Before the pandemic, beer festivals and similarly sudsy events were extremely common, to the point where there were one or several every week. And of those many affairs, some of the best were put on by the San Diego Brewers Guild (SDBG). One such example is the Rhythm & Brews Festival, which took place in Vista’s downtown village area each spring from 2012 to 2019.
Conceived as a music-enhanced vehicle for showcasing North County breweries (primarily those in Vista, the local municipality with the second-highest concentration of breweries per capita) by the team at Mother Earth Brew Co., the event was eventually taken over by the SDBG and came to include its entire membership as well as participating breweries and alternative beverage companies from outside the county.
Despite its prominence among local breweries and beer fans, the event struggled toward the tail end of its COVID-halted lifespan. Even as the SDBG adjusted the festival, incorporating value-added elements and cutting costs where possible, making money off the event was difficult. Considering that was the main point of the Rhythm & Brews – raising funds to support SDBG initiatives benefiting its member breweries – this was quite problematic and a key reason the event has not returned post-pandemic.
But after more than a half-decade, the SDBG and its Board of Directors has decided to reincarnate Rhythm & Brews as part of San Diego Beer Week’s summer companion event, San Diego Beer Weekend. In doing so, the organization will return the fest to its roots as a forum for spotlighting North County breweries and their beers with a side of live music. The event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. (with a noon start for the VIP session) on Saturday, June 28 in a lot at the intersection of South Citrus Avenue & East Broadway.
“North County breweries – specifically those in Vista – have been asking for this event,” says SDBG Executive Director Erik Fowler. “The City of Vista has been a huge supporter in getting this event off the ground and giving us support. We will have 30 breweries, two bands, a DJ and a group of food trucks. Most of the breweries will be from Vista and the surrounding area, but some other county favorites will also be pouring.”
The musical acts – Loom, Soulseller and DJ Goldie – are all local. While the list of participating breweries is still a work in progress, a regularly updated roster can be found on Rhythm & Brew’s online event page. That is also where VIP, general admission and designated driver tickets (which are currently available at early-bird rates) can be purchased.
After Rhythm & Brews, the SDBG will shift its focus to a pair of annual events: San Diego Craft Beer Con and San Diego Beer Week. The former will take place on Tuesday, August 5 at MiraCosta College’s San Elijo campus in Cardiff.
Designed as a conference for members of the brewing community and individuals considering joining craft-beer industry, it will consist of nine expert-led seminars from the likes of Nickel Beer Co. owner Tom Nickel, Craft Beer Attorney founder Candace Moon and California Craft Brewers Association Executive Director Kelsey McQuaid-Craig. Those sessions will cover a wide array of topics ranging from brewing techniques and ingredients to sales, marketing, finance and tasting room operations. Lunch and a happy hour will provide networking opportunities, while the services and wares of the event’s sponsors will also be on display throughout the day. Tickets are currently available online at early-bird rates.
“This conference is for anyone working with craft beer in a professional capacity. Whether you’re a bartender, brewer, beer buyer, HR or brewery owner, this is the best educational and networking event in Southern California,” says Fowler. “And thanks to our partnership with MiraCosta, we’re able to keep attendee prices low and accessible.”
Next up will be the 16th annual San Diego Beer Week, which will run from Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 20, and include scores of events from breweries as well as a collaborative event that debuted last year, the Capital of Craft Beer Fest. A scaled-down version of its predecessor, Guild Fest, Capital of Craft is put on by the SDBG and open to all of its member breweries to post up at and pour their beers.
Rather than closing out Beer Week as it did in 2024, this year’s Capital of Craft Beer Fest will be more of a kick-off, taking place on Saturday, November 8. Once again held on the back lot of Kearny Mesa’s Kilowatt Brewing, it will not only feature droves of breweries and beer, but also local representatives from non-profits and other local organizations working to make a positive impact throughout San Diego County.
“The Guild has been focusing on fostering relationships with outside communities and we hope to bring in new partners in the non-profit and community engagement world who may not have been involved in Beer Week before,” says Fowler. “We’ve successfully supported the Autism Society of San Diego and the local chapter of the Pink Boots Society over the past year and look forward to working with the Black Brewers Association. We look forward to continuing to open up breweries and craft-beer to communities that may not have felt as included in the past.”