Stories about craft beer usually fall along specific parameters. A homebrewer decides to go pro and opens their brewery. A global conglomerate buys a craft brewery, and panic (then apathy) ensues. Sometimes, a brewery closes one day, and that’s the tale’s end. Other times, when one brewery closes, another snaps up the space to expand or launch an entirely new project. Call it a capitalist circle of life sort of thing.
We saw that last story when Green Cheek Beer took over Bagby Beer Company’s Oceanside location. We saw it again when Mission Brewing took over Rough Draft. It’s happening in Vista, where Weir Beer is taking over the former Helia Brewing space at 1250 Keystone Way.
It’s the first brewery for Hayden and Kyndall Weir, said the couple behind Weir Beer. Hayden started brewing nine years ago, six of which he’s worked as the head brewer for Dos Desperados Brewery. He’s always wanted to open his own space, be his boss, and brew beer. Finally, achieving his goal alongside his wife, who owns 51 percent of Weir Beer, is a dream come true.
“We had been paying close attention to the industry closures in our area, hoping for the perfect opportunity since the beginning of this year,” he says. “When I heard Helia was up for sale, I was at the brewery that afternoon to get more information.” The 6,000-square-foot space has an 800-square-foot patio, plus a 15-barrel, three-vessel brewhouse with four 15-barrel fermenters, three 30-barrel fermenters, one 15-barrel brite tank, and a four-head Alpha canning line. (If you don’t speak brewery-ese, they’ll be able to make a lot of beer.) “Plenty of brewing capacity for room to grow,” says Weir.
Weir Beer will have 24 taps with a core four, including a hazy IPA, light lager, pilsner, and a hard seltzer. Weir adds they’ll also have a rotating West Coast IPA, red ale, double IPA, a variety of lagers, and more, including some collaborations. “I am stoked about the opportunities that lie ahead for production. I can start fresh with what I want our core beers to be, and the creative directions I can go in,” he says, adding that he plans always to have more than just beer available. Expect cocktail-inspired hard seltzers, complex teas, and other concoctions as time passes.
The aesthetic will be modeled after millennial nostalgia, or what he calls “summer in the ‘90s.” He anticipates opening in October, with a grand opening celebration over Halloween weekend. “There are many breweries in Vista, but we are excited to set Keystone Way apart from the other areas of Vista,” Weir says. “After all of the good times we have had at Helia, we are excited to keep the good times going there as Weir Beer.”
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Taste Your Way Around San Diego With Two Upcoming Festivals
Every neighborhood has a particular vibe—Ocean Beach is staunchly counterculture, Golden Hill is hip without all the hype, and La Mesa is waking up to the inevitability of its potential. But Taste of Gaslamp on September 14 and Taste of Oceanside on October 4th and 5th allow each area to showcase its finest flavors with tons of food and drink vendors. Both offer a VIP experience and early bird pricing, so grab tickets to one (or both if you’re feeling particularly peckish).
Beth’s Bites
- What goes into cider making? Find out on Sunday, September 1, at Raging Cider & Mead’s annual Community Crabapple Harvest in Julian. Kick the day off with the hard part (picking apples), then crack open a few cold ones during the post-work picnic in the orchard. Follow Raging on Instagram for more info, or email Dave Carr at [email protected] with questions.
- Meka Coffee has a new name but the same great cold brew. Now called Kaya Coffee, the locally made small-batch cold brew cans are now available at Snoice and online, and a new espresso cart is coming later this year—just in time for holiday caffeination!
- Juicy Burgers may still be about to open in Hillcrest and College Area, but there are more on the horizon. Next up is at 3555 Rosecrans Street in Midway, and if founder and CEO Nick Rose’s plans pan out, that’s just the beginning.
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
