California Wild Ales

California Wild Ales has now consolidated their operations to a facility in Point Loma. The Miramar/Sorrento Valley location is closed – September 2023

California Wild Ales specializes in barrel-aged sour beers. They were founded in 2015 and opened this Hidden Barrelhouse tasting room in 2018. They also have a tasting room in San Diego’s Ocean Beach neighborhood.

The Beer

The Big Board

Taplist on February 25, 2022

Number of Taps

  • 11 taps (10 sours and and 1 wheat lager)
  • 0% of beer taps with IPAs

“What’s the Best Thing Ya Got?”

  • I was recommended the Salted Cucumber, which uses cucumbers grown by the brewery. The salt and barrel aging do a good job of balancing the sour character of the beer.

eBay Platinum Reserve

  • The Double Barrel-Aged Dark Sour, which spends time in both wine and maple bourbon barrels and sports a 9% ABV, was not available at the Ocean Beach taproom at the time of this writing, but only here at the Barrelhouse.

For the Couch

  • This location has a wide variety of bottled sour ales available to take home, some available on the tap list and others not. They will also fill crowlers and growlers with any tap beer not available in bottles.
To-go bottles, left, and taps, right

The Space

There’s a reason they call it the Hidden Barrelhouse. The space is accessed from a walkway between two buildings in a business park. Look for the signs and then pass through an outer office area to find the barrelhouse.

Indoor Capacity

  • The space has 3 booths, a long low coffee table with couch, and a bar with seven barstools.

Outdoor Space

  • There are five outdoor tables shared with the rest of the business park, but because this location is currently opened only Friday through Sunday, you shouldn’t have much competition for them.

Food Service

  • No food is served here, but you can bring in food from the neighboring deli.

Exit Through Gift Shop

  • California Wild Ales has T-shirts, sweatshirts, socks, and glassware for sale.

The Scene

The small room has a relaxed atmosphere with fun paintings of their three mascots, Lacto, Brett, and P.D.O., on the walls.

You have a front row seat to the barrel aging process

Entertainment

  • Music at medium volume and one TV

Fun and Games

  • The room has a ring hanging at about waist level from the ceiling on a string. The challenge is to swing it so that it is caught by a hook on the wall. They also have a small tabletop version of this game.

Babies and Bowsers

  • Dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds are all welcome, according to the website.