Ebullition Brew Works, Vista
I first encountered Ebullition Brew Works in an episode of What’s on Draft? The host interviewed his friend, the brewer, and they tasted through some of the early versions of the beers and walked around the unfinished brewery. Even then, it was making me eager to visit.
When I finally got to go in person, on a mini-brewery crawl with Instagram’s @sdbeertour (aka Rob), I was even more impressed than I thought I would be. The interior design (all built out by the owners themselves) is beautiful and comfortable. There’s a play area for kids, a long, white concrete bar, wooden beams floating over the tasting room area defining that space, and the brew set up in the back. There’s plenty of comfortable seating. Oh, and a really cool mural detailing the history of beer from ancient times to now: check it out when you are there.
The service was excellent. One advantage of going early on the weekend is that we were the only patrons for a while, so we had the bartender/owner’s undivided attention. We got to talking, and it was great to hear the story of how they started and how they built out the space themselves. Even better, we got to hear the story of the beers and how they are made. That led to some offers to try some beers that were not yet tapped, including an IPA off the brite tank and a not-quite-ready barrel-aged beer. Yum, on both counts.
Ebullition’s two-day grand opening was a big hit, totally packed both days according to photos online. The enthusiasm of their fans is not misplaced. Every beer we tried was good.
The Russian Imperial Stout–aptly named Collusion in honor of the current political situation–was a solid 4/5. We tried two versions of the Hazy IPA, one that was no longer hazy because it was the end of the last keg and the haze had settled out, and another right off the brite tank. The older one was still good, but the newer one was really good with a nice fruity nose and a bitter finish (3.5/5). The Talking with Amber red lager was well made, but isn’t my thing; I don’t usually like lagers. The Deli Rye Pilsner, though, impressed me despite my usual tastes: It was clean with loads of flavor for a Pilsner, a rye bite and malt sweetness (3.75/5). Now if only they served it with pastrami and mustard, it would be perfect! The General coffee stout had loads of coffee flavor backed by a little sourness on the finish, 3.75/5. My personal favorite was Brown is the New Red, which isn’t brewed exactly to the style guidelines for browns but is nevertheless completely delicious (4.25/5).
As you can see from the cover picture on this post, they have a cool flight tray. That’s just one example of the innovative attention to detail you’ll find throughout the space. They are still pretty new and are still honing their recipes, but it is already good. I predict great things for Ebullition Brew Works.
https://www.ebullitionbrew.com/ 2449 Cades Way Suite D, Vista, CA 92081
