By TR Robertson
Vista resident Mike Zane, an RBV graduate, has wanted to own a brewery for a long time, ever since working for Chuck Silva and Green Flash Brewery in 2002-2004. He has been a home brewer for some time as well, experimenting with a variety of beer flavors and types. In 2009, he took a job at Costco, moving into the management program until health issues in 2019 sidelined him for a year. During his time at Costco, he and five friends, in 2014, had come up with a grand scheme to open a brewery together. By 2015, they began to notice a change in the craft beer industry as the market was becoming what he referred to as saturated. The friends lost interest, with the exception of one, so the dream remained. Then 2019 hit, with the COVID pandemic, and the one remaining friend who showed interest dropped out.
You would think all signs were pointing to indicating opening a brewery was not in his destiny, but you would be wrong. Mike still had a dream, this time with his wife Ewa, whom he married in 2012. As fate would have it, the Wavelength Brewery, did not survive the COVID business shutdowns and their site, at 236 Main Street in Historic Downtown Vista, became available and on April 1, 2022, April Fool’s Day, Mike and Ewa obtained the rights to the building and InZane Brewing Co. was born. Mike said the date was absolutely appropriate as they plan on creating an environment and atmosphere in their brewery that is fun, casual, clever and has something for everyone.
Mike, Ewa and other family members are in the process of creating a new look inside the building. The first thing they did was come up with a name for their brewery, now known as InZane Brewing Co. The brewery will be receiving a new paint job inside, some new lighting features, like accent and vintage lights, and one whole side of the main room is currently being outfitted with 4×4 wooden blocks, black and teal in color, which will become a large acoustical wall to go along with the 12×8 ft. stage for entertainment. Mike said he plans on having some type of entertainment daily at the brewery. Mike and family will be personally applying the 7,700+ wooden blocks to create the wall.
The brewery’s new look will also feature a wall with funny, clever sayings and statements that will fit the breweries’ theme of humor and a light-hearted have a good time atmosphere. He said a variety of table and chair sizes will fill the interior space as well as at least four televisions mounted on the wall. Mike wants this brewery to reflect he and Ewa’s personality, and they are doing a majority of the work in the brewery themselves. They plan on making a few changes to the outside of the front of the building facing Main Street, but some of their ideas may have to wait until after they open and settle in.
Like many businesses, they are dealing with supply issues as they are waiting for their six stainless steel brewing tanks to arrive from China, the only place they can get the tanks from. The walk-in-cooler that was in the former Wavelength is gone and fortunately the cooler can be obtained from a business in the U.S. Mike said they have to be patient, but it is hard to find out that many of the things they need have to come from overseas and are caught in the shipping and unloading issues that are plaguing lots of businesses.
Mike is still working on a variety of beer tastes and styles at his home and has about 13 varieties, but plans on offering around eight once the brewery opens, adding more along the way. They will offer several IPA’s as well as a coconut porter and a coffee stout. They are working on names for the beers as they want them to reflect their InZane name and theme. He has already approached several of the restaurants close by and they will offer food delivery choices and hope to have a special arrangement with When Pigs Fly, their next-door neighbor.
Once open, InZane Brewery Co. will be open 7 days a week, Monday through Thursday 3 pm – 9pm, Friday and Saturday Noon until 11 pm and Sunday Noon until 8 pm. Entertainment will be offered each day, times and performers will be listed on their web page once they open.
InZane is located at 236 Main Street in Downtown Historic Vista, next door to When Pigs Fly Restaurant. Information is presently available at InZane Brewing Co. on Facebook or you can contact owner Mike Zane at 760-519-0466. Their anticipated opening will be in July 2022.
