Unlike the alien forces in the sci-fi cinematic work it was named after, Plan 9 Alehouse was never intended to win the attention of the world. Opened in 2013, it was an early, small-production beer operation built to service its immediate community from its pub in the heart of downtown Escondido. At the time, most breweries were following a production model based on bottling beer for distribution, with grander aspirations of getting into grocery stores, big-box retail outlets, additional cities and numerous states. Over the past seven years, there’s been a paradigm shift. Now, little neighborhood spots are everywhere. They’re cool, a fun way to support your local everything and invest one’s hard-earned dollars close to home. But with the pandemic limiting service capacity, their owners have had to get creative.
Count Plan 9 owner Aaron Calles as an innovator on multiple fronts. Like many, he’s found a way to get his beer into cans, but he’s also making use of space inside his brewpub that would otherwise go unused due to pandemic-related restrictions, upping the appeal of his venue by installing a record shop. The north wall of Plan 9 now features a rack of new and used vinyl, ready for exploration and purchase along with eclectic merchandise and items from a new takeaway menu featuring house-made snacks, cold-brew coffee, juices and lemonade.
“The record shop is a way to add an additional revenue stream since we are all struggling through this pandemic,” says Calles. “But music has always been an important part of our concept. I’ve been a vinyl junkie for decades and our area doesn’t have a record store. Starting one inside our brewpub is a safe way to give the community something it doesn’t have without committing to a ton of inventory.”
Calles says he’ll keep the record shop going as long as the ultra-positive response he’s seen from customers continues. And while current health mandates won’t allow for mass get-togethers, once able, he hopes to create some fun events marrying music and beer.
On the beer front, the following Plan 9 brands are in or on their way into aluminum:
- Modern Love Dry-Hopped Lager
- Crispy Business American Lager
- Turd Ferguson Imperial Hoppy Brown Ale
- Astro Zombies Hazy IPA with El Dorado & Mosaic Hops
- Awkward Social Zombies Hazy IPA with Citra & Sabro Hops
- Executive Shredder West Coast IPA with Simcoe, Columbus & Cascade Hops
Executive Shredder is named after a sobriquet bestowed upon Plan 9 executive chef Chris Stone for his notable skateboarding and guitar-playing skills. Sticking to Calles’ overriding close-to-home ethos, Plan 9’s canned beers will be distributed mostly to retail spots in and around Escondido that have reached out to show interest in carrying them.
Back at the brewpub, several specialty offerings will be tapped Saturday, November 7 as part of Plan 9’s seventh anniversary, which coincides with the first weekend of San Diego Beer Week. Those limited-timers include a strawberry-rhubarb kettle sour called KRS-2, a Rakau-hopped pale ale called Average Homeboy, a braggot called The Forbidden and a barley wine called Fistful of Barley. Festivities will also include a “Legend of Sleepy Taco” food special, collectibles and giveaways.
Plan 9 Alehouse is located at 155 East Grand Avenue in Escondido