San Diego Brewery Is Here, It’s Queer And It Serves Beer

With microbrews and brick-oven pizzas, Hillcrest Brewing Co. in San Diego might sound like every other brewpub in America. But the new venture, which officially opens next Tuesday, is claiming the unique distinction of being the world’s first gay brewery.

We’ll drink to that!

Hillcrest, located in the San Diego gayborhood of the same name, is the latest venture from Stefan Chicote and Chris Shaw, owners of the local Mo’s Universe restaurant chain, and gay brewer David White. All of the Mo’s Universe eateries are aimed at the gay demographic—Shaw and Chicote are even sponsors of Saturday’s High Heel Race—but Hillcrest represents something new for them.

“We had been looking at different concepts to complement our other locations,” Chicote told UT San Diego, “We looked at a breakfast club, a supper club, and then David White came knocking on the door, gave us a six-pack of his beer, and Chris said, ‘What do you think of a brewing company?’ I said, ‘stop the bus, that’s it.”

In the spirit of Pride, the venue’s brewing processes will be exposed to all instead of walled off or behind glass. Visitors can order from several cheekily named craft beers, including Perle Necklace, Crotch Rocket Red, Banana Hammock and Brain Lubricant.

Now if only they’d come out with a low-cal microbrew, we’d be all over it.