Stone Brewing
Stone opened in San Marcos, San Diego County, in 1996 and moved to a purpose-built brewery in Escondido in 2006. It grew into the largest brewery in Southern California with strong, hoppy beers, and it later built breweries in Richmond, Virginia, and in Berlin. The BJCP takes four Stone beers as examples: Arrogant Bastard for American strong ale, Ruination 2.0 for double IPA, Sublimely Self-Righteous for black IPA and Pale Ale 2.0 for American pale ale. Sapporo bought Stone in 2022. On 21 April 2026 Firestone Walker and Duvel Moortgat USA agreed to buy the brand and some taprooms; after the sale Sapporo began winding down the Escondido brewery and kept Richmond.
Styles brewed by Stone Brewing
American Pale Ale
AleAmerican pale ale: a pale, hop-forward ale with citrus, pine or tropical American hops over clean malt, made famous by Sierra Nevada in 1980. Strength, bitterness, glass and classic examples.
Double IPA
AleDouble IPA: a strong, very hoppy, dry pale ale of 7.5–10%, the American IPA pushed further, made famous by Pliny the Elder. Strength, bitterness, glass and classic examples.
American Strong Ale
AleAmerican strong ale: a malty, bitter, strong copper ale between a double IPA and a barleywine, from Arrogant Bastard to double reds. Strength and taste.
Black IPA
AleBlack IPA: an American IPA brewed dark, hop-forward and dry with only a gentle roast; first sold as Blackwatch IPA around 1990. Strength, taste and serving.
At a glance
- Country
- USA
- Brews in
- Escondido, California
- Founded
- 1996
- Owner
- Firestone Walker and Duvel Moortgat USA (since 2026)
- Best-known beers
- Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone IPA, Ruination Double IPA 2.0
- Address
- 1999 Citracado Parkway, Escondido, CA 92029
- Visit
- Brewery tours
- Website
- stonebrewing.com
Sources
Checked .
- Stone Brewing Co. - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Stone Brewing Sold to Firestone Walker and Duvel USA | Brewbound — Brewbound
- Stone Brewing Sold Again, Brewery Winding Down | Food Processing — Food Processing
- Duvel and Firestone Walker buy Stone brand from Sapporo — Brauwelt
- A Year of Correction for Craft Beer, With Early Signals of Recovery - Brewers Association — Brewers Association
Image credits
- Stone Brewing in Escondido, 2009 — Tim Wilson from Blaine, MN, USA. CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP
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