5 San Diego Craft Breweries and Tasting Rooms You Have to Experience

Beer
Craft Breweries

The craft brewing industry in the United States keeps growing, and San Diego is at its forefront. San Diego is home to over 150 craft breweries, so you will find plenty of crafty beer in the city.

The issue might actually be finding a brewery to choose from. Many of the breweries also have tasting rooms where the beer tasting happens. Visiting a brewery is about more than the beer. It is also about the experience.

The following are some craft breweries and tasting rooms you have to experience:

 Eppig Brewing

Eppig Brewing is a family-owned brewing company that offers a pet-friendly environment for beer lovers. It has a primary location in Vista, but Eppig Brewing has tasting rooms in multiple locations in North Park, including a pop-up venue in Waypoint Public space. It is a brewery right in the middle of San Diego brewery country.

The owners of the brewery focus on creating artisanal ales and lagers. The key beers Eppig brewery produce are:

  • West Coast pale ale.
  • Oak-smoked lager.
  • Mexican-style Vienna beer that you have to try.

Seating in the brewery is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so get there early to enjoy the full experience.

Bagby Beer Company

Another excellent craft brewery in San Diego is Bagby Beer Company in Oceanside. It has a full bar next to the pier on the beach in Oceanside, making it a brewery with one of the most breathtaking views in San Diego.

If you are ever looking for what to do in San Diego, you should go to the beach and visit the Bagby Beer Company bar.

They have incredible beer that has won multiple awards in numerous prestigious competitions. The bar is enormous and has a lot of indoor and outdoor spaces depending on your preference.

There is excellent food too. You can be sure that you will find something you like that will give you a fantastic experience.

Second Chance Brewery and Beer Lounge 

The Second Chance Brewery and Beer Lounge are excellent places to go and enjoy craft beer in San Diego. The brewery is in Carmel Mountain Ranch, while the lounge is in North Park. North Park is a location with a lot of competition as far as beer competition is concerned.

The beer is top-of-the-shelf quality because of their proprietary beer brewing system but what sets Second Chance apart from other breweries is that it is lively and exciting. You will not only enjoy the beer but the electric atmosphere as well.

The brewery continuously produces award-winning beer, with two of their best beers being the Tabula Rasa and Coco Rasa. Second Chance also has excellent IPAs.

Resident Brewing Co.

You will like both the beer and the environment in Resident Brewing Co. With so many excellent craft breweries in downtown San Diego; Resident Brewing stands out of the crowd, which is quite an accomplishment.

The food at the location is fantastic too, and you will enjoy washing down the good beer with the sumptuous meal. They have a wide selection of beers that they craft themselves, making Resident Brewing a surefire place to enjoy a beer when on a downtown brewery tour.

Mike Hess Brewery

The Mike Hess brewery is one of the most famous breweries in North Park and San Diego. To enter the Mike Hess brewing company, you have to walk on a sky bridge that goes through the brewery and colossal steel structure.

The experience only gets better once you are past the entrance. There are board games and many other entertaining activities in the brewery to do as you make new friends or enjoy spending time with loved ones. Their beer is consistently fantastic, no matter what beer you drink.

There are too many craft breweries in San Diego that you could enjoy to list here. The above breweries and tasting rooms will be enough for a start. A tour to downtown San Diego and North Park will be sufficient in most cases. You may even get inspiration or ideas on starting a craft brewery for yourself. Try them out and be ready for a great experience.