Beer and Rock N Roll really do go hand in hand, especially here in San Diego. We have no shortage of local breweries that like to feature live music in their breweries as well as in their attitude. Aztec, Black Plague and 3 Punk Ales are a few of the rebels out there who tip their hat to the music scene. But Jacked Up Brewery in Escondido takes it to a whole ‘nuther level!

Head Brewer Mike Paulson and his Daughter Torry Castelo.
Michael Paulson is the hands-on co-owner and head brewer at Jacked Up Brewery and is a long-time musician as well. To include live music in his brewery was a natural choice for this rebel beer-maker. “When we developed the brewery – of course we’re a brewery first – we decided to give the brewery an identity, Mike noted. “Y’know, cause every brewery has some kind of shtick that their known for, and our identity was music! So we wanted to be a brewery that had a live music venue so we’d attract local talent from all over the area to come to our brewery.”

Torry Castelo designs the cans!
Jacked Up Brewery is a family-run business and Mike’s daughter Torry Castelo is the Events Manager for the beer hot spot. She had to learn the ropes of event planning the hard way, as she had no previous experience in the field. “It was a trial by fire and I’m still learning every day – definitely! I took this on during COVID in 2020 and I’ve been doing it ever since! So now I book live bands every weekend and all the events that happen like private parties, birthdays or city meetings.” And how does she keep track of all that? “Google Calendar! It’s the best tool! Google Calendar!”

Pastor Bruce
The beer board featured a great selection of beers and leaned heavy on the German side including Kölsch, Märzen, and even a Hefeweizen. An Oktoberfest party was happening complete with brats, smoked Sauerkraut and pretzels alongside ten live bands. That’s how they roll at Jacked Up! There are also core choices like IPAs, stouts and El Gato, a crisp Mexican Lager which is used for spicy Micheladas on hangover Sundays.

Jacked Up Brewery is music friendly and dog friendly.
Tuesday nights are open-mic nights at Jacked Up and Pastor Bruce is the host for the night. Bruce is a good friend of Mike’s and is a well known music figure in North County, which comes in handy for getting people to the shows. He also sings and plays guitar for the classic rock band Soul Seekers. He says he helped Jacked Up by performing outdoor shows during the pandemic, and stayed to host the open-mic shows. Everyone is welcome at the open-mic nights, and it’s always a fun mix of pros and amateurs. Pastor Bruce sees a more spiritual aspect to the jams, which he finds rewarding as well as fun. “I tell people right off the bat, ‘It’s not how talented you are, it’s all about sharing in the musical experience.’ Filling the empty spaces with good music. And that lifts the human spirit. Y’know, we here not to be rock stars, we’re here because we’re sharing this music!”
JackedUpBrewery.com
Don’t miss out! Click below to discover this story and more in the full issue.
