Hope this Answers Some of Your Questions
When was California Wild Ales Founded?
California Wild Ales was formed as an LLC on December 7, 2015. Our tasting-room / barrelhouse was opened to the public on April 1, 2018.
Can we visit your Barrel House location?
Yes, but the rules on being open during the pandemic are changing daily. Please give us a call at 855-WILD-ALE (945-3253) for the most up to date information.
What are your hours?
Things are changing all the time. We are constantly updating this section…but just in case… Please call ahead to double-check that we are open.
Sorrento Valley – Hidden Barrelhouse
- Saturday: 12:00pm – 6:00pm
- Open for Special Events or Space Rental
Ocean Beach – Funky Tastingroom
- Monday: 12:00pm – 10:00pm
- Tuesday: 12:00pm – 10:00pm
- Wednesday: 12:00pm – 10:00pm
- Thursday: 12:00pm – 10:00pm
- Friday: 12:00pm – 12:00am
- Saturday: 12:00pm – 12:00am
- Sunday: 12:00pm – 10:00pm
Do you allow outside food?
Yes. We encourage it.
Sorrento Valley Location:
We are located right next door to The Sandwich Shop. Stop in for a beer and order your food right at the bar. Your food will be delivered directly to your table. They are only open M-F 10am-2pm. If you are here after 2 pm, you can bring your food in or order through Uber Eats or Door Dash.
Ocean Beach Location:
We are next to some of the best food San Diego offers. Choose from amazing places like The Joint, Mad Munch, OB Meat Company, Soi OB, Ortegas, It’s Raw Poke, OB Noodlehouse, and tons more.
Can I bring my pet?
Yes! We love pets. So far we have been visited by all sorts of waggy friends..pups, kittens, and bunnies especially. We have also had a few birds at the tasting room.
What are the Wilding's names?
The little guy with two eyes is named Lacto (short for Lactobacillus).
The big guy with a smile across his face is Brett (short for Brettanomyces)
The medium guy with the mischievous grin is P.D.O. (short for Pediococcus)
Can you get me some stickers?
This is one of our most popular questions. The answer is YES! Visit our online shop and check out all the sticker options.
Do you ship outside of California?
We do. Visit our out-of-state online store Bevv
What is collaboration brewing?
We contract brew our recipe with one of the other 120 breweries in San Diego. We will be working with best breweries to bring you the most delicious product possible.
Google Reviews
charlie erekuff
15:14 03 Jun 20
If your looking for sours this place is a must go! The owners are great people and have put so much work into a small batch brewery. Not just the beer but the whole decor. I live locally and definitely need to make it there more often.
cam-ranh chandler
04:15 05 May 20
I cannot get enough of this beer! Every new flavor is exciting, the most unique and always so refreshing! Keeps me coming back for more!! #StayWild
Christine Fuller
01:31 03 May 20
Hands down the best sour ale we’ve ever tasted. Can’t wait for shipping outside of California. This place is a gem and these sours are so fresh and yummy!!
Kionna Lyster
20:25 02 May 20
Love the owners and their craft! Delicious sours and always creating new flavors. 5 stars from me!!
Katie Prescott
01:42 23 Apr 20
Having the shelter in place blues and then my favorite brewery comes through and has started shipping their beers (to CA residents) I am a sour girl and no one does sours like California Wild Ales!! Huge thank you to owner Bill for taking such great care of me. Really going above and beyond with customer service to get me some of my favorites! Can't wait to get my package!! Also looking forward to the May the 4th release! Cheers!
Alex Vese
17:55 15 Dec 19
One of the coolest breweries I've been to. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Kory Butler
17:56 10 Dec 19
Great sours! Best I've had in San Diego! Staff was extremely helpful and informative too.
Desmond Forden
15:30 05 Dec 19
If you're into sours then this is certainly the place for you. They aren't my first choice - a bit strong in taste for my preferences but I welcome any diversity in the San Diego microbrewery scene that isn't so heavy on the hops and IPA's. The place is difficult to find. I had never come to these buildings on Sorrento Valley road before and I honestly thought it was storage. There is a little door with a sign that looks like a monster from Where the Wild things are and stepping through past some barrels a comfy space lined with mirrors is revealed.There is no set flights and one can get 5 oz pours for $4 each to mix and match to your own liking. Full pours are also available. I had the opportunity to try the pineapple upside down cake and the passion fruit flavors. The namesake flavors were evident and I did enjoy them. Now that I know this place is here there's a a chance they'll start growing on me.
Ang Per
19:05 15 Nov 19
I haven’t personally visited their tap room but I’ve been fortunate enough to have tried their beers . If I had to pick one word for them , it would be underrated. These guys are really passionate about what they do and it shows in the quality of their beers. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend checking them out. Huge selection of wild ale and sour beers . Cheers
Nicole Schaefer
18:36 13 Sep 19
California Wild Ales is killin it! Being a sour beer kinda gal, I always look for their beer anywhere I go because it’s the freshest and most delicious I’ve had in San Diego! They have such a diverse array of sours that you are bound to find a flavor that you love, and the beer tenders at their tasting room are happy to assist with that! You can tell that a lot of love and knowledge goes into the whole process
Sam R
01:34 08 Sep 19
A buddy recommended we check this place out. Glad we stopped by! It’s got a funky, relaxed atmosphere & the people who work there are the kind you instantly feel comfortable hanging with. My girlfriend Becca, who doesn’t normally drink sour beer, LOVED it. And when she said she really liked the monster logo, the server gave her a sticker with the little guy on it to stick on her guitar case! We’ll def be back.
Reva Green
03:31 07 Sep 19
California Wild Ales is a hidden gem! I’ve never been that into sour beers, but this place has converted me. Their sours are so fresh and delicious! They’ve got a really cool atmosphere and the staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Even if you’re not that into sour beers, I highly recommend checking this place out!
Kevin Farrell
00:06 06 Sep 19
California Wild Ales was amazing! I was in San Diego on travel and all I heard about was the craft beer scene. Which is amazing, but California Wild Ales by far blew me away with their different outlook towards brewing beer, and unique tastes. I have had nothing else like it and would highly recommend it to anyone in the area or visiting the area!
Pamela Garza
20:06 05 Sep 19
Can a wild ale be described as creatively satisfying? California Wild Ales are amazing!! I live in Texas and, despite a certain rivalry between our states, I can still say, CWA is my favorite by far. Good stuff.
Aldo Ciani
21:24 04 Sep 19
One of my favorite breweries to go to! Love the atmosphere, and most of all, the amazing sour beers that California Wild Ales have to offer! They offer a wide selection and are super knowledgeable. If you are a fan of sour beer or just hoping to different breweries you NEED to check out California Wild Ales.
adam mccall
18:57 04 Sep 19
If you haven’t been to this spot yet you’ve got to make time to get there and check it out! They have a wide variety of interesting choices! The location is a no frills type of place that’s inviting and chill. You can taste the love that these folks have put into their sour beers. Keep it up guys!
Ryan Walsh
18:19 04 Sep 19
Very cool place first tried the beer a few years back in Chicago and was impressed.Fast forward now and man these guys are nailing it!Love the use of local ingredients and the recipes are well thought out and executed perfect.These beers are wild quite literally and these guys do great job with fermentation.I highly recommend these guys to all beer drinkers but if your into wines and ciders I think you would be amazed at these flavors as well how beautiful the liquid looks in a glass.One step in the tasting room and you can just tell the passion these guys put into the room and that they truly care about a great experience.So do yourself a favor and don’t miss out on an amazing experience.
Samantha Braski
01:21 27 Jul 19
I would definitely go back to this brewery! I was in town with the boyfriend. Not being a big fan of sours we decided to give it a shot. OMG... what a turn around for us! We shared a flight of ten and everyone single one was so unique and so tasty! They also have bottles to purchase and take home to share with others. Friends and family loved them!!!
Brian Hernandez
03:28 07 Jul 19
Great beer and tap room. Being able to watch the space transform from early on to now has been amazing. You can tell they truly live their craft as all their beers are top notch. I truly enjoy every visit here.
Moira Mcclowry
01:26 02 Jul 19
These are some of the best sours I’ve ever tasted! I recently tried the Grapefruit flavor and it was the perfect addition to my summer day! I can’t wait to try more flavors! Added bonus, totally love the print on their bottle!
Kaitlin Montgomery
01:54 12 Jun 19
Decided to check out California Wild Ales because my wife loves sour beers. Typically I’m not a fan but I am now! Who would’ve thought? The staff was top notch and wonderfully knowledgeable about the product and process. You can feel the love that goes into the beer. The beers are creative,flavorful, and easy to drink. We left early because we had to catch a flight but we could’ve stayed for hours solving the worlds problems over sour ales and board games. I highly recommend checking it out. Thank you California Wild Ales for expanding my palate and introducing me to the world of sour beer. I will be back!
Levi Ramirez
18:33 10 Jun 19
Stopped by this place a couple weeks ago and had a fantastic experience. My girlfriend and I were on vacation looking for the best sours in San Diego and we struck gold. So many sour options and every one we tried was great! The two brothers/owners were there are were incredibly hospitable and ooze passion for the beer they brew. With so many breweries in SD, this is one that stands out among the rest since sours are scarce. Can’t wait to be back and see what crazy concoctions they come up with next!
Rene Silva
18:19 08 Jun 19
Great place for sour beer drinkers, whether you're an experienced connoisseur or just getting your feet wet, this is a must try if you're in San Diego. All their ales have a great sour base, and their fruited varieties stick out while maintaining said base. The Owners/Brewers were super cool, happy to answer my questions and sharing details of their brewing process and even letting me try some stuff that was still barreled. You can tell they care about the quality aspect of the beer process, and it shows which each new wild ale I try! Stay Sour! Cheers!
Christina Egan
03:08 22 May 19
Great sours! Good vibes! With a wide variety of delicious, unique & locally sourced fruits! All hand crafted with LOTS of time and loving energy put into each barrel. Everything from the 10 different sour beers on tap down to the wall of vintage mirrors will leave you satisfied & inspired. I especially had a good time at the May the Fourth event! They crafted and named the sours on tap all based around Star Wars. . Highly recommend dropping in to check out this cool gem & meet the artists themselves!
Lindsay DuRoss
21:01 06 Apr 19
Was in town for a conference and googled sour beer near me and was sent to California Wild Ales where I spent a lovely 2 hours with the owner trying most of his beers. They were fantastic and ended up checking my luggage so I could bring some bottles home. Great job!! Keep it going if I ever am back in San Diego this will be my first stop.
KIMBERLY LAVIN
00:00 12 Mar 19
We stopped by on a visit to the area and were so impressed! The beers were awesome and there was a wide variety available. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy sours but was pleasantly surprised at how great they tasted. The atmosphere was relaxed and very inviting. The staff was super friendly as well. I would recommend it for sure!
Eric Harvey
01:06 20 Feb 19
Stopped in here on a whim after discovering it on Google Maps,as I’m a visitor to the area. Unique place serving all sours, with their own version of Resilience IPA on tap as well. Enjoyed my flight, lots of variation. Also enjoyed chatting with the owner. Wishing him much success as his business grows!
Jacqueline Strassner
05:37 12 Jan 19
It’s hard to find a place to sit down and have options. It was awesome. Everything was more then adequate. I loved the green tea spin. i am looking forward to seeing new creations. They let us try a sour in the making, a pineapple upside down cake inspired creation. Very impressionable.
Aryn Kelly Adcox
13:36 18 Jul 18
If you’re into sour beer, do not skip this place! My husband and I spent a week and a half road tripping around California and hit up a ton of breweries on the way, but this one was easily my favorite. We tried everything they had on tap and every one of them was fantastic. One of the owners, Bill, was pouring for us and sat and chatted with us and the couple other guys at the bar for a few hours. It was a great experience, these guys know what they're doing!
JW A
13:02 18 Jul 18
Absolutely love this place! My wife and I are big craft beer geeks and came from Florida for a road trip across Cali. This was by far the best stop of the trip and we went to close to 20 breweries on the trip. The Beers are the most well balanced beers I've ever had. Flavor! Barrel aged sours so delicious! I think I would have been content with just the great beers, but the staff(Billy) was so friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. We ended up staying for a couple hours and skipping a few of our other brewery stops because we had such a good time. Actually wish we stayed longer. Outstanding beers, we did not have a beer that we disliked. Let me rephrase, we didn't have a beer that I thought wasn't great to fantastic! Such a great vibe with this place.I wish this place was closer to home! Cheers!
James Q
03:38 18 Jul 18
Wow...Just ecstatic that I found this place. Was recommended by a friend and this place does not disappoint. They have 10 Sours on tap at all times and were pulling rare bottles from there cellar all afternoon. One beer in particular caught my interest "Beets and Cinnamon" . I was a bit unsure until I tasted it...OG . The earthiness combined with the low acidity and the hint of cinnamon. This just might be my favorite sour on the planet. They switch out there beers weekly..always adding a few new flavors. I'm headed back this Thursday with a growler and the hopes that there is still some Beet and Cinnamon on tap! If you are into Wild Ales or Unique Sours...you have got to check this place out! 5 Stars!
Mary DeWitt
01:01 18 Jul 18
Visited this place on my trip to San Diego...and wow was I impressed. Each wild ale is so distinct in flavor. These guys are doing some really amazing things in the sour world.
Lessthan450
12:56 05 Jul 18
Best up and coming sour brewery in San Diego. Go and meet the amazing staff and friendly owners and enjoy some very special sour beers. If you have questions the owners love talking and sharing the process of making their beers. They are very passionate and love what they do. See you there! I will be back multiple times.
