Half Door Brewing Company Now Pouring in San Diego's East Village

All photos by Demi Johnson | A7D Creative Group

January 26, 2015

It looks like a bar from the Wild West. The 1900s-era, white, house-like building at 903 Island Avenue has been redesigned by Gavin Duff of Duffy MacCann Design Ltd., transforming the 4,000 square foot space  into Half Door Brewing Co. - the East Village's first Irish-inspired neighborhood brewpub. Highlights of the new tavern include a huge, wrap-around porch (soon to be two-stories of deck space with views of Petco), house brewed beers, local crafts and cocktails, and inspired, pub-style fare. We have the initial menu and photos of the space. Read on and start planning your visit.

A half door is a familiar sight in Ireland, flanking the front of farmhouses & village pubs as a way to let fresh air in and keep the nosy farm animals out, the inspiration behind the name Half Door Brewing. To the Drayne family, owners of Half Door, as well as The Field Irish Pub in the Gaslamp, the name represents the brewing traditions of their ancestors, as carried out daily in pubs around Ireland. These pubs acted as the cultural hub for every tiny village across the Irish countryside, and each one brewed their own unique beer until the 1950s. Daniel Drayne, Jr., is Half Door's co-owner and head brewer.

"I've been home brewing for around seven years now, I attended Siebel which is a brewing school based out of Chicago," explains Daniel Jr. "Through the school I also spent time in Germany learning the craft. For the last four years I've worked at a production brewery where I have done everything from labeling bottles, cleaning kegs/tanks to recipe formulation and brewing."

Beer is not only poured for patrons at Half Door, it's also implemented into many menu items, like the salted pretzel bites with HDBC pale ale cheese sauce or the Brewer's Pie with Coleman's stout braised short ribs.

Half Door Brewing Co. is currently open Sunday through Saturday from 5pm to 2am, but will soon offer lunch hours and possibly brunch. Check out the full dinner menu, the anticipated lunch menu and more photos of the restaurant below, and for more information, visit halfdoorbrewing.com.