Scottish Gastropub Brewing Up Beer and Cider in La Mesa

Fourpenny House is bringing a Scottish spin on a gastropub to La Mesa Village’s main downtown thoroughfare; the eatery will have a full bar and also produce its own beer and cider. Its from-scratch, seasonal menu of elevated pub fare will feature the Scottish family recipes of owner Peter Soutowood and beer-infused dishes ranging from classic Scottish shortbread with Irish butter to Scottish mussels with fennel, leeks, pale ale and bacon broth and stout-braised corned beef, red cabbage, mustard, horseradish aioli, crispy shallots and pilsner gruyere fondue. The kitchen will also bake fresh bread, including spent grain bread and the sourdough batard that serves as the base for a sandwich of stout-marinated steak with charred tomatoes, pickled artichokes and tarragon blue cheese dressing.

The 2,250-square-foot space will be a modern take on a traditional Scottish pub. Fashioned with dark wood, stone walls and metal accents, the decor will include Soutowood’s family photos and tartan cushions sewed by his mother.

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Head brewer Davey Landeros, who hails from Redlands and worked at Inland Empire nano brewery, Brew Rebellion, will craft a beer lineup that include the malt-forward Fourpenny Ale, which combines the qualities of a Scottish ale and a British style bitter, a delicate lemon and chamomile blonde ale called Beatrix Blonde, the New-Orleans-inspired Stout du Monde, a coffee and milk stout brewed with French roast chicory coffee, and the Pacific Crest Ale, which infuses sage, juniper and lemongrass into a spicy rye pale ale. His hard cider will include the dry and crisp Singing Cider, made with seasonal fruit and herbs to pair with Fourpenny’s menu.

In addition to house brews, the restaurant and bar will also offer local beers, hard cider and kombucha on tap as well as a large bottle selection of Scottish and other international beers.