Ballast Point Brewing is an award-winning brewery located in the charming Little Italy neighborhood. Established in 1996 by Jack White, the brewery is open to the public and it produces delicious ales for sale around the world. Since its inception, the brewery has been garnered rave reviews and it has won a slew of awards, including the 2010 Bronze at the Great Japan Beer Festival, 2008 Gold Ribbon at the California State Fair, 2013 Gold at the LA County Beer Competition, and 2015 Gold at the Best of Craft Beer Awards.

Perched high on a hill in the industrial outskirts of Escondido, Stone World Bistro is quite literally a desert oasis. The cavernous dining room is adorned with slabs of granite, beams of steel and a 30-foot bamboo tree. The bar sits in one corner, in the shadow of the brewery's series of two-story brew kettles (which you can see up close and personal on the free daily brewery tour). Across the way, airplane-hangar-like doors open onto the facility's centerpiece, a beautifully manicured patio and garden about the size of a city block. Pathways snake past lawns, fountains, a creek, and a fire pit. Pick a spot and down a pint or two of the award-winning homemade beer including rarities. The food menu is a cut above your average pub grub, focusing on locally raised seasonal ingredients and exotic preparations. The on-site gift shop features everything from Arrogant Bastard hoodies to freshly jugged beer to go. See website for full menu, beer info, event calendar, online shopping, tour schedule and more.

The Lost Abbey Port Brewing Company has declared a war on evil, or simply bad, beers. Their goal is to make only divine, delicious beer that can be shared and savored amongst friends. The beer produced at this brewery certainly gives a nod to the ales brewed in the monasteries of Belgium, but they are still brews original and all their own. The brewery produces two different varieties of beer: the Belgian-style beers brewed under the Lost Abbey name, and an eclectic variety of West Coast brews under the Port Brewing label. Both collections of beer can be sampled at the tasting room in their brewery.

Noisy, crowded and casual, this hip brewery draws young professionals to its chic space in downtown San Diego. With 10 to 12 specialty micro-brewed beers each day, you may have a hard time choosing what you'd like to drink. So, do not torture yourself. Try the sampler instead and enjoy four different beers in four-ounce glasses. Once you've found your favorite beer, pair it with a delicious meal. Entrees include pastas, burgers, salads, sandwiches and seafood.

Mike Hess, the owner of Hess Brewing, first started out making home-brews in his garage. From there, his brewing production grew into a fully fledged brewery when he bought an industrial space and started making delicious beers on a "nano" brewery scale. Today, the brewery produces a collection of flagship beers, as well as seasonal and new brews that Hess wants to try out. Local favorites include the Solis IPA, My Other Vice Berliner Weisse, and Umbrix Rye Imperial Stout.

Modern Times Lomaland Fermentorium is a historic 2000 square feet (185 square meters) warehouse that was renovated and turned into a brew pub. With over 16 taps available, beers are sold year round and include monthly and seasonal options. The interiors are a mix of contemporary and vintage decor and have several book shelves that separate the tasting room from the brew pub, as well as a large mural made out of post-it notes. Because the taps are always changing, there is always a reason to stop by this hip beer-lovers' paradise.