All about Ballast Point
Ballast Point was launched in 1996 at the Home Brew Mart in San Diego, and with its flagship Sculpin IPA, it came to popularity during the West Coast IPA boom. Now headquartered in Miramar, the brewery operates several Southern California sites as well as a former East Coast site. Their spirits venture, begun in 2008 as Ballast Point Spirits, spun into the independent Cutwater Spirits in 2017. Acquired by Constellation in 2015 and later by Kings & Convicts in 2019, Ballast Point continues to innovate with beer styles like Sculpin, Grapefruit & Pineapple Sculpin, Fathom IPL, and Victory at Sea imperial porter. However, its Miramar production facility closed in April 2024.
Ballast Point, which has its roots in San Diego's brewing culture, places a strong emphasis on quality, innovation, and location. The brewery uses both traditional and modern methods to produce all of its beers locally. Every recipe, whether it's for smooth, dark porters or tropical, resinous IPAs, is made with accuracy and balance in mind.
Beyond beer, Ballast Point also operates a dedicated spirits program under the Ballast Point Spirits label. The distillery, which was first established as an independent business in the early 2000s, evolved into Cutwater Spirits, a company that today distributes high-end craft spirits, including gin, vodka, whiskey, and canned cocktails. This dual identity makes Ballast Point a distinctive player in the beer and spirits markets by showcasing its creative edge and cross-category competency in fermentation and distillation. It was established as a separate entity in 2017 by Co-founders Yuseff Cherney (Master Distiller) and Earl Kight III.
However, spirits-focused offerings are now available. Check out the Ballast Point Spirits collection, their new lineup in spirits, an offshoot born from Ballast Point's original distilling experiments. Now, they are a leading name in spirits, cocktails, and premium small-batch spirits.
Noteworthy Ballast Point beers include some of the best beers to try:
