It all began with a home brewer’s humble dream.
During his college years, young Jack White developed a taste for beer. After graduation, he decided it was time to explore more interesting beer than he could find in the store, or at a keg party, for that matter. So, he began home brewing in his back yard. He got good at it, and quickly realized it wasn’t that easy to get his hands on the various supplies and ingredients he wanted—nor did he have people to trade brewing ideas with.
He needed a place to get great ingredients.
So, one rare sunny day in San Diego in 1992, Jack opened Home Brew Mart: A home brewer’s nirvana filled with the supplies, ingredients, and conversation every home brewer needed to make better beer at home.
Home Brew Mart thrived and soon Jack was joined by Yuseff—a fellow home brewer with a similar dream—and home brewing awards, to boot. Together, they moved the brewery from Jack’s yard to the back room of Home Brew Mart, and opened Ballast Point Brewing.
In 1996, Ballast Point Brewing was born.
Naming the beers was easy—Yuseff loves fishing, and he and Jack both love beer. So they brought the two together and started naming their beers after fish. After all, regular guys doing what they love—that’s what this was all about. Today, the beer labels still have fish on them as an homage to the brewery’s origins and as a reminder to always do what you love.
As customers began tasting Jack and Yuseff’s back room brews, they wanted more. So they bought the beer. A lot of it. By 2004, Ballast Point had outgrown its back room location and was going to have to move to keep up with demand.
Demand increased, so Ballast Point continued to grow!
Home Brew Mart remained in its original location, serving home brewers and their beer dreams, alike. It turned out that Home Brew Mart was not only the perfect grounds for cultivating new beers, but also relationships with beer lovers who would eventually become employees, each one crucial to the brewing process and end product.
Today, we are still real beer lovers making real good beer.
Almost 15 years after its inception, Ballast Point Brewing’s dedicated team of craftsmen (and women) is still innovating, trying new methods and ingredients, and working constantly to increase capacity to try to meet demand. More than anything, they are staying true to Jack’s dream, and their own: Real beer lovers making real good beer.
Home Brew Mart is now carrying cheese making supplies for the first time! We have equipment kits, fresh cheese kits and hard cheese kits available for starters, as well as cultures and rennet for those looking to continue their cheese making endeavors. If making cheese is some thing that you are interested in, come see us at Home Brew Mart and we will get you on your way to making delicious cheese at home!
QUAFF Members: Doug Duffield & George Cataulin
