Two weeks ago, the owners of Resident Brewing were working toward a solution to their lack of sufficient production capabilities to meet consumer demand. The company, which produces its beers at a 10-barrel brewery abutting sister-business The Local Eatery and Drinking Hole in downtown San Diego and makes the most of a contract-brewing agreement with Coronado Brewing, identified the Vista brewery and tasting room formerly operated by defunct Iron Fist Brewing as an ideal site for expansion. Resident was close to closing on the facility, but the eleventh hour presented challenges that proved insurmountable. When negotiations fell through, an interest facing similar supply-and-demand challenges was able to step in and is now on-track to acquire the facility, Pure Project Brewing.
“Last minute complications with our financing sources made securing the space within the requested timeframe impossible,” says Resident Communications Manager Jordan McDonald. “We couldn’t be more excited for our longtime friends and collaborators at Pure Project. We hold an immense amount of respect for their commitment to quality, sustainability and the wellbeing of their employees, and know the beer drinkers of Vista will love their new neighbors.”
In 2016, Pure Project debuted as the first new-brewery tenant utilizing local developer H.G. Fenton’s Brewery Igniter lease-to-brew model, which started as a pair of brewery-and-tasting-room suites in the heart of Miramar. (H.G. Fenton has since constructed similar campuses in North Park, Carlsbad and Oceanside.) Pure Project rapidly expanded from its lone space to five suites within the Miramar complex. Though the company was able to produce more beer than it ever thought possible using its relatively small Brewery Igniter system, Pure Project’s runaway popularity has made it impossible for the company to brew enough beer to meet demand for years.
“The addition of the Vista facility will meet our production demands, allow us to be more efficient and implement more sustainable brewing practices, which is in line with our company ethos,” says Pure Project Managing Partner Jesse Pine.
The Vista facility comes in at 13,850 square feet and is equipped with a 15-barrel brewhouse, a canning line, administrative offices, a dual-room indoor tasting space and an outdoor patio. The latter elements will be converted to match Pure Project’s nature- and flora-driven thematic. If escrow proceeds as planned, Pure Project will join the 21 brewery-owned venues within Vista’s city limits.
“After five years, we are excited about the opportunity to own our own brewery as we look to the future,” says Pure Project co-founder Mat Robar. “Should all go according to plan, it will be a phased move, and we plan to keep the Miramar taproom and brewery for the foreseeable future.”
In addition to its current headquarters in Miramar, Pure Project also operates satellite tasting rooms n Bankers Hill and Carlsbad’s village area. It is a 1% for the Planet company that contributes funds and its staff’s time and effort to numerous environmental and charitable causes. Earlier this month, it was named one of the 100 Best Places to Work by the San Diego Business Journal, and its recently released sustainability report outlines a bevy of sustainability focused business partners, responsibly sourced organic ingredients, accomplishments in waste reduction and more than $30,000 in donations made to environmental non-profit organizations.
Back at Resident, the team remains undeterred and eager to find its forever home. “We were excited to join the North San Diego County brewing community and provide a location for our fans up north to enjoy Resident beer,” says McDonald. “We are actively searching for opportunities to both expand our brewing capacity and open additional tasting rooms throughout the county, so expect to hear from us again soon.”
Iron Fist Brewing’s former facility is located at 1305 Hot Springs Way, #101, in Vista