Ballast Point Brewing Company

The basics

San Diego County offers more than 200 different craft breweries and tasting rooms, and while you’ll be hard-pressed to visit all of them on a single trip, you can certainly get a taste for a few. One of the best-known breweries is Ballast Point. Started by two college buddies in the 1990s, it has gone on to nationwide success, winning several gold medals for its IPAs and other brews.

The tasting room in Miramar has a glass wall that lets you see into the brewery, and there's also a full restaurant with a patio and fire pit, as well as a shop. To dive into San Diego's craft beer scene, sign up for a guided brewery tour of the city that stops at multiple locations.

Things to know before you go

• Ballast Point is not currently offering tours of the brewery.
• The restaurant is family-friendly and welcomes service animals.
• The brewery’s most famous beer is Sculpin IPA—a good option to kick off your tasting.

How to get there

The main location of Ballast Point is in Miramar, accessible by car or taxi. Microbrewery tours of the city offer an easy way to beer hop.

When to get there

Both the tasting room and restaurant are open daily (with some exceptions, so check ahead). Hours are from mid-morning to night, with the kitchen closing an hour earlier than the tasting room.

More Ballast Point locations

Along with its Miramar headquarters, the brewery has two other San Diego tasting rooms. One is in Little Italy (it also serves food), and the other is at Home Brew Mart in Mission Valley.