North Park Beer Company

It was a long and winding road that brought North Park Beer Co. out of the garage and into the spotlight. Kelsey McNair, our Head Brewer, and Proprietor, arrived in San Diego 20 years ago to live the California dream and design video games with his friends. However, it wasn’t long before his love for cuisine, chemistry, and craft found an outlet in the city’s fledgling independent brewing scene. That exciting new world teemed with bold-flavored beer and inspired talent, and when Kelsey’s homebrewing career began in 2004 its path was nothing short of meteoric. Soon his Hop-Fu! IPA had become the single most award-winning homebrew recipe in history and in the most competitive category -- the American IPA. Over the next decade, the awards accumulated. The name North Park Beer Co. was established and run out of the garage at Kelsey’s North Park residence while plans for the commercial-scale brewery took shape. What followed was an uphill battle spanning several years to raise capital, find the right location, and build out a brand new taproom and brewing facility. Enduring setback after setback, Kelsey and his wife, Amanda, persisted. They left behind careers as game developers to fulfill their dream of opening a community-focused brewpub dedicated to the preservation of Kelsey’s passion for craft, quality, and hospitality. In June of 2016, North Park Beer Co. opened its doors and has since become a fitting tribute to its namesake neighborhood.