Rip Current plans tasting room, restaurant in North Park

James Limjoco, pouring a Rip Current IPA.

Local beer temples tend to be concentrated in one of two areas: North Countys state Route 78 or North Parks 30th Street corridor.

Rip Current Brewing, though, intends to have it both ways. This fall the year-old brewery, which is based in San Marcos in the middle of the Hops Highway, plans to open a tasting room and restaurant on San Diegos Beer Boulevard.

Well still be doing all of our brewing in San Marcos, said Rip Current co-founder Paul Sangster, touring the North Park site, but well send special beers here.

This home-and-away approach is gaining popularity in this mid-city neighborhood. A year ago, Vistas Belching Beaver opened a tasting room on 30th Street; last summer, Hess Brewing brought a brewery and tasting room on North Parks Grim Avenue, while still operating its Miramar nanobrewery.

But Rip Currents operation will be unique, as the 3,900-square-foot building will be redesigned to include a 550-square-foot restaurant run by James Limjoco.

This is an amazing opportunity, said Limjoco, the proprietor of Sublime Ale House in San Marcos and Del Mars Sublime Tavern. The biggest foodies in the whole city are down here.

Rip Current debuted in December 2012, marking the professional debut of homebrewers Sangster and his business partner, Guy Shobe. In the brewerys first full year, it sold 1,300 barrels of beer (each barrel is 31 gallons); this year, Sangster estimates, production will double.

While the brewery supplies beer to more than 90 restaurants and bars in San Diego and Riverside counties, about 40 percent of its sales occurs in the tasting room at the brewery.

Its all about the customer experience for us, Sangster said, which is why we plan to open additional tasting rooms to reach more people.

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Rip Current plans tasting room, restaurant in North Park