East County Brewery Revamps, Reopens Tasting Room

Fans of artisan meat curing remember Knight Salumi Company fondly; founded by chef Rey Knight, one of the San Diego's most-admired charcuterie makers, it was once a popular vendor at several local farmer's markets.

In 2010, Knight had to shutter his salumi company and subsequently switched his focus to beer, launching Butcher's Brewing Company in a 4,000-square-foot site in East County in 2013. Now, Knight is gearing up to reveal a remodeled tasting room and a revamped and renamed brewery in the space.

Finest Made Ales will grand open in Santee on August 19 with a party featuring food trucks and 11 beers on tap. Brewmaster Knight's new beer list continues its focus on food-friendly styles and takes some cues from the Butcher's Brewing lineup, but will be produced with updated brewing techniques and equipment; it will include an amber ale, hefeweizen, IPA, rye IPA, session IPA, pilsner, stout, brown ale and blonde ale. The refreshed tasting room will hold 22 taps, with some taps reserved for rotating non-alcoholic beverages.

Knight plans to offer meat and cheese boards in the tasting room, with the charcuterie sourced from OLLI Salumeria's Oceanside facility.