With many new and future places to grab a drink of all kinds, Vista is a top spot for holiday celebrations.
The City of Vista is among the top producing brewery towns in the nation with more brew houses and breweries than almost any other city in the United States. However, beers are not the only drinks crafted here; with coffee shops, juice bars, distilleries, kombucheries and wine spots also in the mix, Vista residents have many local options where they can celebrate the holiday season.
“Vista is a great place in San Diego, which is renowned for its brewery scene, to find a locally crafted drink,” said Brandon Hernández, founder of San Diego Brew News. “No matter what your drink of choice is, there is a spot in Vista that has you covered, and there are some exciting new projects that are soon to join their ranks.”
One future establishment that plans to bring the community of Vista together is Co-Lab. It will be a permanent manufacturing facility and tasting room for three breweries, one winery and one restaurant. “We wanted to create a place where everyone in Vista and North County could gather to enjoy excellent drinks and food made on-site, and since we have ample space and entertainment, people can actually sit and stay for a while,” said Joe Deutsch, the developer behind Co-Lab. “There weren’t enough destination meeting places in the area, so we are changing that.”
Co-Lab is also evolving how small brewers and vintners can get their drinks into the hands of customers by providing all the manufacturing equipment they need, allowing brewers to craft their drinks at Co-Lab and benefit from its large capacity tasting room. “It can be challenging for up-and- coming brewers to distribute their beverages because most need to prioritize brewing space over their tasting rooms,” continued Deutsch. “Co-Lab is a family friendly place where guests can taste beer from exceptional brewers they might not otherwise get to experience.”
Another notable drinkery coming soon to Vista is KookSlams Hard Seltzers that celebrated its tasting room’s grand opening throughout the month of December. With millions of social media followers, KookSlams is bringing “tropical flavors brewed with the finest ingredients to deliver a taste that will leave a lasting imprint on your taste buds,” according to its website. A brand first, and a seltzer-house second, KookSlams’ location at 1495 Poinsettia Ave. is the self-proclaimed first hard seltzer tasting room in the world.
Downtown Vista is also getting a caffeine boost with many new coffee shops set to open in the new year. “Vista is home to crafters of all kinds,” said Kevin Ham, Vista’s Director of Economic Development. “With a new batch of coffee roasters and coffee shops opening soon, and our many notable non-beer brewers like Local Roots, Misadventure and KookSlams, Vista is beer and more.”
