans and consumers who are just discovering their products.
“These brands already have loyal communities. We’re going to honor that while raising the bar on the guest experience,” says Tondro. “Our focus is simple: strong hospitality, smart marketing and disciplined venue growth that strengthens each brand and creates places where people genuinely want to spend time.”
The FCB team is currently exploring all options for new public venues. Key areas for them include downtown San Diego, North County, Orange County and potentially Temecula. Meanwhile, it will be business as usual at the taprooms in Barrio Logan and Point Loma, following their official ownership transfer. Latitude 33 also operates a bar within Brewer’s Deck, the top-floor venue at Del Mar Highlands’ Sky Deck hospitality collaborative. FCB is also open to bringing on new brands, but says it’s more about quality than quantity and getting the right fit for their portfolio.
“This acquisition is about building a diverse beverage platform – not just adding brands,” says Ingram. “Grant built a high-quality, diversified portfolio across multiple segments, and FCB gives us a clean structure to hold and operate the entire platform with greater operational clarity and efficiency. We’re going to protect what made these brands matter, tighten the operating systems and continue to grow with discipline.”