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By Miriam Raftery
San Diego County is known as the “Capital of Craft” beer, home to 150 craft breweries, according to the San Diego Brewers Guild.
Our inland region has many breweries, as well as several hard cideries and distilleries offering samples to please every palate. Some also foods, as well as activities ranging from livemusic to trivia nights and more.
Here are the breweries and distilleries in San Diego County's inland region, along with a description of the libations they offer, as well as food offerings and activities:
Black Plague Brewing Purgatory Lounge (Escondido) Black Plague offers over two dozen craft beers including IPAs, sour ale, red ale, Mexican lager, and seltzers. There’s even a gluten-free option. The brewery also offers burgers, happy hours, family feud and trivia nights.
Burning Beard Brewing Co. (El Cajon) Burning Beard serves up IPAs, stouts lagers, Belgians, hard seltzers, and more beer options as well as craft burgers and hand-cut fries, plus occasional entertainment.
BNS Brewing and Distillery (Santee)-- BNS Brewing & Distilling Co. distills Bourbon, Vodka, Rum, Rye Whiskey, and also offers an imported Tequila, in addition to their craft beer offerings in a Western-themed setting. Beers have names such as Gunfighter, Buckshot and Ole Prospector. BNS also offers line dancing, live music, trivia nights and cornhole tournaments.
Calico Cidery (Julian) Calico Cider offers tastings of dry, hard cider made with organic apples grown on their ranch. These ciders are are free from gluten, sulfites, and added sugars. They contain only apples ant native yeast, with complex flavors also including honeym wild herbs, or pears in season.
Helix Brewing Co. (La Mesa) This urban brewery offers 30 beers on tap, rotating between Helix Brewing and their Sourworx operation next door. They frequently have food trucks offering burgers, tacos, schwarma or pizza depending on the date, plus music, trivia contests and more.
The Hop Shop (Poway) The Hop Shop serves up craft beers from several local breweries, along with a full menu of appetizers, salads and entrees such as flatbreads and Cubano sandwiches, as well as vegetarian options such as a butternut squash sandwich.
Julian Beer Co. (Julian) -Located in the historic Bailey House, Julian Beer Co. offers a wide variety of craft beers including some specialties seasoned with local sage, wild juniper, and honey. They have a large food menu including barbecue, pizza, salads and desserts.
Julian Hard Cider (Julian) Julian Hard Cidery’s tasting room in Julian, famed for its apple orchards, offers flights of six or eight hard ciders, from Apple Pie and Cherry Bomb to Freaky Tiki, Go Mango, Cool Cucumber and Orchard Mule.
Julian Station (Julian) Julian Station offers states of hard ciders, craft beers, wine and chocolates to please every palate. Their cider uses a recipe dating back to 1670, made with 100% hand-pressed apples. There’s live music on Sunday afternoons, as well as a Mexican restaurant, fruiteria, and gift shops galore.
Lightning Brewery (Poway) Lightning Brewery offers a wide variety of IPAs, ales, porters, pilsners, lagers, saison and stouts, including British and German alternatives.
McIlhenney Brewing Co. (Alpine) – A family owned brewery, McIlhenney has won World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival awards. With 25 beers on tap, in addition to hoppy IPAs, hearty stouts and lighter brews, expect to see fruited beers, seasonal offerings and barrel-aged specialties.
Mike Hess Brewing(Alpine) – Mike Hess Brewing has over 20 beers and seltzers plus cider, kombucha and wine. The Alpine location has a full kitchen with pub fair including pizzas, wagyu burgers, salads and a kids’ menu. There’s indoor and outdoor seating with a patio, firepit, and outdoor bar. This location is dog-friendly and also offers live music and arcade games.
Newtopia Cyder (Scripps Ranch) Newtopia’s website states, “Inspired by the plant hunters of the Victorian era, we scour the globe for exotic botanicals to concoct irresistible cyder. They utilizing a European cyder process that dates back centuries, fermenting West Coast apples and adding dry spices.
Nickel Beer Company (Julian) Nickel Beer offers 16 options including specialties such as Jalapeno Gold, Julian Apple Pie Ale, and Lake Cuyamaca Lager. In addition to their tasting room at the brewery, you can also try their beers at the Pub at Lake Cuyamaca.
Night Parade Brewing Co. (Scripps Ranch) offers beers on tap with creative options such as Whoopass, a pre-Prohibition American lager, Pair ‘o Docs with orange and grapefruit peel, and a Japanese-style dark rice lager, among others. Events include Mug Clubs, Sunset Trivia, and Comics on Tap
Poochie’s Hooch Cidery (Grantville) –Poochie’s tasting room is open Wednesdays through Sundays. This urban cidery offers all gluten-free hard ciders including Scrumpy, an English-style cider.
Rincon Reservation Road Brewery (Valley Center) Rincon Reservation Road Brewery is SoCal’s first (and only) tribally-owned and operated brewery. Their award-winning brewery offers IPAs, ales, Native American and Mexican lagers, Rez Dog Hefeweizen, and more.
San Diego Brewing Company (Grantville) San Diego Brewing offers a full-pour list of beers on tap and bottles, as well as seltzers. Food bites range from wings and pizzas to salads, burgers, veggie options, a kids’ menu and desserts such as mud pie. Events include bingo and trivia nights.
San Diego Distillery (Spring Valley) The San Diego Distillery offers Kentucky-style barrel-aged bourbon, several varieties of rye whiskey, as well as Sancha spirits distilled from agave. The tasting room offers flights and cocktails.
San Diego Sunshine (Ramona) San Diego Sunshine distills rye whiskey, vodka, and malt plus season options that include Limoncello, Apple Pie Sunshine, and a spirited Blueberry Honey.
Storum Ranch Ciders and Wines (Julian) Storum Ranch offers 60 varieties of cider made from apples grown at their ranch in Julian. You can also taste wines, vinegars, and olive oils at their tasting room.
Sunny Grove Brewing Co. (Santee) Brand new in Santee, Sunny Grove Beer is open seven days a week, offering beer as well as food from food trucks. They are located at the site of the former Pacific Islander Beer Co. Events are listed on their Instagram page.
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