Mission Brewery is located in Downtown San Diego, in the historic Wonder Bread Building. Like most craft breweries, Mission got its start in the garage of the Owner/Founder Dan Selis. The brewery/tasting room is 14,000 sq ft and has the capacity to produce 10,000+ barrels. To read more about how Mission Brewery came to be check out this Chefpress article. Needless to say, Mission is running an impressive operation.

I stopped by the brewery with my Mom & Dad and my brother Adam. Adam had just completed his first marathon, the San Diego Rock n’ Roll, and the guy needed a beer! The tasting room is large and situated just in front of the brewery. It is outfitted with bar height & picnic tables, seating at the bar and additonal bar stool seating along the back of the tasting room. You know how I feel about ample seating. They even have a shuffle board table to pass the time while you enjoy your brews. There was a Cheesy Amigos sandwich stand parked in front of the brewery but that was the extent of their food offering. However, they are located in downtown San Diego so there is a plethora of restaurants within spitting distance.

The tasting room offers beers by the pint for $5.50 or you can get a flight of four tasters of your choice for $6.00. We took the approach of “we’ll each get our own pints and share.” We tried everything available with the exception of the Rotating IPA, Carrack Imperial Red IPA, and the Mission Dark Seas Stout – oh well, just a good excuse to go back! I really only have highlights to report – there were almost no lows. Frankly, I could go on and on about their beers but I’ll try to be succinct:

Favorites:



Mission Hefeweizen (I know, I’m just as surprised as you are) – Smooth and citrusy with some lemon and cinnamon flavors.

Mission Amber (an American Amber Hybrid) – More molty than a traditional IPA but has the hops of an IPA.

Shipwrecked Double IPA – It’s hoppy but with a sweetness to it and it was my Dad’s favorite, hands down.

Honorable Mentions:

Mission IPA – Light in color for an IPA with nice hops, a very friendly IPA

Stigmata Grand Cru – A silky, molty Belgian Dark Ale.

The only beer I really wasn’t excited about was the Mission light lager, it paled in comparison to all the other beers.

If you couldn’t already tell, I’m a big fan of Mission Brewery. The service was friendly and prompt and the overall vibe was mellow and welcoming. Not to mention the beer was fantastic. Put this one on your list folks!

You can check out pics of my visit to Mission Brewery here.

Bottoms up!

-Amatece