As the San Diego craft beer scene continues to burgeon in North County (see what I did there?), Burgeon Beer Co. in Carlsbad is already proving to be an awesome addition to the scene.

It’s hard to tell their whole story in a ten-minute video because there’s more going on here than meets the eye. Like how all of the wood in their tasting room was “salvaged” from the largest wildfire in San Diego County’s history. Look closely and you’ll find a lot of burn marks throughout the 2000 sq. ft tasting room. Using reclaimed and repurposed materials is definitely a big thing in a lot of San Diego breweries, and Burgeon is no exception.

After years of home brewing, Anthony and Derek had their own operation in mind for quite some time. After paying his dues at places like Stone, Rough Draft, and Back Street, Anthony had been approached on several occasions about the possibility of getting on board with someone else’s start-up but as he put it, a lot of smoke was blown his way but to no avail.

It wasn’t until his high school buddy Matthew Zirpolo came knocking that things actually started looking legit.

Together, the three of them plotted for the next three years to get their beers off the ground. After numerous setbacks with regard to settling on a location (securing a facility turned out to be one of the biggest hurdles thanks to shady landlords), they finally landed in Carlsbad in what turned out to be the ideal facility.

They haven’t settled on a set of core beers yet (okay, that part IS in the video) but they’re determined to maintain a broad spectrum of quality beers across their fourteen taps (two on nitro) that will appeal to a wide range of palates.

Whether you’re a novice looking to ease into craft with a Common Ale (5%ABV 16 IBU), or the hard core enthusiast going right for the jugular with The Dutchman’s Pipe (12.9%ABV 64 IBU), you’ll find a dazzling array of quality craft beers sure to satisfy your need for social lubrication.

Na zdrowie!