In 2011, Brian Jensen opened Bottlecraft, a bottle shop in Little Italy that offered craft ales and lagers in a rarefied environment, going beyond standard liquor stores and beverage retailers. What would have been a risky proposition just a half-decade prior was the safest of bets. Back then, the craft beer segment was booming, especially in suds-centric San Diego, where breweries and beer-centric bars were opening at a rapid clip across the county. The latter played a key role in driving that unprecedented growth.
At the time, the satellite taproom model that is now so popular among breweries did not yet exist on a local level. This left beer-focused bars as San Diego brewing companies’ foremost lifeline to the outside world and untapped consumers. Bolstered with dozens of taps and knowledgeable staffers, members of that class included O’Brien’s Pub, Blind Lady Ale House, Churchill’s Pub & Grille, Hamilton’s Tavern and Toronado San Diego.
Bottlecraft fit right into that mix, with Jensen’s concept quickly catching on and allowing him to expand, not just in San Diego, but up the California coast. Meanwhile, scads of entrepreneurs, ranging from local restaurateurs and hospitality groups to devout beer enthusiasts with zero business experience but tons of chutzpah, got in on the hot trend, opening beer-forward bars and eateries all over San Diego…