In the eight years I’ve worked at San Diego Magazine, I have always been impressed with the low-key but passionate players in our city’s craft beer industry. The brewers I meet are not super-competitive Type A entrepreneurs. They just want to make—and share—good beer. So when my editorial team began talking about our annual “Best Of” issue, we started the way we always do, with what’s so great about San Diego. Two things that came up were craft beer itself and the collaborative, enterprising spirit of the brewing community.
In a time when everyone and their mother is cobranding and collaborating, it felt natural to call up a few of our favorite breweries—Coronado Brewing Company, Eppig Brewing, and Fall Brewing Company—to talk about brewing a beer together. In the span of one meeting with 10 people in attendance, we decided to make three beers, to coincide with our annual “Best Of” issue and party. The result? Coronado’s Best of San Diego IPA, Fall’s Best of San Diego kettle sour, and Eppig’s Best of San Diego hoppy pilsner, making up what is quite possibly the world’s first four-way craft beer × magazine collaboration. All three breweries participated in the others’ brew days; Fall’s owner, Dave Lively, designed the 16-ounce cans (seen on our cover) with our creative director, Sydnie Goodwin.
Letter from the Editor: Something Big Is Brewing
December 11, 2018. Initial meeting at Coronado Brewing.
Between Eppig, Fall, and Coronado, we brewed the equivalent of 120 barrels of beer, or 28,800 pints. You can taste the beer at our Best of San Diego Party at Liberty Station on August 16 and find them at each brewery, as well as select Trader Joe’s, Barons Markets, and other local retailers. Competitors wanting to make something rad together? That’s a “best.”
I hope you’ll check out all the bests in this issue. Find our top picks for the coolest rooftop bar, dim sum, trendy plant shop, clean beauty boutique, kids’ dance class, omakase joint, vegan bakery, neighborhood gallery, a secret dinner series in Baja and, perhaps most surprising: a new bookstore!
The Ultimate San Diego Summer Guide 2017
Letter from the Editor: Behind Our Magazine Redesign
Who I Met This Month
San Diego’s leaders and philanthropists are a perennial “best” in my book.
Letter from the Editor: Something Big Is Brewing
With District Attorney Summer Stephan
Letter from the Editor: Something Big Is Brewing
SDM Director of Events Fiona Leung and Geena Davis at the Center for Community Solutions’ 50th anniversary gala
Letter from the Editor: Something Big Is Brewing
Sergio M. Fernandez
Alison Beck of the San Diego Center for Children and Kathryn Murphy at a luncheon for St. Germaine Children’s Charity
Letter from the Editor: Something Big Is Brewing
May 22, 2019. Me and Sydnie on the first brew day at Fall Brewing in North Park.
