All these independent brewers dream of succeeding and becoming a household name. One small brewing company was able to do just that. Today, the Karl Strauss Brewing Company is one of the largest breweries in the San Diego County. Karl Strauss beers can be found in different bars, pubs, and liquor stores across Orange County; not to mention their chain of brewery restaurants. Before they became one of the most well-known brewing companies in Southern California, they started off no differently than most of today’s independent brewers.
Karl Strauss was founded by its two owners who still run the company today. Chris Cramer and Matt Rattner were both college roommates back in the mid-1980s. At the time, there were very few craft breweries in America and none in San Diego according to Mark Weslar, Vice President of Marketing. During his travels to Australia, Chris Cramer saw this whole motion of locally crafted beers. He returned to America and asked Rattner to help him with an idea. He wanted to create what he saw in Australia in San Diego which led to the beginning of the company. Cramer’s cousin was Karl Strauss, an award-winning master brewer. He helped pave the way for the company and taught Cramer and Rattner the art of crafting. In 1989, their brewery was created and named the Karl Strauss Brewing Company in his honor. Mark Weslar joined the company in the winter of 2013 and is proud to be part of a historical landmark in San Diego. “We were the first brewery in San Diego after prohibition in the early 1900s. And now, San Diego has around 84 breweries.”
Karl Strauss was founded by its two owners who still run the company today. Chris Cramer and Matt Rattner were both college roommates back in the mid-1980s. At the time, there were very few craft breweries in America and none in San Diego according to Mark Weslar, Vice President of Marketing. During his travels to Australia, Chris Cramer saw this whole motion of locally crafted beers. He returned to America and asked Rattner to help him with an idea. He wanted to create what he saw in Australia in San Diego which led to the beginning of the company. Cramer’s cousin was Karl Strauss, an award-winning master brewer. He helped pave the way for the company and taught Cramer and Rattner the art of crafting. In 1989, their brewery was created and named the Karl Strauss Brewing Company in his honor. Mark Weslar joined the company in the winter of 2013 and is proud to be part of a historical landmark in San Diego. “We were the first brewery in San Diego after prohibition in the early 1900s. And now, San Diego has around 84 breweries.”
The company currently owns eight chain brewery restaurants all located in Southern California. All of them only carry Karl Strauss craft beers. However, they do not rely on the main Karl Strauss brewery in San Diego to supply them with the craft beer. In a glassed room at the front end of the restaurant, the staff keeps the brewing equipment including the beer kettle and the fermenters. The equipment is used to brew one type of beer at a time. The process usually takes 3-4 weeks before they could get the beer on tap. According to Coral Breceda, a waitress at the Costa Mesa Karl Strauss restaurant, the equipment is left alone for days without anyone touching them. At least once a month, she sees someone go in there to check on the equipment or to empty the beer and prepare for the next batch. Even after becoming a big name in the brewing industry, each restaurant still relies on the methods of independent brewers.
Of course, some people would come in and ask for a domestic beer such as Bud Light. Coral has experienced this many times. “Most of the time, people would sit down and say, ‘Hey, I want a Coors Light,’ But we say we only have our own crafted beer but we try to give them something closest to that. We offer samples so people can try our beer first. Most of the time, they love it and commit to it. But there will always be that one person who says, ‘Meh, not my cup of tea.’ But hardly ever.'”
This past February 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the Karl Strauss Brewing Company. They are known for craft beers such as the Red Trolley Ale which won a lot of beer awards at festivals. They always try to stay unique by only supplying their own craft beers for the public. They continue to thrive in this increasing industry and have been able to appeal to customers of all kinds. Based on seeing the reactions of customers, Coral can say, “A lot of people who don’t like beer will like it and a lot of people who do like beer will love it.”