Two of San Diego’s most popular breweries are preparing to open a new tasting room in Vista, where both brands will serve their beer behind a shared bar.
The Lost Abbey’s founders restructured operations earlier this year, leaving the brewing company’s primary brand and satellite venues to Managing Partner Tomme Arthur. In contrast, the San Marcos production facility and the beers of sub-brands Port Brewing and The Hop Concept were left to Gina and Vince Marsaglia. Since then, the brand has folded into Marsalia’s flagship business, Pizza Port Brewing, leaving fans of The Lost Abbey confused about what’s next.
The popular brand that offers award-winning beers still has a few tasting rooms in San Diego, including San Elijo, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and downtown San Diego’s East Village. The Lost Abbey is now partnering with Mother Earth Brewing Co. to open an on-site tasting room where both companies’ beers will be on tap behind a shared bar, according to San Diego Beer News. Customers can expect 32 taps to be split, with Mother Earth beers claiming 14 and The Lost Abbey having the other 18.
“Sharing the space wasn’t in the plan originally, but it was an idea that evolved after we saw how much overlap there was between our brands and beers. And the fact we get along so well made the idea more of a no-brainer as time went on,” Mother Earth Director of Marketing Kamron Khannakhjavani tells SD Beer News. “The space will be entirely indoors with a comfy industrial feel and will seat around 60-70 guests, and its vintage vibe will include a foeder farm, string lights, oak furniture, and lots of nostalgic décor.”
The two breweries are working on completing the shared tasting room and are expecting a soft opening sometime this month. A grand opening is planned for early next year, likely in January. The anticipated event will be celebrated with an opening featuring various rare beers, food trucks, and fun activities.
“I think this new tasting room will provide a pretty crazy opportunity for the North County beer community to welcome back two storied brands under one roof,” Khannakhjavani says. “We couldn’t be more excited to connect with customers again in a shared space.”
