With more brewing companies in operation than at any time in American history, securing space on grocery, big-box, and liquor store shelves is more difficult than ever for beermaking interests. And that’s only half the battle. Consumers patronizing those retail outlets have an unprecedentedly vast array of beers to choose from, along with an increasing assortment of popular canned alcoholic options such as hard seltzer and ready-to-drink cocktails.
The challenges associated with not only getting beer to market but selling through are formidable, especially for independent craft operations lacking the extensive marketing dollars and weighty influence of macro-beer conglomerates. This reality has inspired brewery owners to alter their game plans by looking inward to their own taprooms, where they are in complete control of the environment and sales experience, have zero competition, and enjoy far better profit margins.
Over the past year, several local brewing companies which had previously channeled most of their energy into packaging beer for distribution in kegs, cans, and bottles, have pivoted, opting to sell as much of their ales and lagers across their own bars. Not only that, but those operations have opened satellite tasting rooms to sell more beer and maximizing profits, while increasing brand reach and exposure beyond their flagship facilities.
Spin-off tasting rooms are nothing new in San Diego County. It’s been a common expansion model for San Diego County breweries for over a decade. What’s different nowadays is that, rather than establishing satellites in popular neighborhoods with a local-beer presence such as North Park, Vista, or downtown San Diego’s East Village. by and large, brewery owners are instead opting to set up shop in communities not already rife with beer-centric venues.
The following are several such satellites from established brewing companies, the majority of which have been well received, amassing new fans and increased sales at their new locales.
Duck Foot Brewing – The Secret Spot, Leucadia: The most recent satellite to enter the county’s orbit comes from an eight-year-old Miramar interest popular for its gluten-reduced family of IPAs, Belgian-style ales, and assorted lower-alcohol beers. Since debuting in April in a tasting room previously operated by Ballast Point Brewing’s parent company, Kings & Convicts Brewing (and Saint Archer Brewery before that), Duck Foot has endeared itself to the coastal community, garnering patronage rivaling that of its original location. 978 N. Coast Hwy 101, duckfootbeer.com
North Park Beer Co., Bankers Hill: In the past seven years, this operation has achieved top-tier status behind award-winning IPAs, high-profile collaboration beers, and brew-enthusiast fanfare. Last December, NPBC ventured beyond its namesake neighborhood, opening a patio-equipped taproom replete with its supped-up craftsman-style interior design at the base of the Secoya by the Park building (pictured above). The spot is winning early praise, thanks in part to a kitchen cranking out smash burgers and fries topped with Hop-Fu! IPA beer cheese. 3095 5th Ave., northparkbeerco.com
Black Plague Brewing – The Purgatory Lounge, Escondido: Founded by a pro skateboarder and a Sony Entertainment vet, this six-year-old company has built a devout fan base that appreciates its wide range of ales and lagers as much as a whimsically morbid thematic best exemplified by selfie-ready caskets, and grinning Grim Reaper murals. That motif arrived intact in downtown Escondido last fall when Black Plague opened a 3,600-square-foot, indoor-outdoor offshoot it shares with culinary partner, Full Metal Burger. 239 E. Valley Pkwy, blackplaguebrewing.com
Harland Brewing, South Park: It took Scripps Ranch’s Harland Brewing over a year to make Grants Market and Coffee Room its own, but they knew care needed to be taken with such an iconic South Park mainstay. The reimagined space—the company’s fourth location—has been updated with a chic U-shaped bar serving Harland’s IPAs, lagers, and sours (plus beverages from sister-op Scout Distribution’s portfolio), roll-up doors leading to a patio perked up by potted greenery, and a kitchen serving three square a-day, including kid’s-menu items. 2953 Beech St., harlandbeer.com
TapRoom Beer Co. – The Collective, Pacific Beach: In March, the owners of TapRoom Beer Co. brought things back to where it all began, opening a new spot in PB, two doors down from their North Park brewpub’s 16-year-old sister interest, SD TapRoom. Installed in the former home of pour-it-yourself beer bar, Barrel Republic, it’s a 2,000-square-foot lounge with wood-paneling augmented by leather and corrugated metal, offering TRBC beers, wines, and house cocktails, plus a variety of games, and entertainment, including live music. 1261 Garnet Ave., taproombeerco.com
Little Miss Brewing, Logan Heights: For the owners of this seven-year-old company, setting up a countywide network of satellites was the goal from day one. Little Miss now operates more locations (9) than any other local beer interest and has taken chances on less-beery locales like Lakeside, Poway, and Eastlake. Ownership recently went a step further, moving their headquarters from brewery-dense Miramar to previously beer-barren Logan Heights, where they’ve built a Quonset-hut brewery with a WWII-themed taproom. 3192 Commercial St., littlemissbrewing.com
This article originally appeared in the May 29, 2023 edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune