Prohibition Brewing Company, Vista
Vista has a lot of breweries–including some very good breweries, so expectations are high. Prohibition’s beer meets those expectations, but it is not as good as Mother Earth or even Belching Beaver. Of the four beers I had, all were “good but not exceptional.” The Reuben was pretty decent: marble rye bread, good meat though a little more fatty than I like. The fries were fine examples of the “diner” variety. There is a good guest tap list, too.
Dirty Danking (Imperial IPA, 8% ABV). Really nice. Dank/tropical, not overpowered. Bitter finish, thirst-quenching. 3.75/5
Ruby Red (Irish Red Ale, 5.4% ABV). This has the mouthfeel of a porter. It tastes nicely malty and has a little bite. It is quite good. This won a gold medal at the 2017 San Diego International Beer Competition in the Irish Red Ale class. 3.5/5
Sweet Biscuit Amber Ale (American Red Ale, 6.6% ABV). An unusual style for San Diego. Sweet with a soft mouthfeel. Malty. Yummy. 3.5/5
Brown Porter (4.7% ABV). I’m not sure what other color a porter would be… maybe they meant that it is a cross between a porter and a brown ale. Not bad. A bit thin. 3.25/5
The rustic/old-fashioned setting intends to invoke the Prohibition era but feels more like “spaghetti western meets 50s diner” (was the space previously occupied by a western-themed restaurant, perhaps?).
Prohibition Brewing is low key, which seems to suit the clientele. There were plenty of regulars who the staff recognized by name and usual order, even on a Tuesday at lunch time. I’ll repeat my oft-used complaint: servers should treat new customers as well as they treat regulars–you never know who might become a regular, or how they tip. My bartender was basically invisible after she brought my flight and meal–I had to flag her down to pay, and otherwise I had essentially no interaction with her after ordering.
There is plenty of parking on the side of the building, where you’ll see a neat mural.
http://www.prohibitionbrewingcompany.com/ 2004 E Vista Way, Vista CA 92084
