According to filings with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Encinitas Brewing Company has applied for a Type 23 Small Beer Manufacturer license, a Type 06 still license and a Type 74 Craft Distiller license - a combination that would allow the company to brew beer, distill spirits and operate a tasting room component alongside traditional restaurant service. Corporate records show the LLC was formed in September 2024, suggesting the project has been quietly in motion for well over a year.
The ownership group brings a mix local and out of state brewing experience. Brian McBride previously was the founder of the former Priority Public House in Leucadia. Ryan Van Biene is a co-founder and Vice President of Development and Facilities at Austin-based Pinthouse Pizza, a brewpub group that has grown from a single location in 2012 into multiple high-volume brewery and restaurant sites.
Encinitas Brewing Company plans on focusing on high quality IPAs and lagers but will brew a wide range of beers to suit all palates. The restaurant will also have a full bar with cocktails and the onsite distillery will be very small production focused on vodka and gin.
Plans submitted to the city call for façade upgrades designed to modernize the storefront while maintaining the center’s botanical garden aesthetic, along with an outdoor patio expansion to approximately 1,565 square feet, more than triple the size of the former Islands patio. A parking study concluded the existing supply within the 28,000-square-foot commercial building on the 1.32-acre Encinitas Plaza parcel can accommodate the expansion. Environmental review has been deemed exempt under CEQA guidelines for existing facilities, as the proposal constitutes a tenant improvement and licensing change within a previously permitted restaurant space.
While ownership has declined to elaborate in detail publicly ahead of the hearing, Van Biene acknowledged the public filings and indicated additional details may be shared once approvals are secured. If the Planning Commission signs off, the project would still require building permits and final state alcohol licensing before opening. Should it move forward, Encinitas Brewing Company would enter an increasingly competitive North County craft landscape as a hybrid restaurant, tasting room and distillery, a concept that reflects the continued evolution of San Diego’s craft beverage scene.
Encinitas Brewing Company hopes to open by year's end at 1588 Leucadia Boulevard in San Diego's North County city of Encinitas. For more information, visit encinitasbrewco.com.
