If you’ve ever wondered what makes a Belgian ale taste so different from an American ale, this is the place to hone your palate. As one of the fermentation industry’s most important suppliers of liquid yeast, White Labs’ tasting room hosts both casual beer drinkers and hardcore beer nerds with equal aplomb. They offer free brewery tours at 2 pm and 3:30 pm every Friday and Saturday, with no reservation required. Afterward, you can head to the tasting room to experience how much yeast impacts the beer's flavor profile.

After opening a successful brewery in Brazil in 1999, owner Tiago Carneiro and his brother José set their sights northward to San Diego. First launching Novo Brazil Brewing in Chula Vista in 2015, they followed up with Novo Brazil Restaurant at Otay Ranch Mall, a tasting room in the Market on 8th in National City, and a brewpub in Imperial Beach. A quartet of core beers—Mango Fruit IPA, Momo Haze Hazy IPA, Ipanema DIPA, and Corvo Negro Russian Imperial Stout, are available throughout the year. Another half dozen rotate in and out periodically. You can also find Novo Brazil beer on tap at their other project, Nova Easy Kombucha, a tasting room for both beer and booch in the heart of Hippieville, Ocean Beach.

Mujeres Brew House, San Diego’s first Latina-owned brewery, opened in 2020 with a handful of collaborative brews and guest taps. Since then, they’ve been pouring every Tuesday through Sunday, with events like Thursday Loteria Nights, a Sunday farmers markets hosted by Garden Unidos, and pop-ups featuring local vendors. Check Facebook and Instagram pages for info on what’s pouring and what’s happening.

BattleMage takes its name from Dungeons and Dragons, the ubiquitous RPG board game that co-founders Ryan Sather and Chris Barry have enjoyed playing for the last couple of decades. It’s great to have a theme, but not at the expense of brewing good beer, and BattleMage definitely delivers on that front. Like any good wizard, they know the value of experimenting with their potions, but as luck would have it, some of their finest brews are the ones that adhere to traditions, like Shroud of Mist hazy IPA, Hooded Assassin English Old Ale, or Perception Czech Pilsner. Order beer and merch online for pickup or delivery within California.

Viewpoint Brewing has an unbeatable view that overlooks the San Dieguito Lagoon, and its outdoor patio is always lively. There's some truly delicious food on the menu (like creamy chicken pot pie and an outstanding burger), as well as a constantly rotating tap list that indulges head brewer Moe Katomski’s experimental side, like MOE’S(aic) Pale Ale, Bye Bri Saison with Galaxy and Motueka hops, and local favorite Fairies Wear Boots IPA. Make reservations for indoor dining via SpotOn, walk-ins will be accepted if seating is available. Order pickup and delivery online.

Longtime homebrewer extraordinaire Kelsey McNair’s pet project was born in 2016, but the anticipation proved to be worth the wait. Located in the heart of North Park, the 9,000-square-foot tasting room proved so popular that a Bankers Hill location, with a scratch kitchen, launched last December. The brewery scored big in 2022, with four winning beers at the Great American Beer Festival: Hop Fu! American IPA (bronze), NZ Fu! New Zealand IPA (gold), Double Fu! Imperial IPA (bronze) and X-Raying Citra Hazy Imperial IPA (silver). Order online for pickup, delivery or shipping within California.

Pure Project’s entire oeuvre is unique, having been inspired by the spirit of the Costa Rican jungle, where the founders lived for several years. As a result, many of the beers feature floral and tropical notes that you might not expect. But that doesn’t mean Pure Project’s success is based on gimmicks: before finishing its first year of operations, Pure Project had brought home a bronze medal from the Great American Beer Festival for its Roses Red oak barrel-aged Flanders red ale. Days and hours of operation vary by location, and beer can be shipped within California and Nevada. Check their webpage for frequent new releases and special events.

Modern Times has turned the brewing world upside down since its inception—simply put, they don’t make any bad beers. With a cheeky, fun-above-all mindset highlighted by their membership-based League of Partygoers and Elegant People, the brewery specializes in session beers like M.T. Pils, Fruitlands Gose with passionfruit and guava, and specialty coffee-flavored releases that capitalize on their in-house coffee roasting. IPAs are by no means ignored, though, Modern Times releases seasonal and premium DIPAs three times a year. Tap lists and hours of operation vary, so check your location’s website before heading out.

Societe Brewing Company doesn’t have the decades-long history of a Pizza Port or an AleSmith, but it has had a meteoric rise to prominence since opening its doors, winning West Coaster’s Best Brewery award in 2014 and 2016. The brainchild of brewery curator Douglas Constantiner, Societe makes a bevy of the best damn IPAs you’ll ever have, most notably The Pupil—another one of Beer Advocate’s top beers—and The Coachman, the 2022 silver medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival for session IPAs. Order online for pick up, delivery, and shipping services.

Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, Stone made its name by being boldly unapologetic, and no beer embodies that more than its flagship Arrogant Bastard Ale: a beer so renowned it birthed its own separate brewing company, Arrogant Brewing. Stone never backed away from its ideals, and the results speak for themselves: it's been voted as RateBeer’s “Best California Brewery” and “Best Place to Grab a Beer,” and its Russian Imperial Stout is sought after across the globe. Visit the Stone website for reservations at their individual locations. Order online for pickup or delivery within California.

Thorn has made one hell of a name for itself since its initial location opened more than a decade ago. Beyond a sterling reputation for IPAs and a willingness to experiment with their flavors (they famously produced a cannabis-flavored session IPA), co-founders Dan Carrico, Dennis O’Connor, and Eric O’Connor founded the initial location on Thorn Street with the goal of becoming a true neighborhood staple. They succeeded, and today the three homey locations are integral to the fabric of the community, where you’re likely to run into some of the most interesting locals you’ll ever meet over pints of perfectly brewed pale ales. Tap lists, days and hours of operation vary by location.

Pizza Port is as San Diegan as a sunburn in January, or being completely incapable of driving in the rain. Since its founding in 1987, it’s expanded to include six locations, and has birthed two offshoot breweries—The Lost Abbey and Port Brewing Company. The original is still king in our eyes; Pizza Port has collected nearly 100 medals at the Great American Beer Festival, and has an absolutely stunning range of brews that rotate through its locations. Try the Hazy AF (as fog) or the Swami’s IPA, two of the many staple beers of the Pizza Port empire. Check the location for days and hours of operation and pickup options.