32 North Brewing: The Remarkable Rise and Surprising Closure of a San Diego Brewery
A factual look at the former Miramar brewery, its development, brewing identity, and transition to new ownership.
32 North Brewing was an independent craft brewery established in San Diego, California, in October 2014. Located in the Miramar neighborhood, the business became part of the city’s expanding independent brewing industry through its range of traditional and experimental beer styles.
Founded by Steve Peterson, the company operated a production facility and tasting room at 8655 Production Avenue. Over the following years, it developed its brewing operations, expanded distribution, and experimented with different products.
The original brewery eventually changed hands in 2020. Its former premises were subsequently prepared for two new beverage businesses, Embolden Beer Co. and New Motion Beverages.
This article examines the brewery’s origins, important developments, notable products, former locations, and closure, while distinguishing verified historical information from uncertain claims.
What Was 32 North Brewing?
32 North Brewing Company was a San Diego craft brewery that operated in the Miramar industrial district.
Its commercial activities included brewing, packaging, distribution, and operating a public tasting room.
The company entered an established regional craft brewing market. San Diego already had numerous independent producers, making product differentiation and business development significant considerations for newer breweries.
Rather than concentrating exclusively on one familiar beer category, the business initially aimed to offer several styles, including pale ales, darker beers and sour varieties.
The company is no longer operating under its original brewery identity. Historical listings should therefore not be interpreted as confirmation of current opening hours, available products or visitor services.
The Founding and Early History
The brewery officially opened in October 2014, with Steve Peterson identified as its founder.
At opening, the operation occupied about 10,000 square feet, including about 2,500 square feet for the tasting room.
Its original equipment included a 10-barrel brewing system. The premises also provided space for production activities and customer facilities.
John Hunter was the original head brewer. His previous experience included work associated with White Labs, Mission Brewery and Karl Strauss Brewing Company.
The opening product plans included a Berliner Weisse, pale ale, milk stout and India pale ale.
These choices reflected a strategy of combining familiar craft styles with varieties that were less frequently emphasized by local producers.
An early ambition was to release additional beers regularly. However, announced plans should not be confused with evidence that every proposed product eventually reached commercial production.
Why Was It Called 32 North?
The name broadly referred to San Diego’s latitude in Southern California.
San Diego lies at approximately 32.7 degrees north of the equator. The name therefore functioned as a geographical reference rather than an exact coordinate for the brewery’s property.
The company also adopted an exploration-oriented brand identity.
This geographical approach connected the business to its home city without relying exclusively on the name of the Miramar neighborhood.
It also provided a distinctive identity in a market where numerous businesses operated within the same broad industry.
The Brewing Styles and Notable Products
Historical accounts document several beer types associated with the company.
Its range changed over time, so view individual products as part of its historical catalog rather than a present-day menu.
| Historical beer | Style or category |
|---|---|
| Landfall Berliner Weisse | Sour wheat beer |
| Nautical Mile IPA | India pale ale |
| Best Coast IPA | India pale ale |
| First Flight | Pale ale |
| Fly By Night | Milk stout |
| Saison du Nord | Saison |
| Pack Your Bags | Brown ale |
| Maverick & Gose | Gose-style sour beer |
These products illustrate the range of styles associated with the business during different periods.
The historical record also mentions experimental recipes, fruit-influenced sour beers and darker varieties.
It would be inaccurate to describe all these products as continuously available throughout the company’s operating history.
Beer lists changed as brewing personnel, production priorities, and commercial arrangements developed.
Changes in Brewing Leadership During 2015
A key development occurred in 2015 when the brewery changed its production team.
John Hunter left his position as head brewer in April that year.
His departure created operational challenges, including changes to production arrangements and how certain recipes would be handled going forward.
Will Gallaspy subsequently took over brewing responsibilities. His earlier professional experience included commercial brewing roles across the United States.
Additional brewing personnel were also brought into the operation.
During this transition, owner Steve Peterson discussed plans to increase production and expand the range of available releases.
The situation demonstrates how early-stage manufacturing businesses can depend heavily on specialist personnel.
In craft brewing, recipe ownership, equipment availability, and production scheduling may all influence how a company manages a change in leadership.
Reporting from the period also documented disagreement about ownership of some recipes. Those historical issues should not be simplified into claims that all recipes automatically belonged to either the brewer or the company.
The Miramar Brewery and Tasting Room
The company’s principal location was:
8655 Production Avenue, Suite A, San Diego, California 92121, United States.
This was the original brewery and tasting-room address, not a confirmed current visitor destination.
The Miramar location combined production facilities with a public-facing space.
Its industrial setting was typical of several brewing businesses in this part of San Diego.
The original tasting room included multiple taps and customer facilities, while the surrounding space supported manufacturing and storage.
The venue’s dual function mattered commercially. Production could take place on the same property where customers encountered the brand directly.
However, archived photographs, map listings, and historical reviews may still display the former location despite changes in ownership and operation.
The Liberty Station Expansion and Closure
32 North Brewing also established a satellite tasting room at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
The location operated within Moniker General, a mixed-use retail, coffee and event space.
It opened in May 2016 but closed in January 2017.
Contemporary reporting described the closure as a mutual business decision following difficulties establishing a suitable commercial fit at that location.
This closure did not mean the entire brewery had ceased operating in 2017.
The main Miramar business continued after the Liberty Station tasting room shut.
The distinction is important: the satellite tasting room closed in 2017, while the sale of the original brewery premises occurred several years later.
Business Development and Distribution
The company pursued wider distribution during its operating years.
Early plans involved establishing commercial availability in San Diego and Orange County.
Later business activity included packaging initiatives and arrangements intended to extend the brand’s reach beyond its tasting room.
In November 2018, an announcement confirmed a distribution partnership with Scout Distribution, a San Diego-based business.
The collaboration had begun in October 2018.
This represented an effort to develop the company’s wholesale presence through an external distribution partner.
For an independent producer, distribution arrangements can influence access to retailers, restaurants and other commercial customers.
Nevertheless, a distribution agreement alone does not establish a business’s profitability, sales growth, or financial health.
The sources reviewed do not provide publicly verified figures for the company’s full financial performance.
What Happened to 32 North Brewing in 2020?
The most significant later development was the sale of the Miramar brewery.
In October 2020, news emerged that the owner had sold the property and brewing operation to a new group of entrepreneurs.
Trade reporting published in November 2020 described plans to introduce two different beverage concepts at the former site.
These were Embolden Beer Co. and New Motion Beverages.
The incoming operation took over a 20-barrel brewing system previously associated with 32 North.
Embolden Beer Co. was preparing to open to the public on 21 November 2020.
The historical evidence therefore establishes a transition in the site’s business identity and ownership arrangements.
It does not, by itself, establish that financial losses, regulatory action or any particular personal dispute caused the original owner to sell.
Those explanations should not be presented as facts without reliable supporting documentation.
Is 32 North Brewing Still Open in 2026?
No. As of November 2026, specialist brewery directories identify 32 North Brewing Company as out of business or permanently closed.
The former Miramar property was transferred to new operators in 2020.
Anyone researching the original company should distinguish between three separate matters:
- The former 32 North business and its historical products.
- The physical brewery property the company once used.
- The newer businesses that took over the premises.
A building continuing to function as a beverage-production facility does not mean the previous company remains active.
Similarly, old photographs, historical customer reviews, and preserved product listings do not establish that the original business has reopened.
No verified announcement of a revival of 32 North under its original identity was established during research for this article.
What Makes the Brewery’s History Relevant?
The company’s story offers a useful example of how smaller manufacturing businesses develop and change.
Its history includes several identifiable stages: initial investment in facilities, recruitment of specialist workers, product development, expansion into additional locations, and partnerships with distributors.
It also illustrates the difference between expanding a business and maintaining a particular location.
The closure of the Liberty Station tasting room did not immediately end the wider enterprise.
Likewise, the later transfer of the Miramar operation created an opportunity for different businesses to use the existing manufacturing infrastructure.
These developments are relevant beyond the brewing industry.
Commercial premises, equipment, staff expertise, and distribution relationships can all have value independently of the original brand operating them.
Understanding those distinctions provides a clearer account than describing the business simply as either successful or unsuccessful.
Conclusion
32 North Brewing remains part of San Diego’s documented craft brewing history.
Established in October 2014 by Steve Peterson, it operated from Miramar, developed several beer styles, and pursued distribution beyond its original premises.
Its Liberty Station tasting room closed in January 2017. The original Miramar brewery was subsequently sold in 2020, with different operators preparing to use the site.
The company’s history is best understood as a sequence of business developments, operational changes and an eventual transfer of its principal facility.
Today, its former identity survives primarily through historical reporting, product records and archived business listings rather than an active brewery operation.
FAQs
1. What was 32 North Brewing?
32 North Brewing was an independent craft brewery established in San Diego, California, in 2014. Its main production facility and tasting room were in the Miramar neighborhood.
2. Who founded 32 North Brewing Company?
Steve Peterson founded the business. He was identified as its founder in reporting published when the brewery opened in October 2014.
3. Where was 32 North Brewing located?
Its main historical address was 8655 Production Avenue, Suite A, San Diego, California 92121. The company also briefly operated a satellite tasting room at Liberty Station.
4. When did 32 North Brewing close?
The Liberty Station tasting room closed in January 2017. The original Miramar brewing operation was sold in 2020, and the former company is now listed as out of business.
5. What replaced 32 North Brewing?
Following the 2020 sale, the former Miramar brewery premises were prepared for Embolden Beer Co. and New Motion Beverages. These were new business concepts, not a confirmed continuation of the original 32 North brand.
