COASTAL • South O Brewery

Brewing: Coastal

THE OSIDER MAY / JUNE 2022

SOUTH O BREWING COMPANY

WORDS: SHELBY ROWE PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER

Good company and better beer is what you can find at South O Brewing Company.

Born from a lockdown hobby between neighbors Joel Steinmetz and Trevor Whitehead, the brewery just south of the dip is an extension of what these two did to bring their neighborhood together. “During the lockdown, no one was going to bars or restaurants, but they were coming to my place.” Whitehead said. “I had four tap handles in my garage with a TV, and a bar. We had to brew three times a week just to keep up.“

The success of their garage-turnedneighborhood-bar inspired them to bring on head brewer Maurey Fletcher and open their own community-focused brewery in the former Oceanside College of Beauty building on Coast Highway. When you visit, you’ll notice some familiar names on the tap list. There’s the Fire Mountain Lager, Hill Street Honey, Tremont Porter, and Graves House West Coast IPA—the family name for the more commonly known Top Gun house. “We live in this neighborhood, and we want to honor the history of this community,” Steinmetz said. “So, that’s why we’re interested in naming our beers after local landmarks and streets so we can pay homage to the history of this area.”

Paying respect to Oceanside’s community doesn’t stop at naming beers after local streets and landmarks. They’ve also hosted two fundraising nights

(L to R): Head Brewer Maurey Fletcher, Co-Owner Trevor Whitehead, and Co-Owner Joel Steinmetz.

since their grand opening only five months ago.

They invited Oceanside College of Beauty alumni back to their old stomping grounds to launch the Beauty College Blonde in their honor, and donate proceeds to their chosen charity.

They did the same for the Oceanside Firefighters Association, releasing their Station 2 Red Ale to raise money for the Oceanside Firefighters Charity Fund. “We want to support the community, so we made a red ale and named it Station 2, then hosted a fundraising night,” Steinmetz said. “Those are the kind of events we’re interested in doing—where we actually support the community.” The trio at South O Brewing Company is always trying to keep things interesting, whether that’s with community events or experimental flavors. Fletcher recently brewed a Maple Spice Latte Nitro Stout with maple syrup and espresso from Vigilante Coffee. They’re also set to release their first-ever Mexican Lager made with New Zealand hops on Cinco De Mayo. “It’s not a traditional hop to use in a Mexican Lager, but it’s going to give it a lime flavor without actually using lime,” Fletcher said.

Check out more information about weekly food vendors and events by visiting their Instagram @southobrewingco. For inquiries about fundraising events, please reach out directly. South O Brewing Company 1575 South Coast Hwy (442) 266-8244 southobrewingco.co @southobrewingco