San Diego Beer (2026)

If that's the case, you will definitely want to stop by North Park Beer Co. on a Friday or Saturday night between 6pm-11pm. We have 10-12 BBA stouts and barleywines on tap at The Dark Bar located on the mezzanine level. Usually, 1-2 of our own offerings and a bunch of others from great breweries around the country. These beers are only available on the days/times I mentioned.

 

Is this just the same concept as Hop Concept or whatever it was called lol?

 

Your post brought be down a rabbit hole, including entering reviews of closed or soon to be closed places, based on the fact several of my favorite San Diego beer spots (as a tourist) are sadly closed. These include Resident Brewery / The Local, Modern Times Point Loma location (with In and Out a few blocks away), and Half Door Brewing.

Not to fear, there many of my favorite spots over my visits still remain

• I've never been to San Diego without stopping at AleSmith in the far North East area called Miramar right by the marine base. Pure Project is nearby, and while I still need to get there, I enjoyed my time at Pure Project just west of Balboa Park which is still there. These are the two breweries I'd hit again next trip. I did miss AleSmith's "speakeasy", aka the Anvil & Stave room with many BA offerings. I'm not sure if that has reopened beyond private events, but still definitely worth a visit if you like Speedway Stout and their other BA offerings, their IPA and or .394 Pale Ale (there is a Tony Gwynn baseball museum at the brewery).
• San Diego TapRoom I've enjoyed a few of their house beers, but they also have a solid selection of local, California, and regional beers. Had my first Pliny the Younger there. Looking at their current taplist, they have more house beers and less guest beers including no Russian River, so unless you're nearby, I wouldn't go out of my way this point, but I'll always return in future visits just to relive of the great previous visits.

Would say the three places I want to visit next trip I haven't yet been to yet liked to love their beers are The Lost Abbey (Church), North Park and O' Brien's.

Hope you love your trip and report back as to what you liked, loved, and perhaps disliked about your stops.

 

Can anyone recommend a craft beer store in the Kearny Mesa area? The shop next door to me (Mesa Mart), even though in big letters on the front of their store says “Craft Beer,” they are really lackluster. I basically get a tall boy of Sierra Nevada every time I walk in there and mix up my second beer with something basic like Arrogant Bastard or Swamis, etc. I went to Par Liquor in Clairemont tonight and they are fair above Mesa Mart, but it’s not like they get in all the new beers coming out. Tonight I grabbed a Pliny (albeit for $8), and a six park of Trumer Pils. Not bad. But I’m just hoping to find a place that gets in new beer all the time and even breaks them up into singles. Plenty of places in OC do it, but I haven’t found one close to me in SD.

 

It's a bit north of your area (like on the complete other side of the base) but SD Wine & beer Co ticks all of the boxes. Sitting on miramar rd.

 

Plaza Wine used to have a decent selection.

You might just want to go to Jimbo's in Clairemont tbh.

 

If you're talking about the Mesa Mart on Linda Vista Road as the starting point, some places you could try are:

-- Mesa Liquor and Wine on Convoy north of O'Brien's. I haven't been there in a few years but they used to have things like Burgeon and Beachwood, plus a decent selection of dusty imports.

-- The aforementioned Jimbo's Liquor on Genessee has a pretty good selection and I shop there when I'm in the area, but the owners give some real shady vibes and I've heard them openly talk shit about customers after a transaction, so I feel kinda dirty after shopping there.

-- Del Mesa Liquor on Friars isn't too far from you and has a big beer room in the basement. Sometimes I walk out of there empty handed because the IPAs are too old, but sometimes I find fresh stuff I'm happy with.

As reaper said, San Diego Wine and Beer on Miramar has a better selection than those listed here and is worth going out of the way for on occasion.

 

Just don't come up here right now though....Miramar is an absolute disaster area right now. Multiple lanes down on each side due to that water project that seems to be never ending, plus....the base and the fact that all san diego bases seem to be on high alert.

 

I’d guess it’s all bases most everywhere, unfortunately.

 

I’ve been here many times. Very legit. Was just trying to find a neighborhood place though. Thanks.

 

Thanks for the informative reply.

 

Oh neat. That is near me and on my way home from the office. So an easy pit stop. I really liked when Thunderhawk was there, but they really need to advertise since it is definitely buried back there.

 

In mid-October I will be honeymooning in San Diego, staying on the edge of Mission Beach and Pacific Beach.

We’ll spend lots of time walking and a bit of time driving. Are there any decent breweries (not just tap rooms) that are reasonably close to that area?

For some background, we don’t enjoy IPAs or anything closer to them than Kona Big Wave. I’ve also looked up Ballast Point and we’re not interested. So we’d like to try places that have at least five-ish other styles. We’ll try just about anything at least once.

I apologize if that comes off as snarky, but we want to enjoy the few breweries we visit while we’re honeymooning without spending too much time traveling to them. Please help point us in the right direction for us.

Thanks!

 

IMO San Diego is one of the worst places to be in if you don't like IPA.
That said....
Eppig ( if that's still a thing)
And any of the Pizza Port locations and Stone Brewing.
San Diego is hell if you don't love IPA.
I'd say bring your own beers and visit bottle shops to get stuff to drink in your room
Maybe someone else can chime in ,but that's like saying you don't like cask ale while honeymooning in London.

 

My research was making it look that way, but I thought I’d ask.

To be fair, we’re not honeymooning there for the beer scene, but it would have been nice to experience some cool places with great beer we’d like.

Thanks for the help!

 

sorry, i misread that part .

Pizza Port and Stone for sure always have some cool on site stuff.

I forgot about Lost Abbey as well.
I don't know where those would be in relation to where you are staying, but you'll find something. Just expect most breweries to have 80% IPAs

 

Lost Abbey might be OK.

Tap rooms it is, otherwise. Unless they’re going to be basically all IPAs as well…

 

Hmmmm, based on that location, try to hit up Deft Brewing, they are mostly all english styles.

On top of that in the same little area you have Lost Cause meadery, a winery, and the pizza that they make there is pretty good.