Craft Beer

The Belching Beaver tap room in Ocean Beach is a happening place to get a good beer.

The Ocean Beach location of Mike Hess is fun, welcoming and has great beer. RECOMMENDED

North Park Beer Co. produces some very good house beers, offers a solid guest tap list, and has partnered with Mastiff Kitchen to provide high quality food. The large, craftsman-styled main room is bright, comfortable and welcoming, and the staff give excellent service. RECOMMENDED.

Pizza Port serves 25 house beers (brewed at their five different locations around San Diego County) as well as an extensive guest tap list. The Ocean Beach location is kid friendly, laid back, and serves dang good pizza.

Opened in July 2016, OB Brewery has a roof top patio within earshot of the waves breaking near the pier. The setting is hard to beat, the food is good, and the beer shows early potential though it isn’t quite up to snuff yet.

Benchmark Brewing focuses on “beer flavored beer” that you can drink several of. Their staples, including Table Beer, River Rye and Oatmeal Stout, are exemplars of their respective styles and have won multiple awards to prove it.  RECOMMENDED.

Culture Brewing Co. succeeds in its aim to produce “classic styles, done beautifully.” Their American Brown won gold at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, and it is easy to see why.

Karl Strauss Brewing Company won the Mid-Size Brewery of the Year award at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, and four medals for their beers. Consistently good, Karl Strauss is a must-try for craft beer lovers. The La Jolla location gives a sophisticated but relaxed vibe.

The Helm’s tasting room is a fairly recent and worthy addition to the thriving craft beer scene in Ocean Beach. Offering friendly service, good beers and a perfect location for people-watching, you will enjoy your visit.  RECOMMENDED.

Barn Brewing is a delightful spot in North Park with good beer, good food, good service and a good vibe. RECOMMENDED.

Fall Brewing occupies an old warehouse on 30th. Though it is farther north than most of the craft beer action in North Park, it is worth seeking out for its fun tasting room and quality beer.

Groundswell Brewing Company serves some really nice beers in a fun atmosphere with Scandinavian-esque design elements. The bartender is welcoming and helpful, and there’s a definite vibe among patrons that everyone is really into beer, though not in a snotty or exclusive way. The prices are very reasonable. RECOMMENDED.

Welcome to BeerMaverick.com, a blog about visiting all 190+ craft breweries and tasting rooms in San Diego, California. #craftbeer #sdbeer #beertography

Thorn Street Brewery is a comfortable, local hangout that serves a variety of well-made beers from highly drinkable ales and porters to more experimental brews.

The Belching Beaver Brewery tasting room in North Park serves great beer and offers excellent service in a rustic/modern space that attracts big crowds.  RECOMMENDED.

Bay City Brewery is between Mission Beach and Liberty Station, close to Old Town. It is right on the I-8 highway, so noise and fumes are a problem. I was disappointed by the beers I had.

Pure Project was conceived in Costa Rica and started in the “brewery igniter” in Miramar. They brew a broad selection of different styles and have already acquired a reputation for quality that makes their bottle releases so highly sought-after that they do them by lottery.  RECOMMENDED.

The Miramar brewery and tasting room of Amplified Ale Works does not offer food (unlike the Pacific Beach location) and it is potentially a bit of a drive depending on where in San Diego you live, but it is clean, comfortable, modern and a great spot to grab a good beer.