San Diego cider pioneer, women-powered Bivouac Ciderworks, has opened an exciting new multi-concept community space, the Adventure Lodge & General Store. Directly adjacent (and physically connected by outdoor patios on either end) to Bivouac’s award-winning North Park taproom, restaurant, and urban cider production facility, the expansion triples the urban cidery’s square footage and brings Bivouac’s outdoor-adventure brand ethos to life, allowing for greater fermentation experimentation and significantly increased production – all in an effort to further stoke San Diego’s burgeoning cider culture. The highly-anticipated opening marks an exciting new chapter in Bivouac’s journey, driven by increased community support, enhanced recipes and processes, and expanding distribution into four territories across two states.
“When the location next door to our North Park taproom became available, we saw it as a one-time opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” said Lara Worm, owner, CEO, and creative director of Bivouac Ciderworks. “Born out of necessity, this expansion not only allows us to grow from a production standpoint, it also provides the perfect canvas to further explore our creative passions. Doubling down on our investment in the North Park community to create a site for greater cider education and experimentation, as well as a magical space to cultivate community, became our clear path forward.”
Bring the outdoors in
The 5,700 square-foot Bivouac Adventure Lodge boasts a Parisian-styled storefront exterior, with the intent to inspire the European social ritual of leisurely strolling and socializing, right in the heart of San Diego’s North Park neighborhood’s main corridor. From 30th Street passersby can take in the General Store’s seasonal window display and peek inside the Lodge through the cafe’s large accordion window.
The interior takes design notes from a “glamping yurt,” combining rugged outdoor aesthetics with refined interiors. Framed by a canvas tent opening, guests step inside the grand circular space and note an intentionally neutral palette enhanced by layered, rich textures. A massive plaster wall mural of Bivouac’s signature mountains motif, by Heidi Hawkinson of H2 Finishes, highlights an elegant wall of 20 cider taps and a natural-stone tasting bar.
Central to the design is a massive skylight that bathes the Lodge in natural light, creating a true indoor/outdoor ambiance accentuated by curved walls and arched doorways, leaving visitors instantly overcome with the zen of a breezy (bugless) campsite. Curated by Bivouac’s Lara Worm, and her rolodex of talented local women creatives, each handpicked design detail has a story to tell, a history once lived, or a purpose to share. The result is a space that embodies the essence of a camper’s temporary respite from the outside world, fostering a sense of adventure, community, and relaxation, much like a yurt in the wilderness.
Choose your own adventure
The Adventure Lodge presents several unique offerings under its yurt-inspired roof:
- Cafe and community space: A welcoming Parisian sidewalk-style cafe for North Park-people watching, serving on-site espresso-based drinks, including the signature Campfire Latte, tea, and locally-made pastries. Plus, non-alc ciders, kombucha, and wellness tonics and elixirs. The cafe does not offer “to-go,” beverages in order to eliminate waste and serve Bivouac’s larger sustainability commitment, and to encourage folks to slow down and take a moment to enjoy the experience.
- General Store – A micro-market (also accessible from 30th Street) with an outdoorsy slant and a fervent commitment to locality and sustainability. The General Store’s “grab and stay” shelves are stocked with a selection of daily-made salads and sandwiches, chef-driven pantry delicacies, and painstakingly sourced goods and provisions, primarily from women and BIPOC makers. It also features Bivouac’s ciders to-go and one of the finest curated selections of domestic and international ciders in the United States. Plus, a zero-waste snack bar includes a selection of treats served in mason jars, eliminating disposable packaging. The General Store also retails a selection of Bivouac merch, trendy outdoor gear and camping accessories, books, cheeky cards, outdoor-inspired candles, and more, mostly sourced from local, women, BIPOC-owned, and mission-driven brands.
- Tasting Bar – The centerpiece of the Adventure Lodge, where cider newbies and enthusiasts alike can enjoy pours from 20 rotating taps, featuring Bivouac and other local ciders, as well as those from regions the world over, including Poire L’Authentique from the family-owned Eric Bordelet estate in southern Normandy, France and natural Spanish Trabanco Alicia Sidra from Spain’s Asturias region. Plus, beer and wine. Pommelier-led tastings of eight to 10 ciders are available by reservation.
- salon d’eau de vie speakeasy – A private brandy lounge that pays homage to Gertrude Stein’s 1920s Paris salon, where influential artists, writers, and musicians gathered to shape modern art history. Intended to indulge Lara’s boozy intellectual feminist hideaway fantasy, the salon’s eclectic design is a contrast to the soothing neutral vibe of the Adventure Lodge, featuring moody vintage lighting, a reptilian natural-stone bar, vintage National Geographic wallpaper, 1920’s Victrola record player, and barstools sourced from single-owner estate sales in San Diego. The defining art installation: a Gertrude Stein living room-inspired art wall featuring local San Diego artists’ “impressions of impressionists.” Oh, but you’ll likely never see it, because Lara doesn’t intend to open this room to the public.
- Production facility – Guests can get a close-up look at Bivouac’s cider production. The new, larger space quintuples the urban cidery’s current production capacity, fueling its growth throughout Southern California and Arizona. It also gives more time and space for Bivouac’s cidermakers to lean into fermentation experimentation, barrel aging, and other techniques. These small-batch offerings are available on tap at the Adventure Lodge.
The Adventure Lodge & General Store, 3980 30th Street, is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.
For More Information:
http://bivouaccider.com