In May, Mark Purciel (pictured on the can above), the original co-founder and Brewmaster for Oceanside Ale Works (OAW), shared that he was past some legal red tape, allowing him to start the process of reopening his brewery, which operated from 2006 to 2018. After several weeks of heavy brewing, he has a date picked out for his return to the San Diego beer scene. OAW will open to the public tomorrow, Saturday, June 26.
When asked what is new and different this time around, Purciel says the interior has a more “raw and boorish” look. He says he’s more focused on producing consistent, quality beers. And while the beer board will feature some new creations, Purciel made a point to bring back his popular core beers, but with improvements he says are most detectable in their more pronounced aromas.
“At first I wanted to do a plethora of beers, but as I began brewing again, I thought it would be best to concentrate on a small base of standards along with a few barrel-aged brews,” says Purciel. “For the proletariat lineup, I will have Buccaneer Blonde, Pier View Pale, San Luis Rey Red, a session IPA called Test of Time and a new IPA called Phoenix.” Phoenix IPA references OAW’s rise from the ashes. It’s brewed with two-row and a touch of Munich malt, and hopped with Summit, New Zealand Hallertau and Mosaic, then dry-hopped with Liberty and Phoenix.
As for what Purciel calls the “bourgeoisie” and “hipster” lineups, they will include:
- Tennessee Bourbon Barrel-aged American Strong Ale
- Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrel-aged Red Ale with Vanilla Beans
- Bleuet Blueberry Riesling Barrel-aged Sour Ale
- Aardbei Strawberry Gewurztraminer Barrel-aged Sour Ale
When asked what he is most looking forward to, Purciel echoes the sentiments of Pat Mcilhenney, the founder and original brewmaster for Alpine Beer Co., who recently returned to the local beer scene after opening Mcilhenney Brewing last month. He just wants to welcome people back to enjoy his beer along with some friendly conversation and much-missed interaction.
“It sounds peculiar, but I just miss hanging out with people. My wife calls me a social butterfly and I do not disagree,” says Purciel. “Beer is such a great medium to spark up friendships and to continue them. Sometimes I am just rapping with folks about beer and, next thing you know, we are talking about solving the world’s problems.”
Live entertainment was a staple of OAW dating back to its very first year in business, and the reopening event will include music from local band, Jiggawatt as will the company’s grand-opening event on Saturday, July 10. Following its debut, OAW will be open for business Friday through Sunday from 2 to 10 p.m.
Oceanside Ale Works is located at 1800 Ord Way in Oceanside