Mother Earth Brew Co. Brewery and Tasting Room is nestled amongst the Vista business parks with a second location, a Tap House and Homebrew supply store, in Downtown Vista.
After a hike amongst the recently torched hillsides of San Elijo the YOTB crew headed to the Mother Earth Brewery to reverse all the calories we had just burned.Well, some of us did. Word to the wise – if you’re planning a rendezvous at Mother Earth, be sure to clarify Brewery vs Tap House. We learned the hard way that “meet at Mother Earth in Vista” isn’t enough details.
The brewery is an unassuming commercial building marked by only a few window decals. Upon entry mint colored walls lined with classic rock posters guide you to a modest bar. The floor is carpeted in dingy, gray, generic office building carpet. The brewery itself is visible only through a few windows and doorways in the tasting room
In my humble opinion, the tasting room isn’t doing the brewery justice. The floor plan is choppy and breaks the the tasting room up into multiple claustrophobic sections. If you have a large party or you’re there on a busy day you’re most likely hanging out in the entry way or the cubby room adjacent to the entrance. It would also benefit from some ventilation to facilitate airflow.
If it were my tasting room, I’d take sledge hammers to as many of the walls as I could without bringing the building down and open the whole thing up. After all, why conceal the most impressive part of the establishment – the brewery! As for the walls left standing, while the rock posters contribute to the chill Mother Earth vibe I’d be willing to guess their main purpose is to distract from the mint green paint. A fresh coat of paint and an upgrade to the flooring and voila! The tasting room is now worthy of the delicious beer it’s serving.
If you’re hungry, Rocco’s Pizza and Deli has got you covered. Their menus are available at the bar and they are nothing if not convenient. Call in your order and Rocco’s will deliver your pizza and sandwiches directly to you at the tasting room. The food is simple and delicious and my Italian sub paired perfectly with my Boo Koo IPA!
Speaking of the Boo Koo IPA, let’s talk Beer! Prior to our visit I had tried Mother Earth’s Cali Creamin at different bars around the county and it only took one sip for Mother Earth to move to the top of my “breweries to try” list. Cali Creamin (5.2% ABV) is toffee in color with a modest head. The aroma of vanilla sticks overpowers any traditional beer scents you might normally expects. The flavor is reminiscent of A&W cream soda but not quite as sweet. Most of the YOTB’ers had at least 1 pint of Cali Creamin during our visit winning it the crowd pleaser award.
Additional beer tasting notes:
Honcho Hefe ( 5% ABV)
• Straw yellow in color with a stark white head
• Easy drinking beer with minimal hops (reminiscent of a Michelob Ultra, take that as you will)
• Good carbonation with a light, refreshing feel
Boo Koo IPA (6-1/2% ABV)
• Tastes like a traditional, hop forward IPA with a mild aftertaste – one blind taste and I knew it was an IPA!
• deceivingly light in color – pale yellow with a snow white head
• Skunky, hoppy smell on the nose
• Overall a very friendly IPA
Kismet IPA (7.2% ABV)
• Similar carmel/copper translucent color as the Cali Creamin
• Coriander and wheat on the nose
• Earthy flavor with milder hops than Boo Koo. Darker in color but lighter in flavor.
Siren Blonde (5% ABV)
• A lighter, sweeter beer
• Fresh and mild in flavor
• Typical Blonde and I mean that in the best way
Hop Diggity Double IPA (8% ABV)
• Orange/copper in color
• Good bitterness without packing too much of punch
• Summit hops give a slight onion flavor
Mother Earth Brewery and Tasting Room rates 3 out 5 tap handles on the YOTB scale of craftiness. They are producing a variety of quality brews but the ambiance leaves much to be desired.
Bottoms up!
-Amatece
NOTE: This review is based solely on my visit to the original tasting room and brewery on Thibodo Rd, not the Tap House and Homebrew shop located on Main Street.
Year of the Brew.2 