La Bella Pizza Garden has been pouring craft beer for 20 years. That might be a surprise to some but, in fact, the west side Chula Vista restaurant’s bar has been pouring craft beer for the majority of its customers over the last six years.
Of the 13 handles on tap, nine are for craft beers and four are for macro beers.
General manager Gonzalo Quintero said it’s not surprising that craft beers have muscled their way into the mainstream American market.
“Craft beers tend to have better ingredients and better quality of ingredients,” he said.
Quintero, who holds an education doctorate, has worked at the restaurant since 2011 and as general manager since 2015. He has also served as an administrator at Southwestern College and an instructor at San Diego State University.
He sits on the SDSU Business of Craft Beer advisory board. The university offers classes that lead to a professional certificate in the business of craft beer.
Quintero, or Dr. Q, as many affectionately refer to him, is also co-founder of Craft Beer Tasters, an online multimedia craft beer discussion.
Dr. Q said the goal of Craft Beer Tasters is to demystify the craft beer culture and report on the great experiences within the craft beer world using the following mediums: online website and articles, print media, graphic arts, video and social media.
An avid home brewer, Cicerone certified beer server, and seasoned traveler, Dr. Q takes great pride in educating people about the craft beer culture. He has developed a passion for spreading the good word of local beer in a fun and educational way by approaching the subject from the perspective of a scholar, educator and fan of the craft.
Dr. Q said the La Bella Pizza Garden operation remains family-friendly.
“We like to keep our prices very approachable,” he said. “Part of the stigma of craft beer has been that it is expensive or higher priced. Some of that is due to rarity. Because of our high volume, this gives us the opportunity to provide craft beer at an approachable price for people who have not tried it before.”
The restaurant also offers a special promotion featuring a brewery of the month where patrons can purchase a $5 pint or $10.75 pitcher.
Modern Times in Point Loma is the highlighted brewery for April.
“We try to feature mostly local breweries because the beer is fresh,” Dr. Q explained. “If you can get something 10 miles away, why not?”
Dr. Q noted that La Bella Pizza Garden maintains a cold room directly beneath the bar that keeps the beer chilled to 45 degrees. He also noted the taps run directly down to the source in the basement, which is important in delivering a fresh clean product to customers.
So, what is exactly is a craft beer?
The Brewers Association defines an American craft brewer as small (annual production of 6 million barrels or less, or approximately three percent of U.S. annual sales), independent (less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled by an alcohol industry member that it not itself a craft brewer) and traditional (a brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation; flavored malt beverages are not considered beers).
Dr. Q pointed out that is a textbook definition.
“Craft beer should be viewed as beer that is brewed by independent businesses by people who believe in the integrity of their products,” he said.
The vast majority of all beer brewed is available on draft, according to Dr. Q.
“California is a self-distribution state, so breweries are allowed to sell out of their tasting rooms directly to bars, restaurants and bottle shops,” he said.
While corporate breweries still dominate the market, the demand for craft beer is increasing. Dr. Q said nationally about 10 percent of all beer sold is craft beer; in San Diego County that number is double.
“Mass produced corporate beer is still making the lion’s share of beer and making the vast amount of sales,” Dr. Q said. “Craft beer is cultural and generational. As time goes on, and people come of age, the culture will spread and the number of those interested in craft beer will rise.
“If you brew it, they will come!”
Where did the craft beer phenomenon get its start?
Dr. Q said that former president Jimmy Carter got the ball, er, keg, rolling.
“A lot of people don’t realize, but Jimmy Carter is to blame,” Dr. Q explained. “He signed an act that allowed home brewing during his service as president. Once people started to brew at home, some went professional. This is also the way a lot of breweries start today. A home brewer starts working at a professional brewery and starts their own.”
San Diego has more than 130 independent breweries in operation. In terms of legacy, continuity and quality, Dr. Q said look to Karl Strauss Downtown as the originator of and elder statesmen in the community of continually operated independent breweries with a continued annual growth for 28 consecutive years.
The craft beer phenomenon appears ready to explode in South County, specifically in downtown Chula Vista, with numerous tasting rooms ready to open in the coming months.
“People often talk of an oversaturated market and fear of a bubble bursting,” Dr. Q said. “In downtown Chula Vista we were a craft beer desert that is now a craft beer oasis.
“La Bella Pizza Garden has poured craft beer for around 20 years, but only within the last six years have our taps been predominantly independent craft beer.
“Third Avenue Ale House deserves a lot of credit for investing in this part of Chula Vista and making a calculated risk. Bar Sin Nombre, 3Punk Apes and Chula Vista Brewery all are set to open this year and all have owners who live within walking distance of Third Avenue. It took locals to invest in their communities to make this cultural revolution begin.”
How have customers reacted to the craft beer phenomenon at La Bella’s?
“It’s really interesting how people are still surprised by the stellar draft list we have in rotation,” Dr. Q explained. “Some of that comes from an assumption about tastes of people in our region. Other times it’s because they haven’t visited since moving away.
“One thing is certain is that regulars are regulars for a reason and the craft beer selection is definitely a part of that.”
