Where to Drink Beer in North County | Eater San Diego

"Some breweries are more commercial investments — they represent someone trying to brew up a name for themselves in the industry, or try to build a brand, or come up with a recipe so popular that they can sell out to a bigger beer company somewhere else. But other places feel like they just wanted to put all of their favorite things under one roof: A brewing operation, a love of steampunk, and an affinity for good company and fine industry. Arcana is one such place — owner Daniel Guy surely does have commercial interests (he’s already had to fend off a lawsuit from Sam Adams after the original name of the brewery skewed a bit too close to one of their trademarks), but when you visit his spot, you get the sense that he just wanted to include all of his favorite things in one place. And when some of his favorites become yours as well (the Headbasher IPA and the Honey Pale Ale are excellent, and there’s always at least a few interesting sips of barleywine, mead, or, lately, hard seltzer, to try out), you’ll definitely appreciate what’s been built here. If you appreciate it enough, you can even join the great mug club (which gets you your own mug and access to special events and brews), though maybe not right away — there is often a waiting list." - Mike Schramm