How about a story of ambition and great beer? That’s the story of Stone Brewing Company. Stone Brewing began with a simple mission. It wanted to create amazing flavorful beers.
Greg Koch and Steve Wagner founded Stone Brewing in 1996. They started in San Marcos California. They aimed to offer an alternative to the industrialized beers. These beers dominated the market.
Stone Brewing helped kickstart a craft beer revolution in the US. Greg Koch and Steve Wagner may not have foreseen this. Success didn’t happen overnight.
Koch was born in Southern California. He moved back west in 1984. He wanted to pursue rock stardom. Wagner earned an English degree. He toured as a keyboardist and bassist for 15 years. A bandmate introduced him to homebrewing.
Wagner and Koch barely knew each other. They ran into each other at a seminar. It was called “A Sensory Evaluation of Beer”. They really started talking there.
Koch visited Solana Beach in March 1995. He was with some old college buddies. He thought this was the place. He called Wagner. Wagner’s brothers had gone to college in the area. He was in.
Koch drove his Mitsubishi Diamante to Solana Beach. He moved in with a friend. He brewed the first test batches of Arrogant Bastard Ale there. It became Stone’s most famous offering.
Stone Brewing opened in San Marcos in February 1996. This was with an angel investment from Koch’s father. The brewery’s first offering was a pale ale. Pizza Port Brewing Co. bought the first keg in July 1996. They used it for their restaurant in Solana Beach.
Stone Pale Ale was released for the first time. Steve Wagner wanted to add an American flair to a more English-style recipe. He had been given some Ahtanum hops. It was a little-known cultivar at the time. It made a different pale ale. This was how they would carve out their identity.
Stone Smoked Porter was released in early December 1996. Some accounts said they would only sell Stone’s beer if they made that beer. Greg Koch and Steve Wagner sat down and talked about it. They felt it was a unique beer. So, they brought it back under a different name.
In 2006 Stone relocated to a new facility in Escondido. They moved the offices and the bottling line. It all happened over the course of a weekend.
The new home in Escondido allowed Stone to meet the demand. A single batch quadrupled in size. It used their 120-barrel brewhouse.
Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens opened in Escondido. It set expectations higher for beer’s place in elevated dining. Local organic ingredients were a priority. The seasonal menu was inspired by fresh worldly cuisine.
Stone Brewing has earned many awards. It has been rated as a “world class brewery”. BeerAdvocate readers voted Stone the number one “All Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth.”
So raise a glass to Stone Brewing Company. They have been brewing great beer since 1996. They sparked a craft beer revolution. They continue to innovate. Cheers to their success.