North Park Beer Company Secures Space for Brewery and Tasting Room

January 25, 2015

Award winning home-brewer Kelsey McNair has finally secured a spot at 3038 University Avenue, formerly Undisputed Gym, to open North Park Beer Company. The nearly 9,000 square foot space on the corner of Ohio and University will house a fifteen barrel brewery, as well as a full kitchen and tasting room later this year.

Long before Kelsey McNair  realized his passion for beer, he had interests in visual and culinary arts as well as mechanics and science. When he discovered the home-brewing hobby, it only took him one batch to find himself completely hooked. Brewing as a medium collected all of his interests into one very fulfilling and rewarding process, granting him unlimited creative freedom.

Kelsey McNair

Kelsey’s brewing experience is evident from the close to a decade he has spent home-brewing. He entered the home-brewing hobby in 2003 and has since earned many awards in local, regional and national amateur brewing competitions. In March of 2010, he won the March Madness competition hosted by Stone Brewing Company, which resulted in the opportunity to brew his winning recipe with Stone. The resulting beer called “San Diego County Session Ale”, a heavily hopped, full flavored, yet low alcohol beer, was distributed to over 20 states and received great acclaim on beer enthusiast websites such as beeradvocate.com and ratebeer.com. 

In June of 2010 at the National Homebrew Competition, he placed first out of 387 entries in the highly contested India Pale Ale category for his American style IPA called “Hop-Fu! IPA.” He repeated this amazing accomplishment at the 2012 National Homebrew Competition where “Hop-Fu! IPA” took another gold medal, beating out 553 entries in the India Pale Ale category. Kelsey is the only brewer to ever earn 2 gold medals in the India Pale Ale category at the prestigious National Homebrew Competition.

Other awards on Kelsey's brewing resume include:

Hop-Fu! IPA, American IPA2014 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 1st Place
2014 America’s Finest City Competition – 1st Place & 1st Runner Up Best of Show
2013 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 1st Place
2012 National Homebrew Competition Final Round – 1st Place
2012 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 2nd Place
2010 National Homebrew Competition Final Round – 1st Place
2009 SoCal Regional Homebrew Championship – 3rd Place
2009 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 1st Place
2008 America’s Finest City Competition – 2nd Place

Dryden Double IPA, Imperial IPA2013 National Homebrew Competition West Division - 2nd Place
2011 Pizza Port Homebrew Competition – 1st Place
2009 SoCal Regional Homebrew Championship – 3rd Place
2008 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 1st Place
2007 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 2nd Place
2006 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 3rd Place

West Coast Bitter, Session IPA2010 Stone Brewing March Madness Homebrew Competition – Best of Show
2010 San Diego County Fair – 1st Place
2010 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 3rd Place

Great Gossett, American Pale Ale2013 America’s Finest City Competition – 3rd Place
2011 California State Homebrew Competition - 2nd Place

Pierpont’s Reserve, Imperial Porter2013 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 2nd Place
2011 National Homebrew Competition Final Round – 2nd Place
2011 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 3rd Place 2008 America’s Finest City Competition – 2nd Place

Pershing Pilsner, Rye Lager2011 America’s Finest City Competition – 1st Place
2011 Pizza Port Homebrew Competition – 3rd Place
2008 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 3rd Place
2008 Pacific Brewers Cup – 2nd Place
2008 America’s Finest City Competition – 3rd Place

Grim, Russian Imperial Stout2013 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 2nd Place

Arrogant Sombrero, Dortmunder style Adambier2013 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 2nd Place
2010 Doug King Memorial Competition – 1st Place & 2nd Runner Up Best of Show

Clinker, California Common2012 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 1st Place
2012 America’s Finest City Homebrew Competition – 2nd Place

Bird Park Blonde Ale2008 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 3rd Place 2008 America’s Finest City Competition – 3rd Place

Leroy Brown, Southern English Brown Ale2008 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 3rd Place 2008 America’s Finest City Competition – 2nd Place

Enright’s Dry Stout2011 SoCal Regional Homebrew Championship – 3rd Place

Fichi Folia, Oud Bruin2013 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 3rd Place 2012 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 1st Place

Burlingame, Schwarzbier (Black Lager)2012 America’s Finest City Homebrew Competition – 2nd Place

Granada, Belgian Dark Strong Ale2011 America’s Finest City Competition – 1st Place

Beaufort Black Ale, American Stout2008 Pacific Brewers Cup – 2nd Place

McNair’s Session Ale, Scottish 60/-2009 National Homebrew Competition West Division – 3rd Place