Point Loma these days is sporting a classic — Eppig Brewing — something once old, now renewed.
The North Park-headquartered, German-style craft brewery recently opened a waterfront biergarten at 2817 Dickens St. near Shelter Island. It is a revival of the Eppig family’s brewery, which debuted in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1866.
Co-founders Stephanie Eppig and husband Todd Warshaw have resurrected the family business 150 years later, re-introducing it in San Diego.
“Eppig Brewery was begun by my great-grandfather and it’s amazing to see it today down here in Point Loma,” said Eppig, a native Point Loman. “My husband and I really wanted to find a way to make it back to the neighborhood. This venue was perfect for us and the company.”
Eppig biergarten is something really special. Located in a former boatyard in a private marina along Point Loma’s America’s Cup Harbor, virtually every seat in its wrap-around, 2,000-square-foot patio offers panoramic views of the harbor and downtown.
The family-friendly tasting room also offers a menu prepared by a local chef serving snacks, sandwiches and wraps, as well as cheese and chocolate truffle samplers designed to pair with beer.
Eppig access is easy with a public parking lot nearby in front of the Brigantine Restaurant. The brewery also plans to install a bike rack.
Of her new establishment, Eppig said, “We really wanted to focus on the quality of the beer and on the local community. We love having a presence in San Diego.”
How Eppig and Warshaw got started in craft brewing is an interesting tale.
“It was a little bit of a leap off a cliff,” said Eppig. “I was working at Toyota Headquarters, and my husband was a professional photographer for 22 years.”
The couple’s launch into craft brewing started over a jazz bar cocktail.
“We were talking about the rest of our lives and what we wanted to do,” Eppig said. “I talked about my family business. But at that point, we didn’t know how to brew beer. He said, ‘I have someone (Clayton LeBlanc and Nathan Stephens of Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits) in mind.’”
Both local brewmasters “had the same vision, the same values,” said Eppig. “So we reopened the brewery with them. It was crazy.”
What makes Eppig distinctive?
“I would say it’s our German lager beers, and our dedicated lager program,” Stephanie said. “We pay tribute to my family’s roots back in Brooklyn. We have the only dedicated German lager that is smooth, really unique and special.” Eppig Brewing Biergarten Where: 2817 Dickens St. Hours: Sundays to Wednesdays noon to 8 p.m., Thursdays to Saturdays noon to 9 p.m. Info: eppigbrewing.com, 619-756-6825.
