This is a great, no-frills brewery. They had a nice variety of beers. Plenty of outdoor seating. The parking lot looked a little small, but street parking is adjacent. The bartender was friendly enough. They don't sell food, but other reviews have mentioned food trucks. Honestly, if I only want beer, I much prefer this place to Julian Beer Co. read more

Beautifully aromatic, deliciously, refreshing, and smoothly satisfying, locally brewed beers. Everything served here is excellent and served with a great attitude and positive vibes. Kat and Ray are amazing and attentive people you will meet here. read more

We love this place and come here every time were passing through Julian! Friendly staff, good vibes and great beer selection-- The Stonewall Stout is the bomb! and loved the wet hop IPA selection. Dont know who the brewer is but seems to really love the craft - just look at the description of their Violet IPA: "Brewed with my best friend Brandon Hernandez of SD Beer News in honor of his late Grandmother. Made with Butterfly Pea Flowers with Topaz, Strata, Simoce and Mosaic hops". You wouldn't find this at most larger, non independent breweries! read more

We've been going here, infrequently, for 10+ years. It's a low key place to grab some tasty beers at a decent price, and maybe a bite to eat. Most recently, we visited on a Saturday afternoon and were pleased to see Ay Mamma Tacoz ready to serve. Excellent street tacos to wash down the cold beer. So about the beer selection, always plenty of options. Always something new to try. What caught our eye on this visit was the wording on the menu. They had SEVERAL flavors listed as "GR". Turns out that stands for Gluten Reduced. This is huge for us as one of us can't enjoy regular beer due to gluten intolerance. If you happen to be someone with a gluten allergy, but can tolerate some gluten ... Give it a try. Nothing better on a hot day than a cold beer. (They also carry a GF cider or two if beer isn't your thing.) A tip for the fair-skinned is to bring some kind of covering if sitting outside. The sun beats down some days and there is very limited shade. An hour outside in the sun can mean a painful night later. I give it 5 stars because my expectations are realistic. It's not fancy, but it's welcoming, fun and convenient if you're in the area. Worth a try if you've never been. read more

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Our favorite brewery. The jalapeño gold is pure gold. Best beer ever made. A must taste if in Julian

The spicy pickles are to die for. Enjoyed the outside patio with our pups and spicy beer.

If you don't want to hassle with the tourist trap on Main street,, cruise down the road a but until you hit Nickel Beer Company. They've got a small parking lot and parking down the road. It's a nice outdoor patio with a few games and plenty of family style seating, so be prepared to share a long bench with some new neighbors! They had a variety of beer choices when we stopped by in Oct 2023, mostly being IPA, which I love. the beer was cold and the resting forest ambiance was just what I needed to feel like I had a "get away" trip. this place is dog friendly so make sure you leash up Fido and bring them with you to the mountains! read more

Nickel Beer Company - Menu - 10/15/23 - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

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What a hidden treasure! The BEERS are great and plentiful for all tastes and I loved the one with the Cider blend! Levi the brew bar guy was awesome. The game room with darts, classic video game and table ball game (forgot what it is called), we played two out of the three, and drank several of the different half pints-love this size and glass! Walked in from the cold to the potbelly fireplace going was nice and toasty and the people, mainly locals were very friendly. Skip the afternoon nap and come play and drink amongst friends! Cheers! read more

Nickel Beer Company - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

Had a good time here with friends! Bartender was really friendly and the outside seating was nice. Good selection of beers on tap. Highly Recommend if you're in the area! read more

Nickel Beer Company - Beer - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

I wasnt fan of the beers here. The service wasnt bad. I did ask if they had water and was told it wasnt great, so basically they didn't have any, but the next person in my party asked for water and was able to purchase a bottle of water. The outside seating area is very relaxing and shaded. There was a steady flow of people and dogs. read more

Excellent service and welcoming atmosphere. This place has a great vibe and is dog friendly. We had a relaxing experience.

Nice outdoor seating - good selection of IPAs Dogs good on outside porch. Nice location on corner with easy parking read more

A day trip to Julian led us to Nickel Brewery for some local brews. There was a nice variety of beers brewed on premise. We sampled six (lagers, jalapeño gold, stout, apple pie, and blood orange ipa) beers. By far my favorites were the lake lager, amber lager and stout. The stout was full bodied with a coffee undertones, the lake lager was light and fruity, and the amber lager was crisp and delicious. We sat outside and enjoyed the sun on a cold and breezy day. The service was prompt and friendly. A great find! read more

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Another Tom Nickel's establishment that provides a great product. Just like O'brian's, The Pub at Cuyamaca, and San Diego Brewery he provides quality products and fun. read more

It's okay. Beers weren't anything special or unique. I don't believe they served food beyond chips & jerky maybe.

Good beer, grouchy service. Don't order a flight. Maybe he was just having a bad day. When I asked if they served flights, he complained that's what everyone was ordering that day. It went down hill from there. On all our previous visits here we've had great service. read more

Always a great spot to stop when visiting Julian. They have solid beers and a good variety for everyone. On a recent visit they had a collaboration with Societe that was The indoor space is on the smaller side, so I wouldn't plan to bring kids unless they can be outside. There are generally a good number of locals there, but also visitors. My favorite is being able to sit on their large outdoor patio. You can grab some lunch from somewhere down the road, and bring it to the brewery. It's nice to get out of the crowds in the main area of Julian. Staff has always been friendly and welcoming, and we will continue stopping in on our day trips! read more

Nickel Beer Company - Tasters on the patio - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

Wow. Excellent beer. Such a variety of choices. The jalapeño lager was exceptional. I'm not a lager fan and this changed my life. It was crisp, clean, with that slight bite you would want from a jalapeño. The grapefruit ipa was to die for with citrus notes, a little dank but not over the top and it didn't come with too much sweetness like most grapefruit ipas do. Service was excellent (granted I was one of just a few people there.) The beertender knew what she was talking about and was very friendly to me and my pup. Yes dog friendly! I'll be back. Thank you sweet girl behind the counter. You made my day! read more

Nickel Beer Company - Flight - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

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Small micro brew with the locals. Friendly bartender and nice outdoor seating. I really enjoy their double ipas read more

A solid small brewery off the beaten path in Julian. They has a couple of interesting beers and the locals that patronize the place were pretty welcoming. Had the jalapeno Gold and the Green Truck DIPA and both were worthy. The view off the porch tho is what makes this place unique. It is quite the drive to get to Julian but well worth it when u arrive. If u are in the area this place is def worth the stop, just watch out for the crazy RVers driving up the winding road. read more

Nickel Beer Company - Full pour of Green Monster and taster of Jalapeno Gold - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

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It was alright, a little quiet my the guy serving was great, they have a couple of games to play with in a nice patio, but it was just too quiet read more

A scant 15 minute walk east of downtown Julian down Main Street or Banner or 78 east will bring an avid beer aficionado to Nickel Beer Company. You can't miss the big black and white sign. No food. Drivers will find the parking sufficient. The building itself isn't much to look at from the outside. Inside seating is limited, but the foosball table was tempting. The real action is outside, which makes the Nickel an especially appealing option on warm days. Fortunately, it was sunny and mid-50s. Most of the seating is outside, along with an interesting cornhole-type game that I never did quite figure out. But how is the BEER, you ask? In short, good variety and good value. Really enjoyed the Apple Pie Ale. Not so much with the extra pale ale. There were at least four IPAs, and we enjoyed the two we had. The jalapeño grapefruit was fun to taste, but we didn't need more. The tasters are large and a good value- 5 oz. each for just $2! Friendly and helpful beertenders. Recommend and look forward to my next trip. read more

Amazing location, located right off the main drag. Amazing beers, snacks offered. The Nickel Pickles are delicious and are $10 for 32 ounces of pickles. Extensive beer list, massive patio. The beers are well crafted and the staff is super friendly. read more

Nickel Beer Company - Take a Hike Pale Ale - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

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It was a great place to grab a flight of beer as well as have our pups with us. The apple pie ale is fantastic, the warrior contribution is almost as great, but has a way better reason to buy a pint. The place is not huge and but it has enough seating for a few guests. People are super friendly to outsiders, we will be back on our trips to Julian. read more

Nickel Beer Company - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

So we weren't sure they'd be open because they don't serve food during the pandemic, but here's where the food trucks come in! Thanks to the rules that breweries have to serve food they all have food trucks and you have to order food. I am not complaining, as the food here is smoked food. I really enjoyed the beer. I like IPA, ' so had the Volcan. It sure is tasty! It's a lighter IPA with an easy finish. They're serving glasses or growlers of their fantastic beers! read more

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This place is a gem. And our AirBnB was literally across the street. Which was a little dangerous for the liver. Alas, my friend and I tried each of their like 16 beers over two days. They were all drinkable, but they had two absolute amazing beers: - Jalapeño Ale - Apple Pie Ale There wasn't any hot food on site, but they let you bring in your own outside food, so we grabbed a pizza in town and had a great afternoon. They do have some snacks available on site though like chips and pickles. If you're in Julian and don't have to drive, I highly recommend them. read more

Nickel Beer Company - IPA sampler - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

Delicious variety of Beers on tap. Relaxing location with an outdoor patio for the family. Friendly server who was willing to explain the Beer varieties. read more

Octoberfest hands down their best beer. Service was fantastic. Ambiance very nice. It was rather warm in Julian the day I went, but by late afternoon, it started cooling down. They have outside bench seating and the breeze hit perfectly outside. Will definitely visit again!! Thank you Nickel for great beer and a nice chill afternoon. read more

My absolute favorite brewery! I love the quaint feel and the fact that it's a few blocks down the typical Main Street congestion makes it pretty easy to find parking, which can sometimes be a burden when making the trip to Julian. My go to is the jalapeño gold, if they have it! A nice crisp beer with that little kick at the end! I always make sure to get a growler to go and make homemade Micheladas with it! Always great staff/service! Can't wait to go back! read more

Nickel Beer Company - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

I love this place. It always give me a reason to have some alone time. The Apple Pie Ale is my favorite read more

Nickel Beer Company - Apple Pie Ale. My favorite - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

I have never heard of Julian Ca before and was excited to explore a new city, and let say, I will definitely be back! Nickle Beer Co is one of the main reasons we will be back! They make by far some of the best beer I have tasted in a very long time! Tom Nickle owner and brewmaster knows what he is doing! I am an avid beer drinking, home brewer, assistant brewer and wow I was thoroughly impressed. Bruce and Take a Hike are amazing! My gf and I went home with a growler each, merch and drank every beer they had on tap (which is A LOT) It's very rare for a brewery to make good beers in ever category and even rarer to have great tasting beers in every category.. let me say, Nickles beers are amazing all around, from pale ales and IPAs to blondes, red, browns to stouts their beers blew-me-away! I will definitely be back!! if you're in Julian, this is a must come spot, skip JBC and come straight here, the vibe is better, it's pet friendly, the beers are so much more tastier and the service is great! Enjoy fellow yelpers read more

Nickel Beer Company - Try these beers! I promise you will like every single one! - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

Stopped in to his brewery from out of town to try out some local Julian craft beer. Crafty it was not. The beer, first of all, was literally room temperature. If that wasn't bad enough, all the beers tasted very flat and flavorless. Nothing caught my pallet. And I LOVE craft beer places. I just felt like every beer was more disappointing than the last. The IPAs didn't even have hop to them. So sad! As far as who comes here? I went on a Wednesday night, and let me tell you, I think for the most part, I was the only non-local there. This in itself is not a bad thing, but one of the locals was a bit tipsy and talked to me for a bit and it was kinda awkward. He then moved on to another lady that walked in. My biggest complaint (besides warm flavorless beer?!) is the smoking on the patio. I went outside to have my beer out there but everyone was smoking. I can't stand the smell of smoke, nor do I like the idea of inhaling it and getting cancer. SOO, I moved inside. Once inside, I could still smell the smoke. I couldn't tell if one man (presumably the owner/employee) in the next room (not a patron area, an employee area as evidenced by amazon prime boxes, and junk laying around) was smoking. Either way, this was a total turnoff to the place besides the warm, flavorless beer!! I won't be back. There's too many other worthwhile breweries in San Diego area. If I come to Julian another time, I'll bring some beer from local breweries in bottles or cans to enjoy. read more

Nickel Beer Company - Flight of beer. $10.50 plus tip. - Breweries Near Me - Julian, California

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Still enjoying Nickel Beer many years later. The patron who used to talk too much has fortunately disappeared. Apple pie ale is a favorite as are the unique IPAs. Enjoyed a spicy IPA brewed with scorpion peppers. Dogs are welcome on the patio. All they need now is a resident feline. They're open until 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, which is unfortunately not listed on their website or Yelp. read more

Credit card fraud happened right after we left Julian, and the only time my credit card is not with me is at the shop. Ridiculous

Stopped by near closing time and ordered a sample of 6 beers. The tasting room is small and has a lot of character and great ambiance. Indoors has a small game room with a foosball table. The location is pet/kid friendly. Outside food is allowed, as they don't offer food on the premises besides mini cheese plates. There is an outdoor area as well but we stuck indoors. The beers we got ranged in flavor: there was a pepper beer that is A LOT OF SPICE and kick for a beer and their apple pie beer is truly sweet apple deliciousness. They offer a wide variety of often rotating taps. Katie, the bartender was super friendly and offered facts about the brewer and beer types. Would definitely check it out again if we are in the area. read more

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Service was friendly and a cool spot but we've given Nickel several tries now to see if the beer has improved... in our opinion it hasn't. To be fair we've have tried anything other than pale ales and IPA's. Yesterday we had the My Way Wet Hop and Blank SheetIPA's. Honestly there are good backbones in these beers but something isn't right in both, and that's the experience with previous tastings as well over the years. Metallic taste in the wet hop and off flavors all around. We're happy to see they are enjoyed by others but the flavors coming from these west coast style IPA's are not right. read more

Just down the road from my last review no food but great atmosphere. They were cleaning the tanks and the aroma was awesome. Prices very reasonable and I will be taking a couple of growlers with me. If you are coming up from the desert it's on the left side of 78 at the top of the grade and a great place to wash down the dust or chill the heat. read more

I have been wanting to come here for years now! Finally got to stop by on a drive through the mountains. I like that it's slightly off the main road so it's not overcrowded and closer to the scenic views! Has a nice seating area outside and during a pandemic it's great to see they're taking all the precautions. I tried the banner grade IPA and it was one of the best, easy to drink IPA's I've ever had. Amazing. I didn't bother to check to see if they had growlers to take home but I will definitely be back! read more

Stopped in last weekend on our way to the desert. The vibe is laidback and the beers are amazing. We grabbed an assortment of 5 oz pours and headed outside to enjoy the rustic patio. Amazing brews and friendly staff made this the best choice especially when Julian is loaded with tourist and you want to enjoy great beers and conversations with friends and no crowds. This brewpub is where I imagine the locals hang out. I'll certainly be back next time I visit the area. read more

I don't remember being too blown away by this brewery. I really liked the use of the buffalo nickel as the logo. But this place is more like the local bar, than a brewery. The inside is really small and dark. Outside has a better seating area, with the locals drinking, smoking and playing cornhole outside too. I can't remember what I drank either, plus they charged for stickers! read more

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