Booze Brothers Brewing Co.

Dave and Donny Firth started brewing beer like most folks do, with a microbrew kit. While these kits satisfy most home-brewers (the normal ones), The Firth Brothers quickly decided they just weren’t making enough beer. They had mouths to feed — their family’s, friend’s, friends of friend’s, friends of friends of friend’s, the occasional enemy’s, and their own — and so they had to go bigger. The Brothers saw no other option. Thousands of dollars later, their garage became a brewing frontier. They spent years crafting different styles of beers and used their guests as test dummies (no one minded). The Firth garage was a true underground experience — kegs stacked on kegs lined the walls, racks of replacement parts crowded the entryway, the smell of oil and somehow sawdust latched to everyone’s clothing, and a single torn couch was the only available seating. The guests never minded, though: the beer was always great. And the Brothers never seemed to mind when the get-togethers dragged into the early morning. Attracting lively, somewhat unruly people is what they had set out to do, but the walls of the garage seemed to be getting smaller each day.

Eventually, the Brothers asked the question: why don’t we open up a brewery? The reality of the idea, however, was riddled with frustrating technicalities, mostly concerning money and legal regulations. Their discussions of opening a brewery often trialed off into how to overthrow the government or rob banks. Once the dust of annoying logistics had finally settled (legally), the Brothers started shopping for buildings. They eventually agreed to pack their wagons and settle their equipment in 2545 Progress St.

What was once a huge empty room has become a rustic, good-ole’-days oasis that happens to make beer. Miss-matching, reclaimed wood lines the walk-in cooler and patio fence. Vintage hanging bulbs replaced the harsh florescent lighting. The bar is hand-crafted from wood, concrete, and iron. Even the bathrooms have style: they’re converted into what look like out-houses (don’t worry: the pluming still works). Booze Brothers Brewing Co. asks people to forget they are in the industrial area of Vista, and even more, that we are in living in the 2000s. Most important is that Booze Brothers Brewing Co. maintains the spirit of the original concept of the Firth garage — an underground (albeit legitimate) place for all types of people who should have at least one thing in common: a love for good beer.