Borrego Sun - Since 1949

Nickel Beer Company is in the process of celebrating their four-year anniversary at 1485 Hollow Glen Road, a half mile east of the town of Julian on Highway 78.

They currently offer 16 different taps of house brewed beer, along with a large outdoor beer garden that is dog friendly.

Nickel Beer was founded in 2013 by Tom and Lindsey Nickel, owners of O’Brien’s Pub in San Diego. Tom started home brewing at the age of 18. He worked at local breweries from’96 to 2005 and in 2004 he was named World Beer Cup Small Brewing Company Brew master of the year.

Now is the time of the year that they brew locally grown hops in and around San Diego County. The beer is made the same day they get the fresh (or wet) hops.

This creates a unique flavor in the beer. Hops are only harvested once a year. Right now two wet hop beers are on tap; Ted Nugget and Golden Nugget IPA. Three wet hop beers are in the fermenters right now, and will be available soon.

This building and site was the location for the Sherriff Office from the early ‘70’s into the late ‘80’s. The room used for storage of the hops and the game room were used for lock down of prisoners that were to be transported to San Diego. Most were just overnight ‘guests’. Sorry any and all graffiti has been painted over.

This business over the last four years has become the place to go for locals, and is also visited and enjoyed, by ‘flatlanders’ as well: check it out for yourself.

They will be open Monday to Thursday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call them at 760-765-BEER (2337).