Founded in 2022 by Jonny Marler and Nick Smith, Skyduster has become the darling of LA’s culinary world, pouring at hotspots like Bestia, Saffy’s, Bavel, and Pizzeria Bianco. Known for its minimalist branding, restrained flavor profiles, and obsession with drinkability, the brand has built its identity around chefs, not beer geeks.
Recently, the upstart beer brand quietly secured space to brew at the former Belching Beaver Pub 980 facility in Vista. But despite the location, Skyduster co-founder Jonny Marler confirmed that the site is strictly for production - there won’t be a tasting room, and the beer brewed there will continue to be shipped north to their existing Los Angeles accounts.
"Just to be very clear, we make our beer in the San Diego area currently and sell in LA because we don’t have distribution in SD," co-founder Jonny Marler told SanDiegoVille.
The irony isn’t lost on him: one of the hottest brands in California beer is being brewed in San Diego County, a place long considered the craft beer capital of the U.S., but you’d never know it unless you traced the liquor licenses or smelled the hops in Vista’s industrial park. The reason for the disconnect lies in the recent upheaval of San Diego’s beer distribution ecosystem.
Back in March, San Diego’s craft beer scene was shaken by the news that Stone Distributing—the region’s largest independent beer distributor—had been acquired by Hand Family Companies, a multi-state distributor based in Tennessee with longstanding ties to Anheuser-Busch. The deal resulted in the formation of a new entity called Sunset Distributing, casting uncertainty over the future of craft-focused distribution in Southern California.
The acquisition also included Classic Beverage, a Santa Fe Springs-based distributor active since 1978 and a major player in San Diego’s beverage market, especially after it took over Scout Distribution’s local portfolio in 2023. At the time, Scout handled distribution for numerous prominent craft brands including Harland Brewing, Latitude 33 Brewing, Nova Brazil Hard Kombucha, Thorn Brewing, 2 Towns Cider, Bivouac Ciderworks, Eppig Brewing, Abnormal Beer Company, and Fall Brewing. With both of San Diego’s largest independent craft distributors now consolidated under a Budweiser-aligned umbrella, many see the region's beer market increasingly controlled by Big Beer.
Both Stone and Scout Distributing had long served as vital lifelines for small, independent brewers, rooted in a culture of supporting local brands and fostering craft growth. But under new ownership, concerns are mounting that corporate priorities overshadow that legacy. Already, many in the industry point to the changing tap handles at local bars as a sign of shifting tides - one that increasingly favors national labels over niche or emerging brands. For a small, chef-driven company like Skyduster, that shift could represent a formidable barrier to entry.
And it’s not just Stone that has sold out. The San Diego beer scene has faced an avalanche of exits, mergers, and downsizing in recent years - from Ballast Point’s infamous sale and fire sale, to Modern Times’ bankruptcy and acquisition, to Green Flash’s absorption by Tilray Brands. With fewer powerful and truly independent players left in the space and consolidation reshaping the landscape, access to distribution for small, craft-first labels has become a logistical and financial hurdle too high for many to leap.
Marler and his team have intentionally focused on building their brand through hospitality relationships rather than retail saturation. Their beers are intentionally designed to be light, crisp, and food-friendly, which is also somewhat of a counterpoint to San Diego’s hop-forward tradition.
Still, their local brewing footprint is growing. Skyduster’s Vista facility joins a quiet expansion effort that has seen them previously contract brew in Oceanside and at Mission Brewery in East Village. The company’s lineup includes a rice lager, West Coast IPA, citrus witbier, and a popular Italian-style pilsner, all crafted with subtlety and balance.
Though they’re gaining traction with industry insiders and top-tier restaurants in LA, San Diego consumers remain out of reach—for now. As Sunset Distributing prepares to take over distribution of many local and regional craft brands, the question lingers: will emerging brewers like Skyduster ever find their way onto tap lists in the city where their beer is born?
For now, the answer seems to be no. But the groundwork is there, and if distribution channels shift again - or local demand grows loud enough - San Diego might finally get a taste of its best-kept brewing secret.
This revelation may be baffling to local beer fans, especially considering San Diego's legacy as one of the nation’s top craft beer capitals. But it also reflects a growing problem within the industry: even the city that helped launch America’s modern craft beer movement is now increasingly difficult for independent brands to access.
For more information, visit skyduster.com.
Originally published on June 18, 2025.
