May the 4th be with you while participating in California Wild Ales’ sixth annual Star Wars-themed intergalactic anniversary.
The celestial celebration will be held mainly at the brewery’s Ocean Beach tasting room at 4896 Newport Ave., but also at its sister location at 3826 Sherman St. in the Midway District. Star Wars movies will be playing in Midway on its monster movie screen all day long.
Especially for the celestial occasion, California Wild Ales will bring back some crowd brand favorites like Jabba the Hop, Darth Citrius, C3-POrter, the Mangolorian, and more. These beloved brews pay homage to iconic characters and moments from the Star Wars universe adding extra excitement.
“As a lifelong Star Wars fan, celebrating May 4th is a no-brainer for me,” said Bill DeWitt, company co-owner and co-founder. “I absolutely enjoy crafting fun names for our delicious beers, each of which was specially concocted for this occasion.”
DeWitt pointed out California Wild Ales started out small as “just a bottle club,” before becoming a one-day-a-week tasting room in Sorrento Valley. After that, the owners seized the opportunity to move to OB and set up shop in the main drag on Newport Avenue.
The May 4 date selected for California Wild Ales’s Star Wars-themed event was not chosen randomly. “We opened on May 4, 2021, so technically, it’s our three-year anniversary on that date,” DeWitt noted.
Of the Star Wars event’s origin, DeWitt said: We just started coming up with fun names and creative beers to make with them – and it kind of grew and grew, especially during COVID when people had little to do. We got a lot of publicity from that, and when we opened on Newport we just kept that going. For me, it’s a creative outlet to come up with fun, new beers and ways to promote them.”
It’s Halloween in May at California Wild Ales breweries. “We turn our (OB) tasting room into Mos Eisley Cantina and get customers coming in with light sabers doing duels,” said DeWitt. “We have giveaways and prizes and Star Wars movies in the back playing all day.”
For those making it to California Wild Ales outlets on May 4, prepare to journey through a galaxy of themed drinks, decor, and entertainment, including a thrilling costume contest where attendees can showcase their best Star Wars attire.
The event promises to unite a diverse crowd of Star Wars devotees and beer enthusiasts under one roof. California Wild Ales co-founder Zack Brager emphasized the brewery’s commitment to fostering connections and building community: “As a small, local brewery, fostering connections with our customers and building community is at the heart of what we do,” he said. “These events let us showcase our love for craft beer and Star Wars while bringing people together to make lasting memories. It’s our passion, and we can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
California Wild Ales opened a new multi-faceted production facility and tasting room in Midway on Sept. 15, 2023, with an 18-foot by 10.5-foot movie screen, one of the largest screens outside of Petco Park. “We’re enthusiastic about sharing our innovative brews and creating lasting memories for our patrons.” Monica DeWitt, Midway’s general manager noted previously. She added, “We’ve created an inviting and exciting space that’s designed for both beer enthusiasts and those looking for a unique, community-oriented experience.”
California Wild Ales, San Diego’s Sour House, is San Diego’s only all-barrel-aged sour brewery. It began creating fresh and funky sour beers in 2015 and opened its tasting room in 2018. The brewery’s sour beer is aged in American, French, and Hungarian oak barrels for a minimum of nine months. It uses fresh, seasonal produce from local San Diego farmers resulting in a refreshing, tart flavor profile and depth often associated with fine wine. The brewery uses mixed and wild fermentation methods using probiotic yeast and bacteria strains, including Lactobacillus, Brettanomyces, and Pediococcus.
For more information, visit californiawildales.com.
CALIFORNIA WILD ALES
Where: 4896 Newport Ave. in OB, and 3826 Sherman St. in Midway District.
When: Saturday, May 4, locations open at noon.
Info: californiawildales.com.
