Daily Business Report-Aug. 22, 2017

Beer from Ballast Point, San Diego’s largest brewery.

Craft Breweries in San Diego County

Tops in the U.S.

San Diego County, known as the Craft Beer Capital of America, was home to 125 licensed craft breweries as of 2016 — the most of any region in the United States, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s Craft Brew Report.

Adding non-craft breweries, microbreweries, regional breweries, brewpubs, tasting rooms, restaurants and breweries in planning to the mix, the total count of brew industry establishments catering to beer fans exceeds 200 as of mid-2017.

The explosive growth of the industry over the last four years has been driven by food lovers and millennials, translating into a steady demand for commercial real estate, according to the report.

The craft brewing industry accounts for an estimated 1.1 million square feet countywide, with the heaviest footprints in North County and District 6 in Central County, also known as “Beeramar.”

Most breweries are located in industrial and retail spaces — two property types that allow for both brewing and tasting. With low vacancies, limited availability of real estate ranked as one of the top impediments to future growth among other concerns such as access to capital, distribution and water management in the local industry survey.

San Diego-based breweries and brewpubs generate over $851 million in sales and employ 4,512 workers. Ballast Point, San Diego’s largest brewery with sales of 300,000+ barrels per year, has been in rapid expansion mode since it was acquired by Constellation Brands for $1 billion in 2015. MillerCoors acquired a controlling share of Saint Archer Brewery, marking the first local brewery acquisition by an international corporation. Adding high-volume, non-craft breweries such as these, the industry provides well over 6,200 jobs. Ballast Point’s sales reached 250,219 barrels, double compared to a prior year, with more than 50 percent of that credited to its line of Sculpin IPAs.

San Diego is described as a “beer city destination” and ranked as the eighth top beer destination in the U.S. by Travelocity. Stone Brewing Co., located in “one of America’s early craft beer hubs,” ranked 22nd among 50 in travel-worthy breweries around the world by USA Today in 2017.

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Eureka! Opens at San Diego State

Eureka! an all-American concept, opened its doors Monday on the San Diego State University campus (5140 College Ave.) Eureka! specializes in American classics with a modern twist with its selection of starters and signature burgers. Menu highlights include Mac N’ Cheese Balls featuring a housemade beer cheese sauce and Fresno chiles; Fresno Fig Burger with fig marmalade, melted goat cheese, bacon, tomatoes, red onion, arugula, tossed in the housemade spicy porter mustard; Bison Burger topped with jalapeño bacon jam, smoked mozzarella, and tri-peppers; and Fried Chicken Sliders featuring mashed potatoes inside, firecracker aioli, coleslaw, served with French fries.

Brunch items, being featured on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., include Steak N’ Eggs with house potatoes, sautéed kale, garlic, fried eggs, and firecracker aioli and Chilaquiles featuring ranchero tortilla chips, eggs, feta, sour cream, purple onions, avocado, and pico de gallo. All weekend long, Eureka! offers Mimosas and Bloody Marys for $5.

The beverage program at Eureka! revolves around the restaurant’s commitment to serving all-American craft beer, regional wines, both accompanied by a selection of over 40 small-batch whiskeys and specialty cocktails. Signature cocktails include Eureka! Punch that takes three days to make with over 14 ingredients such as pineapple, bourbon, white and spiced rum, green tea, cinnamon, coriander, and more/

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Port of San Diego Presents Open

Sessions with Artist Randy Walker

The Port of San Diego’s Waterfront Arts & Activation Department is hosting two interactive presentations with artist Randy Walker as part of its Open Sessions program series. Open Sessions is a community engagement program that provides opportunities for the public to learn about the Port’s arts and cultural initiatives, meet artists, and engage in the artwork development process. The public is invited to the free events.

Walker is a Minneapolis-based fiber artist who was commissioned to develop a temporary multi-site artwork project inspired by the Port’s maritime industries. The artwork is targeted for installation in mid-2018 at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and National City Marine Terminal and will involve the artistic process of “wrapping” elements at the terminals. It will be on view for approximately one year.

The open sessions will give the community an opportunity to be involved in the project and will feature a sculptural and photographic exchange that they can participate in. A discussion soliciting community feedback will be moderated by Yvonne Wise, Director of the Port’s Waterfront Arts & Activation Department. Refreshments will be provided at both events.

Open Session Details:

• 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 22, Woodbury University, School of Architecture, 2212 Main St., San Diego, CA 92113.
• 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 23, National City Aquatic Center,
  3300 Goesno Place, National City, CA 91950.

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San Diego Claims Top Solar Spot

San Diego has emerged as the state’s top region for residential solar energy in an annual ranking of California’s clean economy. Released by the nonpartisan, nonprofit group Next 10 and prepared by Beacon Economics, the ninth annual California Green Innovation Index finds that San Diego-Carlsbad outcompetes 25 other regions across California for the highest total amount of residential solar capacity installed in 2016.

Data gathered over the nine years of the Index shows that California’s climate policies have allowed for considerable economic growth, with California outpacing other states in GDP and employment gains following the Great Recession. However, the Index also notes that the rate of decline in California’s carbon emissions has slowed, driven by a sharp increase in emissions from the transportation sector, in part due to the housing crisis pushing up commute times.

“California’s clean economy is growing all across the state, with different regions finding different ways to grow the economy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” said F. Noel Perry, businessman and founder of Next 10. “However, developing cleaner transportation options presents both a great challenge and a great opportunity for the state moving forward.”

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USD Ranks 10th Nationally on

Sierra Magazine’s ‘Cool Schools’ List

The University of San Diego ranks 10th nationally on the 2017 “Cool Schools” list of the greenest colleges and universities in a study released by Sierra magazine. USD is the highest-ranking school in San Diego County for its efforts to protect the environment, address climate change issues, and promote sustainability.

In the past year, USD has created a Climate Action Plan, calling for the university to reduce electricity and natural gas use by 35 percent and increase its use of clean, renewable energy by 40 percent by 2035. In the short term, the university said it has continued to reduce electricity consumption, make use of solar energy, and operate an Electronics Recycling Center on campus.

Since 2010, USD has reduced campus energy consumption by more than 27 percent  with verified projects through San Diego Gas & Electric totaling more than 10 million kilowatt hours in savings. The E-Recycling Center has collected and properly disposed of more than three million pounds of electronic waste since it opened in 2011.