After 35 years in business in downtown San Diego, Karl Strauss Brewing finally owns the keys to its original brewpub.
The company closed on its brewery at Columbia and B streets on October 1, it announced yesterday.
“The pride we have for this acquisition cannot be overstated,” president Matt Rattner and CEO Chris Cramer said in a press release. “We’ve poured our passion into this craft for decades, and witnessing it come full circle as we near our 35th anniversary is a remarkable achievement, serving as a testament to our enduring commitment to the city, the regional brewing industry, and our guests.”
Acting chief experience officer Jennifer Briggs called the acquisition “a major milestone” in the company’s nearly four-decade history – one that might be lost on casual craft beer drinkers.
“I am guessing that the average alc-bev consumer won’t fully be able to appreciate the pride and significance of owning one’s own property,” she said in comments that accompanied the release. “I’m guessing many consumers don’t understand how hard it is for small- and medium-sized businesses to stay independent, keep people employed, and own some or all of the real estate that helps them make, sell, and serve their products.
“There’s no denying that the markets are fickle, and we are all trying to do our best to make our drinkers happy while meeting new people we can bring into our craft brewing family,” she continued.
When it opened its doors in 1989, Karl Strauss was the first brewery to open in San Diego since Prohibition ended in 1933. The city’s craft beer industry became a major driver of the industry’s second wave in the 1990s. Today, the San Diego area is home to more than 150 craft breweries and calls itself the “Capital of Craft,” according to the San Diego Brewers Guild.
Karl Strauss operates six brewpubs in Southern California in addition to the original downtown San Diego location: Sorrento Mesa, Carlsbad, 4S Ranch, Temecula, Anaheim and downtown Los Angeles.
The company shuttered its La Jolla brewpub in early 2021 and its outpost at Universal Studios’ City Walk in the fall of 2020.
In addition to operating its brewpubs, Karl Strauss also distributes beer in California, Arizona and Nevada. It expanded to the latter earlier this month via a statewide partnership with Vin Sauvage.