Exciting Trip to San Diego
We left off in our May edition where we were knee deep in zoning and regulatory bureaucracy with Arlington County for a brewery space. We are still in the zoning approval phase for our space in South Arlington across from the dog park. Special thanks to our fearless architect for all her hard efforts!
In addition, a space in North Arlington has also become a possibility near Ballston. Originally the landlord was only offering short term leases but is now considering a longer term for us. Should we decide to pursue it, the North Arlington location would be an exciting possibility.
San Diego Visit
San Diego in many ways is like Denver, but on the west coast. There are almost 60 breweries between San Diego and LA, and I set out to visit the best and brightest and share in their experiences and the problems they faced in their startup phase. Breweries are community hang outs where folks can go and have good beer.
Iron Fire Brewery, Temecula CA
Iron Fire is a small startup brewery in Temecula outside of San Diego. The owner John, is an awesome guy who gave some great insights into the brewing scene and his view on the upcoming surge of brewery openings. His distribution beer is the 5150, an IPA that is seriously credible. My favorite was his burbon barrel aged stout. As a fellow who plans on doing a lot of barrel aging at Metropole, it was great to see John’s efforts and talk shop about barrel maintenance. Thanks John for all the advice!
Societe Brewery, San Diego CA
Societe is another small startup brewery in San Diego by two former Russian River employees. The owner Doug, was awesome to talk to and had a wealth of experience to share. We talked about the importance of water quality, which kegs are the best, what kinds of concrete floors to pour, and of course about his brew house- a top of the line JVNW. Societe makes some great beers that are as clean and smooth as any I’ve tasted. Their stout in particular was light, airy, and very smooth. Thanks to Doug for sharing with us great experience and know-how!
Monkish Brewery, Los Angeles CA
Monkish is a small startup brewery in Los Angeles CA. By comparison to San Diego, LA has very few breweries, but Monkish really stands out. The brewery focuses on ingredients and spices similar to the plans for Metropole.
Fund Raising Efforts Continue
Metropole is currently reaching out to the community for people who are interested in a brewery investment. We have fund raised just under 500k and are seeking investors who have a passion for beer. If you or someone you know may be interested, please reach out and contact us! We are offering a variety of options to accommodate folks.
As usual, thanks for all the support! Cheers!
-Mike Katrivanos