I Like Beer the Podcast

Coronado Brewing is celebrating 30 years of San Diego beer, and Brendan Kragel joins Jeff, Jeff, and San Diego Brewers Guild President Esthela Davila to talk about the beers, stories, and local identity behind the brand.

From the surprising origin of Orange Avenue and the creation of Salty Crew as the ultimate “boat beer,” to Weekend Vibes, Nado Lager, and the return of classics like Mermaid’s Red and Buried at Sea, the crew digs into three decades of Coronado Brewing history.

Brendan also talks about the brewery’s Stoked on Beer content, its growing footprint beyond San Diego, and why the plan for the next 30 years is pretty simple: keep making great beer and stay authentically Coronado.

Plus: road-trip beers, fruit beer debates, fly fishing, questionable ESPN programming, Shark Beer Week—and plans for an I Like Beer podcast from a boat.

San Diego Brewers Guild President Esthela Davila joins Jeff and Jeff for a full round of local beer, industry updates, summer stories, and the kind of strange news that could only make sense after a couple of pours.

 

The crew samples regional San Diego beer collaborations, talks about breweries and food destinations around the county, and takes a closer look at what the Firestone Walker acquisition could mean for Stone Brewing, its San Diego identity, and the future of the iconic Escondido location.

 

Then Toast, Roast, and Pour One Out goes completely off the rails with a beer zip line, George Washington’s beer recipe, twelve varieties of Bigfoot, unauthorized Costco tequila samples, a chainsaw world record, Florida spelling problems, and a man who stole an ambulance because he had to save the world.

 

Plus, the crew shares memorable summer-job stories involving SeaWorld, Jägermeister, warehouse freezers, workplace karma, and one very loyal turtle.

 

Pour yourself a beer, pull up a barstool, and join us for another round of great beers and the stories that go with them.

The I Like Beer crew is celebrating seven years of beer, stories, field trips, and plenty of strange Toast, Roast, and Pour One Out moments.

Jeff and Jeff are joined by founding member and sound guy Tom for a look back at the early days of the podcast, from backyard recordings and first brewery visits to the friendships, stories, and local beer community that helped shape the show.

Then Esthela Davila returns for a summer 2026 Capital of Craft Check-In, talking about the current state of San Diego beer, new breweries in the works, regional highlights, San Diego Beer Week, Battle of the Guilds, and why the local craft beer scene is still in a strong place.

Plus, the crew cracks into regional San Diego Beer News Awards beers, talks summer drinking, Fieldwork, Stone, Chula Vista breweries, North County growth, and why there is always another local beer story worth sharing.

Cheers to seven years, and cheers to San Diego beer. 🍻

Paul Segura returns to the I Like Beer podcast for part two. This episode continues the conversation with the longtime Karl Strauss brewmaster, getting into classic Karl Strauss beers, San Diego beer history, old favorites like Endless Summer Light and Pintail Pale, and the memories that still make those beers stand out.

Paul also shares more from his journey in beer, his perspective on the San Diego brewing community, and one of his favorite moments from a career spent helping shape #sdbeer.

Watch the full episode now and subscribe for more beer stories, brewery conversations, and Capital of Craft check-ins.

This week, I Like Beer hits the road for a field trip to Inzane Brewing in downtown Vista.

The guys talk about nearly seven years of the podcast, the stories, breweries, and friendships that have shaped the show, and why supporting local beer has become such a big part of what they do.

Then they sit down with Mike from Inzane Brewing to talk about turning the brewery into a true community hub, with great beer, comedy nights, line dancing, salsa nights, and a whole lot of downtown Vista energy.

Full episode out now on YouTube and your preferred podcast platform.

This week on I Like Beer, the podcast welcomes Paul Segura, Brewmaster at Karl Strauss, alongside San Diego Brewers Guild President Esthela Davila.

Paul shares stories from the early days of San Diego craft beer, including his homebrewing roots, his time at Hops and Hang Ten, and the path that eventually led him to Karl Strauss. The conversation also gets into beer judging, World Beer Cup medals, collaboration across the local beer scene, and why San Diego continues to stand out as one of the most respected beer communities in the world.

It’s a great conversation with one of the people who helped shape San Diego beer into what it is today.

Check it out!

The guys recap their Denver beer trip, including Coors, Prost, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Left Hand, and a few memorable side quests.

Then Tori Bleher joins the show to talk about Burgeon’s origin story, their commitment to community and sustainability since 2016, their growing list of collaborations and partnerships, and how they keep releasing so many fresh beers without losing their identity.

The episode also covers Burgeon’s Pink Boots collaboration, The Audacity, their Carlsbad Firefighters Association beer, Stay Stoked, and the rotating Adventure Series IPA, Mountain Mode.

Plus, Tori takes on the ILB lightning round!

Barley and Sword Brewing has officially made its way to North County.

In this episode of I Like Beer, the crew sits down with Mike Howell of Barley and Sword and Esthela Davila to talk about the new Escondido tavern, old-world beer styles, cask ale, and the stories behind the beers.

Mike shares the origin of Barley and Sword, from Viking-age living history and Dungeons & Dragons to traditional brewing, European beer styles, and the challenge of creating a true tavern experience in San Diego.

The crew also talks about their recent Denver beer adventures, including Coors, Left Hand, and a bittersweet stop at Casa Agria before its closure.

Plus, Esthela takes on the ILB lightning round.

Pour yourself a beer, pull up a bar stool, and join us.

Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Visit ilikebeerthepodcast.com.

We crack open the Rauchbier brewed with Blue Fire Brewing, talk about the kinds of breweries and taprooms that keep people coming back, and get into what makes San Diego beer culture feel more like a community than an industry.

Brandon joins us once again to share more of his own journey into craft beer and beer writing, plus his thoughts on why passionate people are still opening breweries, building taprooms, and creating places that feel like home.

Plus, we hit Toast, Roast & Pour One Out, then put Brandon through the I Like Beer lightning round for one of the most revealing segments yet. It’s beer, media, community, and a little chaos.

Exactly how it should be.

In this episode of I Like Beer, we break in the new studio bar, crack open a few local beers, and welcome Brandon Hernández of San Diego Beer News.

We talk about the upcoming San Diego Beer News Awards, what makes the event special, new categories for this year, and the people helping shape San Diego’s beer community. Along the way, we get into everything from great beer writing and local brewery culture to some truly strange beer-related headlines.

Then we take the show on the road for a field trip to Inzane Brewing in Downtown Vista, one of our longtime favorite spots, to share a look at the beer, the atmosphere, and why this place keeps us coming back.

It’s beer, community, field trips, and San Diego stories, exactly the way we like it.