Last summer, Frank Harton put his San Marcos business, Double Peak Brewing, up for sale. It wasn’t for lack of a passion for craft beer. Prior to opening, he had homebrewed for more than a quarter-century, and he still reveled in serving his beers to the many regulars that had become like family to him and his partners in the business…i.e., his actual family. But heading into his golden years with numerous other self-made businesses to look after, he felt the challenging economy and beer-industry climate made it the right time to wind down Double Peak.
Though logical, it was a tough decision for Harton, who had poured much time, funds and energy into constructing a top-grade, ultra-efficient brewery and cellar equipped with a number of impressive bells and whistles, including a canning line. Bolstered by a comfortable tasting room and a separate private-event space, it was the type of amenable turnkey location that would have quickly been snatched up in years past. But in the current era of decreased demand and uncertainty as to the future of artisanal beer, the listing languished until the late-2024 arrival of an eager entrepreneur who appreciated all the site had to offer.
That individual is Cody Gagnon, a North County native with a decade of local beer-industry experience. His career includes time at large brewing companies, including Karl Strauss Brewing, Mother Earth Brew Co. and Pizza Port Brewing. In 2019, he left the latter to open Vista-based start-up WestBrew before moving on to his job helming North County brewpub Carlsbad Brewing, where he’s worked the past two-plus years. Along the way, he came up with the idea to start his own business, one offering a variety of tropical-inspired ales and lagers. Originally, he had planned on producing those beers as a side-hustle at his current workplace, but ultimately decided it would be in his best interests to secure his own base of operations.
Gagnon spent over a year searching for the right spot, but none of the potential sites he toured felt right until he met with Harton at since-shuttered Double Peak in October of last year. That meeting almost didn’t happen, as a prospective buyer had agreed to purchase the brewery from Harton, but backed out of the sale the week prior. Gagnon took one look at the setup the seller had so caringly and painstakingly installed and knew at once he had finally found a home for his own labor of love, Michi Brew Co.
“Double Peak is extremely well put together and had many of my boxes checked as far as space, system, size and ability to expand,” says Gagnon. “The aesthetics portray natural wood accents that make the transition to my brand much easier. The opportunity to take over an existing brewery only works if the foundation is solid, and Frank has done a great job with that.”
Sharing Gagnon’s nickname for his wife, Michiko, the brand will convey a Hawaiian vibe and the Pacific locale’s welcoming, familial spirit of ‘ohana. In addition to beers infused with tropical ingredients, the tasting room will be key to driving all of that home. The Gagnons are looking to create a “fun and mysterious” tiki-inspired environment that will extend to the aforementioned event space, which will be converted into an overflow area dubbed the “Ohana Room”.
To further make their new home their own, the Gagnons intend to install a kitchen serving Hawaiian-inspired dishes. Eventually, they would like to expand on that culinary addition by offering breakfast service, introducing a coffee element and building an outdoor patio space where patrons can enjoy all Michi Brew Co. has to offer.
As for the beers, Gagnon aims to focus on the perpetual release of new creations versus nailing down a staid inventory of core beers. That said, he will gauge patron feedback to determine at least a couple of popular beer styles – likely an IPA and lager – to keep on-tap at all times. Beyond that, the sky’s the limit, stylistically. Initially, beers will be served exclusively on draft, but Gagnon intends to put his inherited packaging apparatus to work for limited canned-beer releases once there is sufficient demand.
Though Gagnon only recently discovered the Double Peak space, his project has been in the works for a long time, taking shape and further metamorphosizing into a fully formed vision he is eager to realize. Now that he has his space secured, he hopes to get busy brewing, starting with longer-lead lagers so they can hopefully be ready by Michi Brew Co.’s mid-spring debut timeframe. But first, there’s a lot of work for him, his wife and his supporters to get done.
“Michi Brew Co. has been in the works for years, and it takes a village to bring a dream to life,” says Gagnon. “I’m extremely excited to expand and grow the community of people around the brewery, and can’t wait to share our beers.”
Michi Brew Co. is located at 1801 Diamond Street, Suite 101 in San Marcos