Peter Zien from AleSmith joins Jeff, Jeff, and San Diego Brewers Guild President Esthela Davila for a deep dive into more than three decades of San Diego beer.
From a tiny 3,300-square-foot brewery and five employees to a 109,000-square-foot operation, Peter shares how AleSmith grew one beer at a time—and how winning Small Brewer of the Year in 2008 helped change everything. Through it all, the philosophy stayed the same: make the best beer possible and worry about everything else afterward.
Peter also tells the story behind one of San Diego’s most iconic beers: .394 San Diego Pale Ale. He takes us inside his first meeting with Tony Gwynn, how Tony described the beer he wanted as “light with a kick,” and why the beer became much more than a celebrity collaboration.
The conversation also covers AleSmith’s commitment to helping other breweries, the Anvil of Hope nonprofit, Peter’s CheeseSmith side project, modern IPAs like Party Tricks, Speedway Grand Prix, and how AleSmith continues experimenting with everything from hop cocktails to canned espresso martinis.
Plus, Jeff finally gets to drink Nut Brown with the man responsible for making it.
