The great outdoors have become an essential serving space for local breweries during the pandemic. In many cases, breweries and other hospitality venues have had to scramble to shape-up makeshift outdoor areas to make them appealing for customers. One local brewery, New English Brewing, received a big assist on that front from their landlord, Longfellow Real Estate Partners, who recently completed construction of a large public amenity space that includes a beer garden run by the Sorrento Valley brewery.
It’s part of a plan years in the making to lure biotech tenants to the business park New English is part of. That site, the Sorrento Valley Science District (SoVa) has been significantly upgraded, campus-wide. Once gray exterior walls now bear a colorful geometric design complemented by yellow sculptures tying the campus together. Recreational elements such as a gym and shuffleboard courts have been built on-site, but the centerpiece of the operation is the amenity space, which comes in at a whopping 10,000 square feet and includes a licensed 2,000-square-foot patio area just outside the brewery’s front door that is currently available to tenants and the public alike.
“The patio is currently where our guests can sit to enjoy a beer and a meal, with the space offering loads of new, stylish seating that’s shaded by umbrellas. There is even a fire pit on the patio for cooler nights,” says New English owner and Brewmaster Simon Lacey. “This area opens up to a large lawn and a modern gazebo with furniture, which we anticipate receiving permission to start using soon, so guests will be able to kick back in an orange Adirondack chair or a swinging nest. Bright and vibrant mural art adorns the front of the building and the gazebo walls. Many trees, plants and other vegetation have been planted in the amenity space and around the brewery, as well, with a path winding around the perimeter. It all creates an inviting, fun atmosphere.”
New English was founded in 2007, but didn’t move into its current facility until 2011, back when a large percentage of local breweries operated in business parks. Over time, breweries and their customers have come to crave more aesthetic appeal, comfort and flair when it comes to tasting rooms. That includes al fresco imbibing options. The addition of this beer garden falls right in line with such present-day wants as well as pandemic-era governmental mandates.
“We seriously appreciate the thought and care that our landlord has taken over the new area as well as the upgrades of the building facades and landscaping along Sorrento Valley Road,” says Lacey. “Even after the current restrictions are lifted, we feel that these additions will breathe new life into this overlooked corner of the city and we look forward to the possibilities that lie ahead.”
New English is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 7 p.m. For now, its tasting room and next-door event space are not open to the public, but once indoor service and large events are once again allowed, Lacey look forward to exploring how the new outdoor space can further enhance private gatherings.
New English Brewing is located at 11545 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite #305 in Sorrento Valley