City Council honors Ballast Point

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego City Council honored Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits on Monday, its 20th anniversary.
   
Started two decades ago out of a home in Linda Vista, Ballast Point now operates in a 107,000-square-foot facility with a restaurant in the Miramar area, with additional tasting rooms in Linda Vista, Little Italy, Long Beach, Scripps Ranch and Temecula.
   
Among the award-winning brewer's products are Sculpin India Pale Ale, pineapple and grapefruit Sculpins and Victory at Sea Imperial Porter.
   
Ballast Point ranked 11th among U.S. craft brewers in sales volume last year, and 17th among all breweries, according to the Brewers Association.
   
"Since its opening in 1996, Ballast Point has grown from a small micro-brewery to one of the largest breweries and distilleries in Southern California,'' Councilman Chris Cate said. "Their products speak for themselves -- they're a fantastic brewery and restaurant.''
   
A proclamation presented to company representatives said that the brewery is named after a spot in Point Loma where ship crews used to gather stones to use as ballast for their voyages. Many of the products are named after fish or use fishing terms, and fish are often found on their labels.