Beer Behemoth Ballast Point Opening Mission Bay Brewery [Update]

Pioneering San Diego brewery Ballast Point might have big Bay Area aspirations. According to an ABC filing spotted by the Chronicle, the brewery — which famously sold to mega beverage corporation Constellation Brands for $1 billion in 2015, joining an arsenal that includes Modelo and Corona — has filed for a beer manufacture license at 705 16th Street in Mission Bay. According to the Chronicle, work permits show applications for construction on a 6,300-square-foot restaurant for Ballast Point at the location, mere blocks from the soon-to-be-home of the Golden State Warriors.

Update, Friday, August 10: Ballast Point confirms to Eater SF that they’re pursuing an “on-site R&D brewery” for San Francisco with a restaurant component showcasing San Diego-style food like Baja-style fish tacos. The business will open in “early 2019,” representatives say.

Ballast Point is best known for its flagship IPA, Sculpin, and variations on it. News of its growth is in keeping with Ballast Point’s aggressive expansion tactics. It’s even bringing beer to Dinseyland’s “Downtown Disney” area, a major coup.

But Mission Bay already has one new brewery in the works: Expanding local brewers and distillers Seven Stills are hard at work on a new production facility and restaurant nearby at 100 Hooper. Seven Stills currently operates in the Bayview, with outposts on Nob Hill and in the Outer Sunset. Owners Tim Obert and Clint Potter are currently fundraising to complete their new Mission Bay project, seeking investors in what they’re pitching as the city’s fastest-growing brewery and distillery.

But how will that compare with one of fastest-growing in the country? The effect a Ballast Point outpost could have on local SF breweries remains to be seen. And grassroots opposition to the prospect appears possible. Golden Road, an LA-based brewery bought by Anheuser-Busch, has encountered pushback from local beer advocates regarding its proposed Temescal beer garden. That project has nonetheless been approved by the city of Oakland, though downscaled from original plans.

• Ballast Point Brewing plots a San Francisco outpost [SF Chronicle]