New Brewery Taking Up Residence in The Local Downtown

Readers have been asking us for more details on The Local's downtown remodel, which includes a new accompanying brewery.

James Langley and partners Brendan Huffman and Mina Desiderio own Wonderland in Ocean Beach and The Local in Pacific Beach; the trio is behind The Resident Brewing Company, which will share space with the newly-expanded restaurant. Langley's brother-in-law, Robert Masterson, will be the brewmaster; Masterson gained fame in the local home-brew circuit for his Coconut IPA, which won first place in Stone Brewing Co.'s 2013 American Homebrewers Association home brewing contest.

Though The Local is gearing up to reopen shortly, the brewery is likely due in June. It will have its own entryway on C Street, where patrons can stop in to buy growlers, and its 10 BBL brewery will be viewable through glass at the back of the restaurant. The Local took over an adjoining storefront on Fourth Avenue in order to widen the restaurant, which will now have a larger kitchen, 17 TVs and 52 beer taps split between two bars. One new bar will function as The Resident Brewing Company's tasting bar and will have house beers and full liquor service. The brewery is planning on purchasing a pilot system for experimental beers; they intend to first distribute to their own family of eateries but expect to add another facility in order to grow beer production.