Mad Lab Craft Brewing

[Update - Closed as of Summer 2013. The owners closed the tasting room but still have their bottling production business]

Last month when TC and I were on break, we had a really great lunch at K-Pasta in IB. While there, I picked up one of their postcards and logged onto their website later on at home. I noticed that everything was either made in-house (like the pasta and meatballs) or was made locally, such as the sausages from Tarantino's, the greens from Suzie's Farm (which is a few minutes away from there), and the beer from Coronado Brewing Company as well as the curiously named Mad Lab Craft Brewing Co. When I looked up Mad Lab, I saw that their area code was 92154 (where I grew up) and that they were located in Otay Mesa near the DMV!

I read up on Mad Lab's story and their beer selections and was curious to visit the "Southernmost brewery in the U.S."....Along for the adventure was our good friend (and beer enthusiast), Tatonka...


TC was dutifully dropped off at my parents' for dinner and news watching (the shootout of the Boston bombers were big news that evening) with Grandpa...Bert and I headed East on the 905 to find this place...

That's the view of TJ on the right hand side as you head east. You can see that plateau (or is it a "mesa")  land formationmin the distance...

When you see the Cali Mart sign, make a left.

You'll pass a building or two and once you see this keg and sign, you know that you are there. As for the DMV, I've heard that this location in Otay Mesa is much much nicer with faster moving lines than the old one down in Chula Vista. That's like being in bureaucratic hell I tell you.

The brewery is very very small, a "nanobrewery" in fact. This is also the first brewery I've ever been to. I'm not a beer fiend or beer snob by any means so I had no expectations whatsoever.  I hardly drink beer but when I do, it's usually as a "dessert" in the form of "beer floats" (usually a porter or stout with chocolate or coffee ice cream). My palate is really limited.  Bert and Tatonka are more of the beer fans so I was curious to get their more practiced opinions on this place and its beers.

I was carded! Even Bert with his salt and pepper hair...

These were the beers they had on hand that evening. Fridays and Saturdays are the only days the tasting room is open. I was especially interested in the Anne Bonny porter and the One Night Stand stout.  Tatonka was already there enjoying a pint.

Their prices:

The tasting room has posters of each beer's label art, created by the owner Mike McFarland who was there that evening.

There's Joshua getting us started on our tasting flight which was only $2.75 for 6 types of beers.

The glasses were small but just right for a lightweight like me. I don't remember the exact order but I believe this was the Succubus - Mango Blonde. This was light, fruity and refreshing. This will sneak up on you too, if you had a pint, because the ABV is 7%! This flavor I liked very much.

This next one was the Latin Lover Serrano Pale Ale which had a tiny bit of a kick to it due to the serrano peppers.

This was Tatonka's other pint, which may have been the Anarchy IPA.

One of the first darks that evening. This was the porter I'd been curious about. It did smell a bit like caramel and was slightly bitter.

This was the One Night Stand which I liked much more. Very very smooth tasting this was. I'd get this again.

I'm pretty sure I had a few more pix of the other flavors but they all started looking the same to me. This photo below may or may have been either the Diabolic or Anarchy IPA. I didn't care for either one but Bert really like it.

The folks working here are really nice, friendly, and patient. We met Mike, the owner and learned about how he started in the business, his business and educational background as well as how Mad Lab came to be situated in Otay Mesa. Rather than rehash it here, it's better to hear it from the source. If you ever visit this place, have a chat with him. He's super cool and  laid back and I like that he takes the time to talk to his customers.

I didn't think I could handle a pint so I just got the 8 oz taster which Bert had to "help" me finish.

My 8 oz taster of a combo of One Night Stand and the Anne Bonny Porter. If I could pick between the two, I would get the One Night Stand by itself next time. It's got a nice smooth taste to it and I could really taste the chocolate, vanilla and coffee flavors. The taller glass was Bert's Anarchy. It was too "hoppy" for my liking but the guys seemed to like it.

We were given a peek at their system. I wish I could tell you what each thing did, but I don't remember so sorry if you were expecting some sort of detailed scientific breakdown.

The vats weren't in use the day we went. They brew during the week. As you can see, it's a very small production here but a lot of care goes into each batch. Even for the beer novice like myself, I could really taste the individual flavors and after tasting a "canned" beer later during our sushi dinner with Tatonka, could really taste the big difference between a canned and craft beer.

We were also given a peek into their walk in freezer which held kegs and ponies as well as a small freezer which had hops and other types of packages for flavorings within.

Tatonka had a little sample of the Mango Blonde and liked it so much, he ordered a pint.

The growler belonging to Tatonka's new "friend" (some dude he got to chatting with) - He had a mix of Anarchy and Diabolic.

Tatonka's growler with the Anne Bonny Porter. He was going to a party the next day and knew that he and his friends would be partaking in this soon. Apparently you NEED (haha, NEED) to drink these within three days otherwise the beer will go flat and you wouldn't want that to happen, right?

I thought these signs were cool (they were in the bathroom of all places)!


Glad we stopped by! I know that Tatonka will definitely be back for another growler fill in the future!

We will also plan our return visit. Too bad they don't do growler fills of the "Mango blonde" beer! That was my second favorite after the "One Night Stand" (beer that is!)!

Recent articles and reviews:
Hop-Daddy Beer Blog
beer advocate
westcoastersd.com
SD Reader
San Diego Magazine
San Diego Beer Insider and yelp

Mad Lab Craft
6120 Corporate Center Dr., F-700 (across from the DMV)
San Diego, CA 92154
(619) 254-6478

madlabcraftbrewing.com (it seems that their list of beers isn't updated)
plus their blog

I took the precaution of eating something ahead of time but now both of us were getting hungry again. Tatonka joined Bert and I a few minutes later at Tomodachi, a small neighborhood sushi joint at the corner of 805 and Palm Ave (in the same strip mall with Teresita's and KFC).

Looking forward to coming back to try their other flavors and yeah, more of that stout and porter and mango beer!