Amazing place, beer, owners, location - like a family/neighborhood spot. Not to be missed! It offers traditional, pan-European beer styles made and served inside a corrugated metal hut previously used to build small watercraft. "their aspirations are relatively modest: to make beer that tastes great to its neighborhood clientele. 'We may not be the next Ballast,' Nuspl says, but, 'We'd be happy to be...' read more

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***6 STARS IF I COULD!!!*** Not sure what is better: the beer or the atmosphere/staff. Beer: Last time there, I had 3 Flights (12 of their 15 beers). EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. was good. I'd order a pint of each one(Never happened to me before at other breweries). The worst part of going to Deft is CHOOSING which beer. (I've been a few times) Deft: I enjoy the atmosphere of seeing the tanks, the roll up door on nice days, and chillin' the porch. Also, they have a lot of "activities". Whether it's, Trivia, Cards, Open Mic, or one of the other fun nights, Deft is a great place to be at. Mo, the owner and brewer, is the nicest guy ever. I will definitely go back regularly. read more

GREAT beer selection!! Lots of German styles. Adorable outdoor area and good food too!!!

I love that there are a ton of Belgian beers and you can order tasty pizzas. The staff are super sweet and the outdoor area for seating is bad ass. The staff came out and set up the heat lamps since it was a cold night. Free parking in the area and there's a gose mule on tap which was nice for me since I'm not a huge beer fan. This was a great spot to spend time with friends and the music they played all night? ..... awesome. read more

I went in this weekend and Jesus H. Christ, I do not envy the bar staff for the abhorrent customers they had to deal with but admire the grace with which they did it. They first began their Karen Rampage by becoming argumentative about having to order food (a county mandate for all breweries since June, you pleb), and then removing their mask to loudly bellow about it for the entire Tasting Room to hear. I don't know if they'd been imbibing elsewhere or that kind of behavior is just inherent to their wretched existence, but luckily they were cut off and politely asked to leave. As one final act of defiance they left with the shrill threat that they were going to "destroy them on Yelp". Curious, I checked this morning and there it was, three reviews of complete vitriol and utter nonsense. I can't imagine what it must be like as a vendor during these times, constantly having to pivot and deal with customers like this, but they handled it with far more grace than I could have. I've always had an enjoyable time in this Tasting Room before going to see SD Legion matches at USD and the other occasional visits when I happened to be in the area. The beer has always been really well executed and the staff affable. Seeing the professional way they handled this incident finally lit the fire I needed to leave a really great brewery a review they've earned through good customer service, great beer, and inviting space. Give them lots of your money. read more

Great little brewery! To be honest their beers weren't actually my favorite but the service was excellent & the place was great. We sat outside & it had nice lighting at night. They allowed dogs both inside and out! The girl that helped us was super nice & friendly, and even though they closed at 9, let us stay to finish our beers until we finally left a little before 10. read more

I have never written a review this was necessary after observing a giant cockroach inside this brewery. I realize there's an open patio where it may have come from but the thought of what may be more lurking in the back is disconcerting to say the least. After posting my honest review I saw my name was included in a vulgar-rude review by Jeezy stating I know another reviewer - false I don't know Tera. By this persons posting I'm assuming this is actually a relative of the owner or even the owner who can't handle a negative review. This is no way to run a business I hope it gets shut down. Go to Stone or any of the any other micro-brews after all San Diego is the micro-brew capitol in the US. read more

Back to the incident Saturday evening. A group of folks came in to Deft to try some of our beer after coming from another establishment. As required by law, we informed them that the Meal Requirement is still in place and that they'd need to purchase meals in order to enjoy beers here on-site. After some grumbling, they all seemed fine and complied... except the last member of the group who proceeded to rant and complain about the requirement, who kept taking off her mask while in line in the tasting room near other customers, and who started acting somewhat erratically in front of me, our staff, and those other customers. After placing an order at Cucina Caprese, she came back to purchase her first beer with us and by that point, it seemed clear to me that she was already intoxicated and had been over-served alcoholic beverages elsewhere that day. Again, as I'm required to do by law, I politely and as discretely as possible told her that we could not serve beer to her. I offered her a soda (on me) or water and, since she had already purchased her meal, I even offered to pay for her food item (which I eventually did anyway). She went back to her group on the patio and proceeded to start complaining loudly and saying terrible things about Deft and the staff, yelling obscenities, and disrupting many of our other customers on the patio at the time. After she would not stop her barrage, I discretely asked her to leave. When they left Deft a short while later, members of her group made numerous disparaging remarks to me, but two members of her group actually threatened that they would "destroy your business with bad Yelp reviews". They left. Phew! But their malicious threat lingered in my mind. I did not sleep well that night. Then the next morning... the first of four 1-Star reviews on Yelp from this woman and two of her friends (one had since been deleted), saying false and terrible things about Deft and completely misrepresenting the incident. Ugh! A hateful, malevolent, retaliatory Yelp attack on Deft Brewing and all because... I did what the law and my brewery license requires me to do. I even did it as gently and discretely as possible. A classic "no-win situation Mo we love your beers and will continue to support you completely. Any one reading this review should know the poor reviews were probably written under the influence and the author should receive a Yelp DUI!! read more

To avoid being indistinguishable from the 100+ other SD micro-breweries folks need to find a niche. These guys have accomplished that by focusing on european style brews. However, I just don't think they're very good brewers, yet. To me it seems they are learning on the job - they may get it all dialed in with experience - but shouldn't they have accomplished that BEFORE opening? Couple that with $6.50 pints and a generic space on an unpleasant industrial block - and I come up with 3 stars. Meh. read more

Very cool brewery located in Bay Ho! Small but nice outside patio with a brick pizza oven for food options. Very tasty beverages and they offer a larder selection of take home beers, in 750ml "cans". Seriously 3 750ml cans for $20-$25! And they are really phenomenal as well! Highly recommended read more

This is what you get when you have a passionate home brewer who takes it out of his garage to share his love for micro-brewing with others. Not sure if the business model works, but it is wonderful to see a person share their hobby. It is a much different experience than going to a wall-to-wall people crammed into a popular brewpub. The personal touch with very nice people makes this a great experience! Across the street for Lloyd's Pest Control in a warehouse district. read more

Beer assortment varied... what did not vary was the deliciousness! Super surprised by the refreshing tastes and how awesome each beer was. Highly recommend. If you're a fan of beers and the spectrum, you're going to love this place! Cheers!! read more

Deft Brewing - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

There are lots a reason I like Deft. I guess the main 2 are the beer and the staff. Let's start with the beer. There are far too many places in SD that can't get hold of the fact that not everyone loves IPAs, particularly too-many-hops-in-the-boil IPAs. I love s me a well-balanced IPA as much as any San Diegan (hello, Alesmith IPA), but there are only few places willing to hop out of the (never ending) trend box and mix it up. UK, Germany and Belgium make some of the best beers in the world and I'm happy to have local takes on them here at Deft. Thank you Deft for that (also Eppig). Staff? All good people wtih good attitudes and solid to epic beer knowledge. A couple other things. great venue and easy parking... check it out! read more

Whenever I'm in this part of San Diego I definitely make sure to see if I have time to drop by this spot. It has pretty much everything I appreciate about a good micro brewery: good beer, friendly staff, and an environment that puts me at ease. Great spot to actually converse with people or catch up with an old friend. read more

First time in this brewery vary friendly staff awesome place for a beer pizza was good plenty of seating and. Covid friendly

We've been to Deft a handful of times, and always enjoyed their beers. We stopped in on a Sunday afternoon and were told we had to purchase food first (you know, the COVID-19 thing). Food was offered by Cucina Caprese, and was very tasty, but that's a different review. The beers at Deft are European inspired with a wide variety of styles, unlike some of the breweries that offer a rainbow of IPAs. I had the Honey Helles and the Bay Park Blond, both were great. The beer tender was friendly and efficient, and there was a great outdoor area to sit and enjoy our beer and pizzas. We will be back again! read more

I gotta say, Deft Brewing is a great example of what I look for in a local micro brewery. They have an interesting location, industrial, but doesn't leave you feeling like you should be a welder to head in there. Heck, they even have a kid friendly play area and an outdoor seating area with hopps growing overhead! Friendly staff, from the bartender recommending some of his favorites, to the brewer/owner stopping by my table to chat about what makes a few of the beers special. To the great selection of European inspired beers; offering everything here from a stout, to a German style wheat beer with apples and spices, to yes, even a few IPA's for you San Diego loyalists. Deft is a great stop for any self respecting beer adventure. Cheers! read more

One of my favorite breweries. Not too many places you can show up with your kid, maybe some legos or a puzzle for him to do, and enjoy such good quality beers. We especially love showing up on days where a food truck pulls up right outside. Dawn of the deft (4.21 untapped rating at the moment) is one of my all time favorite brews. Grab yourself a growler! read more

Nice find! Must try local brewery. Mo, the owner is so nice and knows his brews! The Irish Stout is yummy! We had a sampler. Definitely coming back for the good brews and the Pizza!! read more

Deft Brewing - Sampler!! - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

Absolutely delicious! My wife and I loved every single one we tried! My personal favourite was the FEUsion IPA and the Kolsch Style, but the Red IPA and the Stout were delicious too. The atmosphere is also excellent. Super chill, lighting is amazing and the staff is super friendly and passionate about the product that they offer. Family and dog friendly! In short, if you like good beer, if you like having a good time, and you like good vibes, then look no further. Deft brewing is where it's at. read more

Great patio to have a beer during these times. Tables are very spaced out. Fantastic food with Cucina Caprese outside. Love their light beer options. read more

Great local brewery that most San Diegans probably don't know about. Hidden in an industrial area, the owners have done an amazing job renovating the space to be open, cheerful, bright and clean. A very welcoming atmosphere and the staff are very nice and knowledgeable. Looks like a great place to have a drink with your significant other or friends, or to have a party at. Oh, and the beers are quite tasty too! They don't even specialize in IPAs but the ones they do have are quite good. Dog friendly as well. read more

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Best beer I've had in San Diego. Their hefeweizen is awesome. My go-to place for draft beer.

We love this place! We took our pups over today & we totally enjoyed ourselves. Jeff is very knowledgeable and nice. The selection of beer is also outstanding. I had the flight for $9 and my husband had a glass. Street Parking was also plentiful when we arrived Sunday afternoon. We will be back for sure. read more

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Deft is unique with their Euro inspired brews! They have something for everyone and their latest pair up with Cucina Caprese is a match made in heaven! The owner, Mo, is the nicest guy I've ever met and very approachable to talk beer with! Love love love this place!!! read more

Morris took really great care of us yesterday evening. My friends and I were looking for a place for grab a pint of San Diego craft before dropping one of us at the airport, and Deft was immediately comfortable, welcoming, and familiar. I chose the Golden Mule on a whim, and won the "random choice of the night" award among my friends. Others tasted were the FEUsion, Dawn of the Deft and the Golden IPA. Also noteworthy is the Deft team's concentration on more European style beers. We did not get a flight but appreciated how they served them in the round on the handy circular trays, and the tasting room is airy, comfortable and you sit right next to the brewing equipment, highlighting the local feel of the environment and the beer. I see that they partner closely with their neighbor, the Humane Society, hosting adoption events and fundraisers. Needless to say, I will be back to help out at one of those events. Overall, great spot. Really happy Deft showed up in our last minute search. Keep up the good work! read more

Great beer and staff. Gotta like talking to Mo, he knows more about Belgian style beers (well all beers) than the people in Antwerp! Miss being able to hang out but his beer to go selection is top notch. read more

Thank you Mo for a wonderful experience. We showed up around 6ish with 3 kids. I was a little apprehensive bringing kids to a brewery, but Mo was very welcoming. We sat in one of nice picnic tables outside as the interior was packed with patrons. I got a couple samplers, which I asked Mo to choose. I was surely not disappointed. The crafts were tasty, refreshing, and numbing. The atmosphere was energetic yet you were still able to have a conversation. Thanks for the hat as well. It's being sported well in Sacramento. Many people have already asked. PROS: Variety of beers. Half a Weizen was my favorite. Seating Atmosphere MO Kid friendly CONS: None.. read more

This place is a hidden gem but so worth looking for! Great selection of beer and good vibes. Super friendly servers and the owner, Mo is the best. You can bring in food or sometimes there is a food truck. New place next door has a pizza oven so that's a great addition. Now in the current situation of the world, you can pick up beer to go. Order online and it's ready at your pick up time or go in and stand physically distant to place your order. read more

AWESOME spot, great off-the-grid location in a quiet part of Bay Park, tucked back in some industrial buildings. Really cool space, nicely and simply remodeled with lots of indoor and outdoor space, couple TVs for the games, really key kids corner for the kiddos, and tons of parking since there are really no other businesses around it. EXCELLENT beer, so refreshing (pun) that a dope brewery in San Diego is finally serving up some tasty witbier / hef / weissbier and kolsch style ales. Yeah Stone and Ballast and Alesmith are great spots, but not all of us want to drink 9% calorie dense heavy beers all the time. You can sit and drink some Deft Half-a-Weizen (Weissbier) or Deft and Wity (Belgian Witbier) all day long and not feel bloated. And if you keep an eye out for the food truck schedule, Baby's Burgers is THE BOMB. We stopped in one afternoon and heard they were coming back the following week, so we came in again to try it, and exceeded expectations. So, so good. Must try the Deft beer + Baby's Burgers combo. Go check it out! You will be happy you did. Glad to have this spot in our little hood. read more

Loved it! Good beer, good pizza, nice setting, friendly staff. Can't go wrong with these ingredients.

Hands down some of the best beer I've ever had. Nice Euro style approach to brewing. All the beer is nicely balanced, refreshing and crisp. Extremely clear notes and precise flavor profiles to each of the beer. Try the golden mule for an interesting and delightful experience. Highly recommend getting a few flights to get the full experience. You wont regret it. :) read more

Deft Brewing - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

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Deft is an awesome brewery! It's refreshing to go to a brewery that has more of a variety than just normal IPA's. I love their Golden Mule, they really have something for all the beer lovers out there! Their Morris hosted trivia nights are fun and they even have a little kids corner set up to entertain the little ones while the parents can enjoy a pint! Deft is definitely worth a visit, and the awesome Morris will make you feel welcome and take great care of you!!! read more

I've been to Deft multiple times and have enjoyed each time. My favorite is the Dawn of the Deft, even though I'm not usually a Porter guy. The room and the crowd has a relaxed, casual feel, which is typical for the area. The place, the bartenders, and the owner are very welcoming. I definitely plan to go back. read more

Long overdue review! Love all of Mo's beers. Great selection & I especially love the brown & new DeftCon 4. It really does taste like the Westvleteren 12! The tap room is very warm & inviting & I can't wait to be back! But for now, I am happy we can get beer to go! read more

Stopped by this brewery while in San Diego, great Lillie hidden gem, was pretty quiet for a wed night as there wasn't a lot of people there, the setup is nice and the bar top is nice. Lots or German style beers on draft tried a couple and liked em, I am not sure if the guy behind the counter was to owner (Morris?) or not but he seemed very knowledgeable about the beers, patrons were welcoming and made conversation and told us about some different places to check out while we were in town, great job deft brewing! read more

Deft Brewing - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California

It's rare that I go to a brewery and love the first two beers I taste. Wish I had more time to try more... We'll definitely be back! Awesome service too!!! read more

We love Deft Brewing!! Since the brewery and tasting room opened a couple of years ago, it is our local favorite. The beers are great : unique and well-crafted. My husband and I have different pallets but we each have our favorites And my daughter loves the kids' play area and that it is pet-friendly. We enjoy the food trucks that visit and the super friendly owner and staff. read more

Stopped in on Sunday and had a great time. The weather was perfect, we sat out on the patio and had some amazing pizza and several stellar beers! I am constantly impressed by this little brewery - they know their stuff. The Kolsch was light and crisp, the blond was perfect I was looking forward to the Märzen again, but I was too late in the season. ...and the owner is a Basenji fan, so my Sinatra always feels welcome! The only mar on the day was the families that came in with a gaggle of poorly behaved kids. What're you gonna do though? read more

Repeat guests due to the great beer and hospitality! My husband and I are looking forward to returning to dine on the patio. Until then, beer at home! Thanks, Mo! read more

Deft Brewing - Deft at home! - Breweries Near Me - San Diego, California