Societe Brewing is the brewery for people who take beer seriously without taking themselves too seriously. Founded in 2012 in Kearny Mesa, it built its reputation the old-fashioned way: by brewing a wide range of styles really well, from hoppy West Coast ales to Belgian-inspired farmhouse beers to barrel-aged sours, and by treating the taproom as a gathering place. The name says it all. Societe, pronounced society, was founded on the idea that beer is the world’s greatest social uniter, and the rallying cry Beer Folk Unite still hangs over everything it does.

The basics

• Location: 8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego (Kearny Mesa); satellite tasting room in Old Town
• Founded: 2012, by Doug Constantiner and Travis Smith
• Known for: The Pupil IPA, The Coachman session IPA (two-time Great American Beer Festival gold medal winner), The Harlot Belgian-style blonde ale, and a barrel-aged Feral sour program

Societe was founded by a pair of professional brewers, Constantiner and Smith, after stints at some of California’s best breweries, and that pedigree showed from the start. The brewery opened quietly in May 2012 in a 16,000-square-foot space, with a 2,000-square-foot tasting room and a separate cold room for barrel aging. It grew slowly and deliberately, building a loyal following one beer at a time, and by its tenth anniversary in 2022 it was ready for a satellite tasting room in Old Town, San Diego’s oldest neighborhood.

The range is the point. Societe groups its beers into hoppy Out West ales, Belgian-inspired and continental Old World ales and lagers, dark Stygian beers, and Feral barrel-aged sours, and it takes all four seriously. That breadth, plus medals at the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, and San Diego International Beer Festival, made it one of the most respected breweries in the county.

The taproom

Societe’s Kearny Mesa taproom is a working brewery first and a bar second, and that is a compliment. Expect a long wooden bar overlooked by stainless steel brewing equipment, a big chalkboard listing the current offerings, and an outdoor patio for when the weather cooperates. It is not a party room, and it is not trying to be. It is a place to taste carefully, talk beer with the people next to you, and maybe buy a bottle of something barrel-aged to take home.

The Old Town satellite, which opened after a fall 2022 popup preview, gives the same beer a more neighborhood setting, closer to downtown and easier to drop into on a weekend. Either way, the vibe is welcoming and unpretentious: beer folk, united, exactly as advertised.

Standout beers

• The Pupil IPA: The flagship. A tropical hop triumph with bright guava and mango notes and a clean finish, and the beer that made Societe’s name.
• The Coachman Session IPA: The two-time GABF gold medal winner, and Constantiner’s personal favorite. All the hop character of a bigger IPA in a beer you can drink all afternoon.
• The Harlot Belgian-Style Blonde Ale: An award-winning blonde built on a pilsner base with Belgian yeast, crisp and easy-drinking with a floral hop bouquet.
• The Heiress Czech-Style Pilsner: The lager drinker’s Societe beer. Clean, crisp, and traditional, and proof the brewery does not need hops to impress.
• Bulbous Flowers Hazy IPA: The newer core addition. A sticky, fresh hazy IPA with a West Coast finish, a full bloom of hops with an unfiltered glow.

Our take

Societe is essential San Diego beer, and it earns that status without ever shouting about it. The Pupil alone would justify a visit, but the real reason to go is the range: a brewery that can brew a world-class IPA, a Belgian blonde, a Czech pilsner, and a barrel-aged sour, all at a high level, is rare anywhere, let alone in one Kearny Mesa building. Go to Kearny Mesa for the full brewery experience, or Old Town for a neighborhood visit, and start with The Pupil. Stay for The Coachman. That is the Societe education, and it is a good one.