Vista Breweries Bring Home Awards at the San Diego Beer News Awards
Eppig Brewing, Vista California
San Diego and craft beer go hand-in-hand like hops and yeast. North County breweries play a big role in San Diego’s beer culture, so as a result, the 78 freeway is fondly referred to as the “hop highway,” running horizontally through North San Diego County, through the heart of Vista.
The City of Vista has earned a reputation of being home to some of the best breweries in the county and the world. This was reinforced by Vista’s strong showing at the second annual San Diego Beer News (SDBN) Awards recently.
The SDBN Awards, hosted by SDBN founder and executive editor Brandon Hernández, recognizes standout companies, breweries, brewers and staffers across San Diego.
“The thing that’s great about SDBN is that it’s voted on by the local community,” said Makenna Barris, marketing director of Pure Project. “Not only is it local, but it’s voted on by the people.”
Pure Project, that opened its Vista brewery and tap room in July 2021, took gold in the “Best Brewery, North region,” “Best Expansion Project,” and “Best Pilsner,” for their Rain beer.
“To win the best brewery in the north region means that our customers who are coming in are really appreciating what we’ve put together up in Vista, and we’re super grateful to them for that,” said Barris.
Eppig Brewing, that opened their headquarters in Vista in 2019, won the most total awards in the competition with nine awards in a variety of categories, including its first place-winning German Festbier.
“We have a reputation for serving top-notch beer, brewed at a high-quality level,” said Daylen Dalrymple, director of marketing for Eppig Brewing. “San Diego Beer News is the county’s biggest media publication about beer…so we are very proud to have received the most awards of any brewery in San Diego.”
In total, 139 breweries competed in the SDBN Awards across 26 categories ranging from beer styles and can design to customer service and interior/exterior design. Also representing winners from Vista is Five Suits Brewing, that took second place in the customer service and Hazy IPA categories.
“We’re proud that some of the best beers in the world are made in our own neighborhood,” said economic development director Larry Vaupel. “The City of Vista is excited to see the continued rise of the craft beer industry in our city, and we look forward to seeing more Vista names appearing on next year’s list of winners.”
To learn more about the SDBN Awards, visit the story on their website.
To learn more about Pure Project, visit their website.
To learn more about Eppig Brewing, visit their website.
And to learn more about Five Suits Brewing, visit their website.
An insider fun fact about the San Diego beer industry: while IPAs have long dominated the craft beer scene, lagers are growing in popularity among brewers and industry workers. “There’s a new found resurgence in respect for lagers. They take longer to ferment and require a lot of craftsmanship and technique,” said Dalrymple. “The cleanest, most simple beers are often harder to brew.”
For More Information Contact:
Larry Vaupel, Economic Development Director, City of Vista
P: 760.643.5244
E: lvaupel@cityofvista.com
