BNS Brewery and Distillery in Santee lies off the 67 freeway in the shadow of the tombstone of the old Santee Drive-In. It is the perfect place for a brewery, a business park with big wide streets and driveways to accommodate semis, and absolutely no neighbors after 5 p.m. And that is the time BNS Brewery and Distillery comes alive.
The brewery was founded in the San Diego brew scene’s great pioneering period, and at that time BNS and Manzanita were the only two breweries operating in the east county. It hasn’t changed much from its inception, the brewery has a very Wild West saloon vibe to it, complete with wagon wheel and cow skull imagery. The new part of BNS is the distillery, because distilling spirits was not legal in the State of California until recently.
The brewery features classic favorites like two recipes for West Coast IPA, a Pale, Red, and Golden Ale and even a Märzen! The IPAs were very bright, not dank and oily, and the Märzen had that great toasted profile with a helping of yummy caramel to tame the bitterness. The distillery produces bottles of Bourbon, Vodka, Rum, and Rye, and also offers an imported Tequila. These are available for purchase, or you can order a number of classic and fun cocktails in the “distillery barn.” I like these cocktails because they are true American-style cocktails, not the hipster “craft cocktails” with twigs and weeds mixed in.
BNS has an extensive outdoor patio area with plenty of chairs, tables, and a fire pit to relax around. Often, there is a local vendor in a pop-up tent serving up anything from BBQ to tacos. Like many breweries and bars, BNS has featured events during the week like line dance lessons, trivia nights, and corn hole. BNS is also recognized in the local music scene as a legit venue for live music, which is featured on Friday and Saturday. The music room has a large stage and plenty of room for the guests. And spaces can be rented out for personal events. When I was there, a party had rented out the brewing area for a Hawaiian wedding.
BNS Brewery and Distillery is a fun place to hang out and enjoy some fresh craft beer or cool and tasty cocktails. The place is big, so there’s always plenty of room to relax and enjoy your drinks. And there is plenty of hassle-free parking as well.
www.BNSBrewingAndDistillingCA.com
All photos by Vince Meehan
Don’t miss out! Discover the full magazine of this issue#9!
Don’t miss out! Discover the full magazine of this issue#9!
