Just about every major urban area in America is seeing a growing number of breweries popping up within their city limits. Many claim to be the capital of microbrewery. It’s better to let the beer speak for itself. If variety and quality are the desirable traits of a city’s catalog of beermakers, San Diego probably ranks high among the rest. To prove the point, here’s a list of 11 San Diego breweries worth visiting for their flavors, fun, and surroundings:
Best San Diego Breweries
1. Oceanside Ale Works
1800 Ord Way, Oceanside, CA 92056
San Diego Brewery Tours: No tour available – tasting room located in brewhouse
One of a select number of manual brewhouses in the entire country, Oceanside Ale Works is also one of the newer San Diego breweries, to much applause.
2. Stone Brewing Company
1999 Citracado Parkway, Escondido, CA 92029
San Diego Brewery Tours: M-F 12, 2, 4, 6PM Sat-Sun 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6PM
Out-of-towners are likely to be familiar with this San Diego brewery. They sell their signature IPA in grocery stores across the country. An impressive location gives clue to why.
3. Modern Times Beer
3725 Greenwood St., San Diego, CA 92110
San Diego Brewery Tours: Sat. 1PM, Wed. 3:30PM
Another newbie, Modern Times attracts beer-seekers with its famed Lomaland Fermentorium.
4. Green Flash Brewing Company
6550 Mira Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92121
San Diego Brewery Tours: Public tours T-Sun 5, 6PM Private tours T-Sun. 2PM
A local favorite, tours to get a peek at their beautiful brew house get filled up as full as their tanks. Register online before deciding when you want to visit.
5. Alpine Beer Company
2351 Alpine Blvd, Alpine, CA 91901
San Diego Brewery Tours: Brewery hours noon-6PM
Talk about the basics. This veteran San Diego brew house even manages to thrive off a WordPress website. The word-of-mouth driven by their offerings is all Alpine needs to get butts in their seats.
6. Coronado Brewing Company
170 Orange Ave., Coronado, CA 92118
San Diego Brewery Tours: No tours available – tasting room located in brewhouse
Another long-standing staple of the San Diego brewery scene, Coronado is also famed for the food they offer visitors to the resort island.
7. AleSmith Brewing Company
9990 AleSmith Ct., San Diego, CA 92126
San Diego Brewery Tours: Observation Room hours M-Sat. 12-8PM Sun. 12-6PM
Simple spread of ales, stouts, and IPAs. Compared to more eclectic breweries nearby, AleSmith does what they do best and not much else, but with a diverse team of brewmeisters.
8. BNS Brewing & Distilling Company
10960 Wheatlands Ave., #101 Santee, CA 92071
San Diego Brewery Tours: No tours available – tasting room located in brewhouse
Don’t let the building’s boring facade and corporate park environment fool you – the beer is top-notch and the entertainment is, well, not family friendly after 7PM.
9. Intergalactic Brewing Company
9835 Carroll Centre Rd., #107, 108, San Diego, CA 92126
San Diego Brewery Tours: No tours available – tasting room located in brewhouse
New, popular, and experimental. Intergalactic doesn’t shy away from a challenge, whether it’s the coconut porter or imperial red rye.
10. Societe Brewing Company
8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92111
San Diego Brewery Tours: Tours by appointment only
A little on the snobby side – hence the tours by appointment only. Anyone questioning the quality will be silenced if you ever manage your way into this must-try brew house.
11. Ballast Point
9045 Carroll Way, San Diego, CA 92121
San Diego Brewery Tours: Everyday 12, 2, 4, 6PM
Wonka Factory-inspired fermenting tanks the shape of Hershey’s Kisses spring up from the floor of what is perhaps the most popular brew house in the San Diego area. At least according to Google Reviews, local writers, and locals in general.
Microbreweries are an increasingly common component of the American city, and San Diego is no exception. The California harbor town is home to a wide variety of nationally-revered breweries, many of which are small enough to fit in the corner of an old office building. Beer aficionados far and wide have more than one reason to come to San Diego. In fact they have eleven.
