Ranch & Coast Magazine

brewhouses, they share a single ten-barrel brewery and cellar setup, hence the facility's collaboration-inspired handle. Inclusion of a winery tenant was made possible by the 2019 passage of a state assembly bill allowing production and sale of beer and wine to take place at the same facility. To date, only two other venues — Rancho Bernardo's e Cork and Craft (Abnormal Beer Co. and Abnormal Wine Co.) and Oceanside's recently debuted Hangar 76 (Carruth Cellars and Tipping Pint Brewing Co.) have taken advantage of that restriction relaxation, though neither has done so on the grand scale CoLab has. From the venue's conception three years ago, the customer experience has been paramount. Deutsch and company wanted to be all things to all people, providing them with amenities that would make the prospect of spending an entire day at a single spot a pleasure versus a compromise. It's the key reason they built an on-site kitchen and signed popular Los Angeles-based food truck operation, Baby's Badass Burgers, to take up residence at their first ever brick-and-mortar. Having food that people from all walks — including imbibing customers' children — can enjoy makes it easier to fully relax and sit (and sip) a spell. CoLab's benefits extend beyond the customer experience to its tenants. e aforementioned Barrel & Stave is a startup operation, the beermaking arm of a growing family of "Pour House" bars that originated in Fullerton. Getting into the beer manufacturing side of things was more economically feasible for owner Chris White in that he avoided the costs associated with purchasing high-price brewing and cellar equipment. Additionally, his head brewer, Chris Banker, a locally famous homebrewer with many awards to his credit, will benefit from being around experienced professional brewers as he acclimates himself to commercial brewing. Meanwhile, Breakwater Brewing, which has operated an acclaimed Oceanside brewpub for the past 15 years, will not only benefit from increased production capabilities, but also get its name out beyond its original coastal digs. As for Laguna Beach Beer, rather than brew at CoLab, they intend to put their portion of the building to use as a warehouse to house their barrel-aged beer program. "Having quality beer, wine, and food all in one place makes it easy to make a day of it at and have a great time with family, friends, or both," says Deutsch. "Our two-level tasting room is both stylish and comfortable, while our outdoor patio is one of the largest around. We have room to accommodate and entertain hundreds of visitors at a time, and we look forward to doing exactly that." colabpublichouse.com ranchandcoast.com @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE JULY 2022 91

• Cover