Mikkeller Brewing San Diego Celebrates Opening

Mikkeller has officially announced the opening of its first physical brewery, a partnership between Mikkeller and AleSmith Brewing Co.

The brewery expects to double its production and help open up market segments that were previousl unobtainable due to Mikkeller's "gypsy" status.

The brewery will open its doors on April 16th and will host a mini beer festival to celebrate, starting at 3 p.m.

Here is the release from Mikkeller San Diego:

Mikkeller will double its yearly beer production, when the brewery Mikkeller Brewing San Diego opens its doors with a mini beer festival the 16th of April.

American beer lovers can expect a mini Copenhagen Beer Celebration, when Mikkeller Brewing San Diego finally opens up to the world the 16^th of April.  Twenty of the best American microbreweries – such as Three Floyds, Hill Farmstead and Alesmith – will have beers on tap, Mikkeller Running Club (SD) will host a run, and Mikkeller headquarter's permanent staff will travel to California to participate in the celebration. In addition Mikkel Borg Bjergsø will talk about his visions for the brewery at the special 'morning after' event 'Beer Geek Breakfast'.

"We are extremely excited and it will certainly be fun to open our first physical brewery and present Americans with the beer we have brewed over there," says Mikkel Borg Bjergsø.

Mikkeller Brewing San Diego will bring Mikkeller to brew around two million litres more beer per year, which will double total production thus far.

"USA is our second largest and potentially our largest market. Currently, we brew most of our beer in Belgium and Norway, which is then shipped to the US.  This acquisition gives us an opportunity to expand in the American market, because we can brew on equal terms with American breweries.  Our beer can be fresher, and we save on shipping costs," Mikkel Borg Bjergsø explained when the beer company's biggest investment was made public back in February 2015.

The brewery in San Diego was previously owned by microbrewers from Alesmith, who last year put the brewery for sale in connection with an expansion. Many interested buyers contacted Alesmith, who instead chose to contact Mikkeller, because they believed that the Danish microbrewery would be able to contribute something new and fun to the beer scene in California and thus draw more beer lovers to the area.

Alesmith is repeatedly voted as the world's best brewery on the international beer site Ratebeer.com and are pioneers in the American micro brewing world.

"It's one of the best breweries in the world, and it is the best guarantee that we can brew some really good beer," says Bjergsø.

Mikkeller Brewing San Diego will open with a tasting room and bar and the long-term plan is to expand with a bottle and merchandise shop.

Mikkeller Brewing San Diego Grand Opening

Program

16. April, 3-11pm

10.00am: Mikkeller Running Club 5K/10K

3.00-11.00pm: Doors open to Tasting Room.

3.00-5.00pm: VIP 1 tasting session 

Tickets and more info: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2533670

6.00-8.00pm:  VIP 2 tasting session 

Tickets and more info: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2533677

17. April

9.00am: Beer Geek Breakfast

Mikkel Borg Bjergsø himself will talk about his vision for the brewery at the morning event 'Beer Geek Breakfast.'

Tickets and more info: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2533690

Further infomation: https://www.facebook.com/mikkellersandiego/