Through the end of the month, local beer enthusiasts can hitch a free weekend ride to and from downtown on a Pacifico vintage bus. The shuttle coincides with the launch of Pacifico on draft in San Diego and other areas of California in May. “There’s a lot of curiosity and a lot of positive feedback on it,” said John Nichols, brand manger for Pacifico’s U.S. importer, Crown Imports. “It’s a fun way for people to meet new people and get to know a little bit about the brand and get from one area to another safely.” The 21-and-up bus, decked out in blue and yellow and outfitted with old surfboards and retro TVs inside, runs from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through the end of July. Its route is a 45-minute loop between downtown, Mission Beach and Pacific Beach, stopping near area watering holes that feature Pacifico. “It’s about having fun and going out, and that’s very much what those two communities are about,” Nichols said. “We just thought it was a fun way to get people to go from one area to another and we thought the lifestyles were very similar to the way we think Pacifico comes to life.” In Mission Beach, the shuttle stops near Belmont Park, at Mission Boulevard and Ventura Place. There are stops in PB at Mission Boulevard and Thomas Avenue, and Garnet Avenue and Haines Avenue, and two stops downtown in the Gaslamp Quarter. Local comedian Mal Hall will be onboard to emcee the ride. “That’s something we really like about this brand — it’s just a very non-pretentious, off-the-beaten-path brand,” Nichols said. “We’re really just trying to capture that laid-back, coastal beach lifestyle.” San Diego is the first stop for the Pacifico bus and the primary focus of Crown Imports’ initial marketing for the brand. Nichols said San Diego has always been one of Pacifico’s biggest markets. “The origin of the brand goes back to when Southern Californians and a lot of San Diego folks headed down to Baja and were really just looking for new beaches to surf,” Nichols said. First brewed in 1900, Pacifico has been on draft for the last two months in San Diego and is on tap at a number of local bars. The business aim of the shuttle bus is to promote Pacifico on tap. “A lot of people try beer through draft,” Nichols said. “It’s a good way to share Pacifico with a broader group of people and hopefully bring more people into the Pacifico family.” For more information about Pacifico or the free shuttle bus, visit www.pacificobusroute.com.