Arcana Brewing Company

Great beer selection. Hard working owner/brewer - runs a safe, friendly tasting room. On my top 3 places to go for a quality friendly visit.

Amazing atmosphere, great beer. There are several great styles of beer offered here. If you're a dark beer, braggot, and IPA enthusiast, it is almost always something for you. The owner and staff are always friendly and fun to talk to. This brewery really is worth stopping by to grab a drink and enjoy the ambiance. Also there is a TV where you can watch sports! Inside the brewery is very spacious. It can accommodate several large parties of people all at once. There is a long bar top where you can sit and relax as well. When it's cold, they turn the heater on, and there are blankets that are free to use if you still need a little bit more warmth. In the summer it stays nice and cool. Some outdoor seating is available as well. There are snacks, chips, beef jerky, assorted nuts and non alcoholic beverages offered here. Just ask and they will be happy to tell you what they offer. If you are in the mood for a meal, they also work with the local restaurants so that you can get food delivered or you can bring in your own while you visit. There is plenty of free parking in the huge parking lot right in front. Extra points for carnivorous plant enthusiasts, and seasonal decoration afficionados.

I’m at Arcana Brewing Company, and I have to say, this is the best place beer enthusiasts could ever ask for. Not only are the beers here absolutely wonderful, but the service provided by the beertender was exceptional. The decoration, featuring vintage mugs and antique furniture, left me in awe. The beer is sensational, completely artisanal. The atmosphere is cozy, with the perfect volume for conversations. In short, everything is perfect.

This brewery was very impressive. The atmosphere is super comfortable. Clean bathrooms, excellent visuals, entertainment games, cool peeps, top service, a punking playlist, and great selection of beer. My favorite from the flight was the Burgundy oaky and fruity tartness 🤤. They also have a special mug program 🍻 and dog friendly 🐶. Outside food is okay 🙌.

Always a blast swinging by here and hanging out with Dan and friends. Great staff, great beer, and great vibes.

definitely make the stop here if you are around. the guys behind the counter are very knowledgeable and good friends with other owners and brewers. they asked what we liked and pointed us in the direction of other breweries to try. that was a great touch and we were there early right when they opened. they gave a good word on the "west coaster" magazine, you should read that if you're reading this!!! their headbasher IPA is the go to for me

I love the steampunk vibe of the place, and Dan (and staff) make coming in for a beer feel like hanging with friends. Their mug club is unique, and we've been members for 2 years. Their braggots are phenomenal. It's a hidden gem in Carlsbad :)

Different but interestering decor and vibes compared to other breweries, which is a good thing!

I was meeting up with some friends to checkout my buddy's collaboration dark mild. I have never been here before but the beers were all great. They also had some interesting high ABV meads on tap as well as a braggot. This is the kinds of hidden small brewery that craft brewing is all about. Lots of interesting options to try, and not all IPAs. They did have a pretty decent Rye IPA on though. Plenty of tables and seating and the bar tender / brewer was friendly to talk to. I wish I would have taken more pictures but I was too busy hanging out with friends.

I was not impressed with Arcana Brewing at all, when you walk in it's very messy and cluttered with souvenir cups, plants, weird fish tanks and just too much stuff. The beers were nothing special, I usually ask for a sample splash before committing to a full beer to make sure I like it, and the guy at the counter (the bald guy that needs to work on his customer service skills) kept rushing me into ordering and giving me an attitude because I didn't order a full pint. I ordered a small cup of Dark Magician mead, it was only ok, kinda weird and metallic tasting. I wanted to try another mead on tap and asked for another sample splash the same staff member rudely told me that was my last sample and I needed to buy something. So I ended up ordering Blood of the North, a semi sweet mead, it wasn't great, just ok and tasted off and metallic. I won't come back to this brewery, treating customers poorly and with pressure makes this brewery desperate for business.

This place is a hidden gem in Carlsbad. I'd never heard of this place before but I stalk Bam Buns Instagram and we followed them here. The bartender/owner/head honcho here is super friendly. My husband and I tried various beers and seltzers and enjoyed every one. The decor is eclectic and very cool. They have a club and you get to choose an awesome mug to own and drink from when you go. Wish this could be our "Cheers" but it is too far from home. I definitely recommend and I'll definitely be back.

The space is really awesome and the bathrooms are clean. I especially love how the inside of their place felt. The extremely high ceilings made it feel much more roomy. I wish there was a beer I absolutely enjoyed when I came this past weekend. Maybe we'll have to stop in another time.

This place is great! The owner is very inviting and genuine. The ambience and environment is unique. Definitely recommend!

Was doing some shopping in Carlsbad with the wife and when it was finally time to relax and drink we came across this amazing place. We were immediately greeted by Dan and his warm gentle charm totally adds to the vibe of this place. The atmosphere is unlike any other brewery with so many quirky pieces of art throughout the space as well as beautiful plants. You can easily lose track of time being in here. Lastly if you become a member you will be given a custom mug that will be displayed on the wall waiting for you to come back and have some beers. Such an amazing sight to see.

Wonderful environment in a great location. Lots of beautiful plants and decorations. Comfortable environment to talk, play games, shoot darts, and chill. Owner is really friendly and personable.

Here's what is good--really good--about Arcana: they make a lot of different styles of beer and they make them very well. I can appreciate a good IPA but when a beer menu is filled with 90% IPAs, my eyes roll. Arcana has IPAs, but they also make pilsners, stouts, sours, porters, braggots (beer/mead hybrid), and other styles. Fortunately, if you're the adventurous type, they offer flights so you can try many of their offerings. Just look out: some of these brews are high on the ABV scale (as in over 11%). They can lay you flat. I passed out about a half hour after my visit here. I found the braggots particularly good. They're definitely on the sweeter and boozier side, so look out. The brewery is located inside a warehouse-y space but they've done a nice job of making it feel homey inside. There is a nice TV and snacks for sale, although you can bring in outside food. They also have some seating under a tent in the parking lot. It's 18 and up only here so no kiddos. I like family friendly breweries myself but that won't stop me from returning when the beers are this good.

Probably my favorite local place. The atmosphere is good and the owner is a nice guy. Lots of regulars frequent this brewery, so some good conversations can be had. There's a variety of beers and a couple of meads. I highly recommend it.

So I wanted to check out some breweries that I haven't been to and this one was on my list. I had a little bit of a hard time finding it but I found it. There was a guy out front making a patio or something and he was the bartender too. The location is a nice size, a little dark inside, pretty good beers, and a nice bartender. The decor is a little different but kind of cool. I got a flight and there was some better than others but one really stood out to me. If I'm in the area I would definitely stop by!

The owner is such a cool guy, he bartends and creates a welcoming and fun experience for anyone who comes in

This is such an amazing brewery! The beer and honey based beers were all so flavorful and full bodied. I loved every single drink I tried. My fiancé also felt the same! The owner/brew master served us and he was such a nice and just cool guy. He answered all our questions and took time to chat with us. The place has a really great vibe and cool steam Punk and eclectic vibe. The only down side is we live ten hours away and can't come here every week. But I will make sure I find my way back.

Arcana is a secret gem to hang with your friends, half a craft beer and play some darts. Dan's the Man. Drop in and see what the buzz is about.

Hard to find, but once you enter that busy park it's on the left side. The place is big- decorated with mugs. You can't drink from the mugs unless you're in the mug club. The mugs are all handmade and it's actually really nice and detailed looking. Beers were decent- some better than others. Their IPAs are way too bitter, like a really strong bitter after taste, even stronger than the normal. Wasn't a fan of that. I did enjoy their honey ale and apple ale. Reminded me of the holidays! Dog friendly and not kid friendly. They have a sign about not allowing kids/anyone under 21 years old to be fair. I actually like that policy! Sometimes an adult place just need to be just adults.

I gotta say...Arcana Brewing Co. continues to impress even years later, much like a good barrel aged beer(beer pun anyone?). Arcana has adjusted, shuffled, tweaked and changed with the times and still the beers are top notch and the laughs wholehearted. If Arcana isn't on your list of local craft breweries to try...it should be.

The absolute best beer I've ever had. For someone that prefers Belgian ales and Braggots more than IPAs. I'd have to say Dan's IPAs are well balanced. IPA lovers will thoroughly enjoy. The Braggots he makes are my favorite, and nobody else seems to make them. When he makes a Belgian Ale, of course I can't wait to try. His ales are spectacular. He has a mug club, where each customer gets to pick a beautiful mug from his potters collection. They are really quite little works of art. There are a number of perks that you get as a member. I go to events with my significant other who is a member. For munchies he sometimes has a food truck or you can always enjoy some varied types of bitchin sauce w / tostada chips. And there are varied potato chips to snack on. And he always has something on the big screen TV that his guests enjoy. When in Carlsbad, go meet Dan the proprietor, who is quite an interesting, personable, and engaging guy, and knows a thing or two about the science and art of brewing beer. He has set the bar high for me and my relationship with beer. His brewery is tucked away off El Camino Real in a business park. Love this place!!

Great beer, great atmosphere, lovely people and owned by a passionate and ingenious brew master

Chill, English pub type of atmosphere with great beer brewed in house. Super friendly and helpful staff.

This is a cozy, local brewery with lots of regulars. They have a Mug Club membership with bespoke beer mugs. Good beer. Dart games are fun. Pet friendly. Dan is super laid back and is great to chat with. He usually has a baseball game on.

Great beer, Great service, great expierence! Keep your RND up guys the Braggots are amazing!

Service was great. Dan is amazing. I would recommend him for sure. The beer is great and the dart boards were a lot of fun. Dog friendly as well. Ambiance is fantastic.

I loved working here. Used to be Fezziwigs. Before asshat Sam Adam's" I miss Dawn and making the seasonal brews. Taking the produce up the ladders!

Arcana is a fantastic little brewery located amidst an industrial park in unsuspecting Carlsbad. This place has an excellent lineup of IPAs and Ales, headlined IMHO by their mosaic IPA, which was extremely fragrant and tasted delicious. Arcana has cool vibes all around, friendly staff, the occasional food truck and a pretty nice setup for some competitive darts. I heard rumors about their mug club, but there's quite the waiting list so I prefer just to come in and grab a couple of pints outside of this prestigious club lol. Oh and that "passionate monkey mead" is the sneakiest 10% beer known to man, just a heads up... Overall, great brewery and good times. Legit- Friendly staff Fantastic beer Cool vibes Great music Sports on TV Nice dart setup Food trucks Pet friendly Inexpensive Meh- Pretty loud

We were in Carlsbad visiting several breweries for some birthday celebration beer tasting. I'm happy to say that Arcana was our favorite...but sad to say that we didn't know that when starting out. Arcana was our first stop and had we known what we know now, we probably wouldn't have visited anywhere else. Here's why: - Great selection of beers. We're not big IPA fans and there were lots of options for us. - The tasters were $2 or $3 each. My wife and I split four of them and all were excellent. I especially loved the Newton's Graff Apple Ale and the 'Merica Bacon Ale. Wow! - The tasting room was really comfortable with a cool decor. - The owner provided us with lots of great information about the beers. Bottom line: Great local brewery...a place we'll be going back to very soon.

Awesome brewery in Carlsbad! This is one of the breweries where if you are under 21, you are not allowed to come in. On Friday, they had a company serving hot dogs. Friendly bartenders. Great brew. Televisions. & an overall great place to relax! Also, there are a lot of breweries close by, perfect if you want to brewery hop. Newton's Graff Apple Ale: Like a spiked apple cider, yum! Honey Pale Ale: Bold honey flavor. Delicious!

GREAT beer, great people, great vibe. Dan (proprietor) is one of the coolest dudes you'll meet. If you're sitting at work thinking "man I need a beer", go here. Try the "Crazy Darryl"

Love this brewery. Super chill, the collection of mugs on the wall and all the corgi characters are awesome. The beer is fantastic! Come, chill. Have a great conversation and some legit music. Coming back! Support your local brewery!

My coworker and I are both craft beer enthusiasts, and when he heard I lived in North County, he immediately recommended Arcana. My husband and I visited this place last Saturday, around 4/4:30. I was really impressed! The decor inside was super cool. Kind of steampunk, a little goth even? Definitely piqued my interest. The beertender was super friendly and helpful as well. My husband and I both ordered flights and he was very patient and recommended some beers for us to try. My flight included the beer made with honey (sorry forget the name), the apple lager, the porter, and the sage saison. The apple beer was so good! It was definitely my favorite out of all of them. My second favorite was the Sage Against the Machine Saison. So sage-y and unique. My husband, of course, ordered all IPAs and he liked most of them as well. The environment was also really laid back and social. There was a really cute, big fluffy dog visiting with the customers, and at some points we all kind of socialized. Another plus is they offer flights, half pints, regular pints, and growler fills. Yet another plus is the vast variety of kinds of beer! Not all IPAS and like one lager or something. Tons of things to try! Loved this place and can't wait to come back!

This is probably one of he most unknown spots that should be more popularly known. I tried several of their beers and each one was very impressive. The bartender, Daniel is very friendly and answers all questions with honesty. I'm very impressed with this brewery, I hope to find many more like it!!

Great little local brewery where the Owner serves them up himself - awesome spot! They sell to-go's as well!

Great little brewery and tasting room. They don't go crazy with hop-forward IPAs but rather craft a more balanced lineup of beers. I liked their Honey Pale Ale and the Fly Guy Rye IPA. The service was friendly and they had a food truck available as well when I was there.

All the beers are solid. Some are really great. Definitely try the braggot (mead beer essentially)

A long overdue review for a brewery that's worth a stop. We visited here on the last Sunday in August in the late afternoon, yep just getting to this review now. It was a stinkin' hot, need a cold beer, let's hit some breweries kind of day. Arcana was our first stop. Parking: free parking in the lot and plenty of it. The venue: located in a business strip mall. Parking could be an issue if you come during the week before most businesses close. But all that means is that instead of parking three feet from the door, you might have to park 10, 15 or 20 feet away. :) It's a dog friendly, leave the kids at home brewery. Because it's a working brewery, for safety reasons they prefer that everyone be 21 or over. And because it's okay to put your dog on a lease and not your child (CPS kinda frowns on that), dogs are welcome. The decor is steampunkish with art covering some of the walls. If you get tired of looking at the art or talking to your friends you can play darts on one of the two boards near the back of brewery. There's a small popcorn machine which appeared to be a serve yourself variety. There aren't a lot of places to sit. It's more of a stand around, drink your beer kind of place. When we visited the place was empty, maybe about six other people in the brewery. Given all the good ratings on Yelp, I was perplexed until we discovered why...there is no air conditioning. And not a lot of circulation happening despite the opened roll up door. Yeah, I get you're in brewery, but come on, put in some a/c if you want people to hang out on hot days. Happy to see a stout on the menu, so without qualms I ordered the Infinity Stout on Nitro. It was creamy and smooth with strong hints of coffee. But the beer was warm. I know some people prefer their stouts a little on the warm side, but not this gal. I like my big bold stouts cold. The hubs got an IPA or an Ale (don't remember which, maybe the Headbasher IPA or the Honey Pale Ale. Whichever one was too wheaty for my taste. But it was cold, so cold. The bartender (owner maybe) was courteous, not overly friendly. There wasn't much customer service happening in terms of checking to see if anyone needed/wanted a refill. Aside from the warm stout and lack of air conditioning, I'd give it another shot. But next time, I'm coming when it's not 100 degrees outside.

This is a small craft brewery with many different fun selections and interesting beers. We tried a few different beers including a bacon ale, infinity stout, apricot saison, and an apple pie beer that was very interesting. This beer was more on the dryer side, with very little sweetness pushing through. We then tried their headbasher IPA, and decided on a growler to go. It was a cool little spot to try some tasty beer for sure. Everyone is very friendly here and happy to let you try a few to find what is in your wheelhouse. Grab a growler to go and you surely won't be disappointed when u get home and want to relax and unwind with that special beer from Arcana Brewery.

Great brewery in north SD! Good variety, great service, friendly neighborhood feel. Highly recommend!

My friends and I were in the area for an event and had time to kill so we stumble upon this place. The inside of the store had a nice vibe and there was plenty of space for our group of 10. There was also outdoor seating for those who want fresh air. I got the headbasher IPA which was really good (more on the bitter side). My friends got the hazed and confused IPA which was also good. I would come back here for the ambiance! the staff is also very friendly and helpful when finding the right beer for you. They also have different bitchin' sauces available as a snack in the fridge which is nice to have. Great place to hang out!

Great little new brewery in Carlsbad. They only have 2 on tap since they just opened and both were quite good. The Darby Porter was excellent and who can dislike Tiny Tim the Cream Ale which is easy drinking and low ABV. I'll be back when they have more and maybe they can earn the extra star

I stopped into this place after work since it is super close by. I don't know why people find this place hard to find but it is in a small business park which can be difficult to navigate. They have a mug club with nice looking glazed mugs. Everyone in the place seemed to be regulars. I ordered a flight of beers and enjoyed them all. The best by far was the stout. I got to talking to the bartender which was also the owner I believe. He's a nice guy and very talkative. I like the art and paintings dotting the walls of the place. Take note that no one under 18 is allowed in here. Their is a sign on the door notifying customers of this. I like that, in my honest opinion breweries should be for adults.

The same afternoon that we went to Rouleur Brewing in Carlsbad, we dropped by Arcana Brewing, only about half a mile up the road. The difference in signage was apparent: Arcana was tricky to find given the layout of the parking lot in this commercial center, and there were no signs that we saw to guide the way. Plus, the logo outside says "Fezziwig's Brewing"--"Arcana Brewing" appears beside it in large letters. I'm not sure if that is honoring their history, or thumbing their nose at Sam Adams for the cease-and-desist letter that forced them to change the name. (By the way, that sort of behavior by a large brewery really cheeses me off. Fezziwig is a Dickens character from A Christmas Carol--why should the fact that Sam has a seasonal beer called Old Fezziwig Ale mean that they own that name for all time and uses now?) Arcana has made some efforts at decorating, mostly along the steampunk line, but to my eye it comes off as just another brewery in a commercial space. A little dark and messy, with decorations looking cheap or incomplete in the end. I guess they tried a bit, which is better than you can say of some places. The "only halfway" feel of the room unfortunately also continues to the beers, in my opinion. The bartender was very friendly and helpful, and from what I saw of the regulars this would be a comfortable place to hang out, if you find a beer you like.

This place is a hidden gem! The beer list covers all taste palates, and the atmosphere is delightful. Great beer, music, ambiance, and service - what more could we ask for.

I came here on a whim on a Friday evening and was so happy I did. Everyone at Arcana Brewing is VERY friendly. I got awesome recommendations from the employees and ended up having a flight of beers. The sage infused beer was so unique and delicious - I was my absolute favorite. A flight will set you back $8, which is reasonable. They are very dog friendly (dogs allowed inside) and even make their own dog treats. I'll definitely return if I'm in the area!

I agree with the other reviewers that this place is a bit difficult to find but the beer here is good. Last time I stopped in the had a beer brewed with local sage and it was divine. One of the better and lesser known brewers in north county.

One of my favorite breweries in San Diego county..... and that's pretty stiff competition. Dan and crew brew and serve up a wide variety of beers and variations. Give their Braggott a try, you won't be disappointed. Fun atmosphere with two nice regulation dart boards and a couple of nearby choices to bring in a snack.

This is a great place to have a beer and watch a game. You can still get beer to go during covid although we all look forward to the days when we can come here have some food and beer and hang out. Always a great friendly crowd.

Neatly tucked away in an industrial area in Carlsbad. Fantastic beer and service. Highly recommended.

FAVORITE SPOT IN THE AREA*** This place is super daft punk... Awesome ambience, delicious craft beer, fun decor, and just an all-around awesome setting. They have darts, a full wall shelf full of board games, and a mug membership that not only adds to the decor, but emphasizes regular attendance and patronism. All of our United States servicemen flags fly to the rear of the brewery... This establishment is just too fun. Love it here. Wish we lived closer just so we could be members

I have been at Arcana brewery a few times, but today I decided to leave a review. These guys deserve good words for the job they do and for the quality of the beers they make. Last time I had the pleasure to talk to Daniel, the owner, friendly and kind, he gave me exactly what I was looking for, plus some extra tasting. Hope this lockdown will be over soon, to enjoy in full the nice vibe of this local brewery.

What's not to love? Arcana and a few others serve the local business park their weekday brews, though this one flies under the radar. Which I like because I don't have to deal with the crowds at Burgeon, or attempt parking at Culver. Pretzels are provided to tide you over till dinner though there are some other snacks and sodas available. My two favorite beers are easily their House Brown and Dark Voyage, an English style ale and the overall theme of their lineup. Darts are available and a sports TV if that's your thing. Mostly you'll hear chitchat about people work form the day. Asking about the wall of mugs reveals a club membership available. Arcana; a lovely staple.

Been coming to this brewery since the early days. Solid vibe, great people, cool staff, and awesome owner. Most importantly, they make tasty well balanced beers. A bit hard to find for first visit, but well worth it.