![\"Tarantula](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sut-z-beer-tarantula.jpg\")
Tarantula Hills Brewing in Thousand Oaks makes blonde ales for Cohn Restaurant Group locations in San Diego County. (Tarantula Hills)<\/p>\nThis being Independence Day, I\u2019m reminded of 10 Barrel Brewing\u2019s ill-fated attempt to crack San Diego\u2019s beer market.<\/p>\n
In May 2017, the Anheuser-Busch-owned brewery hosted a block party to celebrate the opening of its spacious East Village brewpub. The bash was crashed by a cadre of local brewers and beer fans who had hired a plane to tow a banner over that event.<\/p>\n
The banner\u2019s message: \u201c10 Barrel is Not Craft Beer.\u201d<\/p>\n
10 Barrel\u2019s outpost here was shuttered in late 2020, ostensibly due to COVID-19 restrictions on business, but doubtless hampered by a hostile craft beer community.<\/p>\n
\u201cCraft beer\u201d has long been defined as beers from small, local, independent breweries that employ traditional methods and ingredients.<\/p>\n
In the past, then, corporate ownership meant former craft operations were shunned. Boycotts wounded Ballast Point and Saint Archer after those San Diego breweries were purchased in 2015 by out-of-town interests, the former by Constellation Brands, the latter by Molson Coors.<\/p>\n
In 2019, a much-diminished Ballast Point sold to a Chicago-area brewery, Kings & Convicts, its current owner. Saint Archer is history, shut down in 2022.<\/p>\n
Just months after Saint Archer\u2019s demise, though, Japanese brewing behemoth Sapporo bought the county\u2019s largest brewery, Stone. The craft beer community\u2019s response: crickets.<\/p>\n
Today, many of the craft beer revolution\u2019s generals have been captured by corporations. The lengthy list includes California standouts Lagunitas (Heineken) and Firestone Walker (Duvel Moortgat); Colorado\u2019s New Belgium (Kirin); Michigan\u2019s Bell\u2019s (Lion); New York\u2019s Ommegang (Duvel Moortgat); etc.<\/p>\n
Surveying this landscape, I posed a tough question to Erik Fowler. Are craft beer fans no longer chanting \u201cGive me independence or give me death!\u201d?<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I had a quick, clean answer for you, I\u2019d make a lot of money,\u201d said Fowler, president of the San Diego Brewers Guild. \u201cIt\u2019s very fluid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe term \u2018craft beer\u2019 has changed a lot,\u201d he continued. \u201cThe breweries tried to define it for a long time. But what we\u2019ve come to realize, whether we admit it or not, is that the consumer is the one who defines it. It\u2019s what resonates with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, given Anheuser-Busch\u2019s rocky relationship with craft breweries, I doubt the welcome mat will be unrolled for 10 Barrel.<\/p>\n
Tarantula Hills Brewing in Thousand Oaks makes blonde ales for Cohn Restaurant Group locations in San Diego County. (Tarantula Hills)<\/p>\n
Tarantulas in the Haus<\/strong><\/p>\n Now marking its first anniversary: a partnership between the Cohn Restaurant Group (CRG) and Tarantula Hill, the Thousand Oaks firm with a satellite brewery in San Marcos.<\/p>\n For CRG\u2019s La Mesa operations, Casa Gabriela and Coin Haus, Tarantula Hill makes a Mexican lager, a West Coast IPA, a hazy IPA and a brew that, depending on location, is known as Coin Haus Blonde Ale and Gabby\u2019s Blonde.<\/p>\n A pro tip from Jon Boyle, CRG\u2019s operations manager: \u201cWhen we use the blonde ale at Casa Gabriela, it makes a mean michelada.\u201d<\/p>\n The Next Round<\/p>\n
![\"Samuel](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sut-l-dine-beer-samadams.jpg\")
Samuel Adams Boston Lager. (Peter Rowe)![\"Sierra](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sut-l-dine-beer-sierranevada.jpg\")
Sierra Nevada\u2019s Seasonal Pilsner. (Peter Rowe)<\/p>\n![\"Ballast](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sut-l-dine-beer-ballastpoint.jpg\")
Ballast Point California Kolsch beer. (Peter Rowe)<\/p>\n