Just steps from the Oceanside Pier, Breakwater Brewing Co. produces inventive, top-notch beers in a laid-back, beachside location. The brewery was founded in 2008 by Lars Gilman and Shannon Sager, who met through a mutual friend. Together they carried out their vision of bringing a food-friendly brewery to downtown Oceanside.
Outfitted with used equipment salvaged from a New Orleans brewery after Hurricane Katrina, Breakwater takes a “something-for-everyone” approach to brewing. The brewpub offers 12 to 18 beers on draft every day, many of them made with unexpected and hyper-local ingredients.
The Pink Something Something is a sour beer made with Rasbiscus Mead and beet root, and aged in Chardonnay barrels. Local honey goes into the Beach Honey cream ale. Breakwater’s Kali Kush, an American pale ale, is infused with wild-crafted coastal sagebrush. While some of these combinations may sound outrageous, the resulting beers are truly delicious. (For those who like more traditional brews, Breakwater’s Rye Dawn rye ale won a gold medal in the prestigious 2016 World Beer Cup.)
The brewpub atmosphere is friendly and laid-back, with pinball machines and video games to keep the kids—and adults—happy. There’s also a full menu of pub fare, pizzas, and paninis.