AleSmith Brewing Company
A San Diego craft brewery known for handcrafted ales, barrel-aged beers, stouts, barley wines, and Belgian- and British-inspired styles.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
AleSmith Brewing Company is an American craft brewery based in San Diego, California. Established in 1995 by Skip Virgilio and Ted Newcomb, the brewery developed a reputation for traditional, technically demanding beer styles and a portfolio centered on handcrafted ales. Its brewing influences include the brewing traditions of Great Britain and Belgium, expressed through products such as strong ales, Scotch ales, barley wines, old ales, Belgian-style beers, India pale ales, porters, and imperial stouts. Skip Virgilio served as the brewery's original brewmaster. Peter Zien became brewmaster after purchasing the company in July 2002, marking a significant transition in AleSmith's ownership and brewing leadership. Zien's credentials as a Beer Judge Certification Program Grand Master-level judge contributed to the brewery's technical reputation in the San Diego beer community. Under his leadership, AleSmith expanded both its production capabilities and its visibility in national and international beer competitions. AleSmith originally operated from a facility on Cabot Drive in San Diego's Miramar area. In 2015, it added a substantially larger brewery and tasting room on AleSmith Court, also in Miramar. The new site was described as a 25,000-square-foot facility and as the largest beer tasting room in San Diego County at the time. The expansion was intended to increase brewing capacity substantially, with the company describing a possible tenfold increase over the original operation. The brewery's best-known offerings include Speedway Stout, a strong coffee-associated stout; Old Numbskull, a barley wine; Horny Devil, a Belgian-inspired strong ale; Wee Heavy, a Scotch ale; IPA; and a range of seasonal, vintage, and barrel-aged beers. Packaging has historically included large-format bottles, while some beers, including Cream Ale and Robust Porter, have been offered primarily on draft or in kegs at the brewery. AleSmith's packaging and bottle artwork are commonly associated with an anvil device used as a brand mark. AleSmith has accumulated significant competition recognition. It was named RateBeer.com's top brewer in the world in 2006 and again in 2013, according to the cited reference material. At the 2008 Great American Beer Festival, it received both Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year honors. Its World Beer Cup record includes ten medals, including six gold medals, while its Great American Beer Festival record included numerous medals across styles such as Belgian strong ale, Wee Heavy Scotch ale, IPA, Speedway Stout, Old Numbskull, Decadence old ale, Grand Cru, quadruple, and Nut Brown. In 2015, AleSmith announced a partnership with Danish gypsy brewer Mikkeller to convert the original Cabot Drive facility into Mikkeller San Diego. This arrangement connected AleSmith's original site with an internationally recognized visiting-brewer brand while AleSmith continued its expanded operations from the newer Miramar facility. AleSmith's overall positioning combines premium craft production, competition credibility, traditional European style references, and a strong San Diego brewery identity.
History
AleSmith Brewing Company was founded in San Diego in 1995 by Skip Virgilio and Ted Newcomb. Virgilio served as the brewery's original brewmaster. From its beginning, AleSmith focused on handcrafted ales and drew heavily on British and Belgian brewing traditions, rather than concentrating solely on the lighter lager styles that dominate much of the broader beer market. The brewery's first home was a facility at 9366 Cabot Drive in San Diego's Miramar area. This site became closely associated with the company's early identity and production. The brewery built its reputation through technically ambitious beers, including strong ales, Scotch ales, barley wines, old ales, Belgian-style beers, porters, stouts, and India pale ales. Many products were packaged in large-format 22-ounce or 750-milliliter bottles, although certain beers, including Cream Ale and Robust Porter, were made primarily available on draft or in kegs at the brewery. A major change came in July 2002, when Peter Zien purchased the company and became its brewmaster. Zien was recognized as a Grand Master-level Beer Judge Certification Program judge and was described as the only judge at that level in San Diego County. His arrival brought a new ownership and leadership phase while preserving AleSmith's emphasis on traditional styles and careful production. AleSmith's beers gained increasing recognition in the 2000s. The brewery received World Beer Cup medals for products including Belgian Strong Ale, Winter YuleSmith, Old Numbskull, Decadence old ales, Wee Heavy, and Decadence Weizenbock. It also earned medals at the Great American Beer Festival in categories including Belgian-style strong ale, Stumblin' Monk, Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, AleSmith IPA, Vintage Speedway Stout, Old Numbskull Barley Wine, Decadence, Grand Cru, and other products. In 2008, the company received both Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year honors at the Great American Beer Festival. The brewery's reputation also extended to consumer and beer-rating publications. It was named RateBeer.com's top brewer in the world in 2006 and again in 2013. By 2013, AleSmith had accumulated sixteen Great American Beer Festival medals according to the cited reference material. These achievements helped establish the brewery as one of San Diego's prominent craft producers and reinforced a positioning built around high-quality, cellarable, and stylistically distinctive beers. In 2015, AleSmith expanded its physical footprint by adding a 25,000-square-foot brewery and tasting room at 9990 AleSmith Court, also in Miramar. The tasting room was described at the time as the largest beer tasting room in San Diego County. According to the cited material, the new facility was intended eventually to increase brewing capacity tenfold compared with the original operation. The expansion supported the brewery's growth while allowing the original Cabot Drive site to take on a new role. That same year, AleSmith announced a partnership with Danish gypsy brewer Mikkeller to convert the original facility into Mikkeller San Diego. The arrangement linked AleSmith's historic location with an international visiting-brewer concept and represented a strategic use of the brewery's former premises. AleSmith's continuing product identity remained anchored in its core beers, including Speedway Stout, Horny Devil, Old Numbskull, Wee Heavy, AleSmith IPA, and seasonal and barrel-aged releases. Its bottles were also associated with an anvil mark that became a recognizable element of the brand's visual presentation.
- 2020
Wee Heavy wins World Beer Cup gold
[1]AleSmith's Wee Heavy receives a gold medal at the World Beer Cup.
- 2015
AleSmith opens an expanded Miramar facility
[1]A new 25,000-square-foot brewery and tasting room opens at 9990 AleSmith Court, with planned production-capacity expansion.
- 2015
Mikkeller partnership is announced
[1]AleSmith announces that Mikkeller will develop the former Cabot Drive facility as Mikkeller San Diego.
- 2013
AleSmith again receives RateBeer top-brewer recognition
[1]The brewery is named RateBeer.com's top brewer in the world for a second reported time.
- 2008
Great American Beer Festival company honors
[1]AleSmith receives the Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year awards.
- 2006
RateBeer names AleSmith top brewer
[1]AleSmith is recognized as RateBeer.com's top brewer in the world.
- 2002
Peter Zien purchases the brewery
[1]Peter Zien acquires AleSmith in July 2002 and becomes brewmaster, beginning a new ownership and brewing-leadership phase.
- 1995
AleSmith is founded in San Diego
[1]Skip Virgilio and Ted Newcomb establish AleSmith Brewing Company, with Virgilio serving as the original brewmaster.
Products and positioning
Premium, traditionalist, award-winning craft brewery with British- and Belgian-inspired styles
Imperial stout
Speedway Stout
One of AleSmith's signature beers, Speedway Stout represents the brewery's strength in robust, high-intensity dark ales. It has appeared in competition-recognized and vintage forms, including Vintage Speedway Stout. The beer is part of the brewery's broader portfolio of substantial, cellarable releases.
Barley wine
Old Numbskull
Old Numbskull is AleSmith's barley wine and one of its most decorated offerings. It has received multiple Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup medals, including gold recognition. Its strong, mature style fits AleSmith's emphasis on traditional, powerful ales and vintage-oriented beers.
Belgian-style strong ale
Horny Devil
Horny Devil is a Belgian-inspired strong ale and one of the beers most closely associated with AleSmith's use of European brewing traditions. It illustrates the brewery's focus on expressive, full-bodied ales rather than narrowly defined mainstream beer categories.
Scotch ale
Wee Heavy
Wee Heavy is AleSmith's Scotch ale. It has earned medals at both the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, including World Beer Cup gold in 2020. The beer is a representative example of the brewery's engagement with strong, malt-forward British-derived styles.
India pale ale
AleSmith IPA
AleSmith IPA is the brewery's India pale ale and has received Great American Beer Festival recognition. It extends the brand's traditional-ale portfolio into a hop-forward style while retaining the brewery's emphasis on handcrafted production.
Seasonal strong ale
Winter YuleSmith
Winter YuleSmith is a seasonal AleSmith release associated with the brewery's strong-ale program. It won a World Beer Cup gold medal in 2004 and reflects the company's practice of producing limited or seasonal beers alongside its core offerings.
Cream ale
Cream Ale
Cream Ale is one of the beers identified as being offered primarily on draft or in kegs at the brewery rather than as a standard large-format bottled release.
Porter
Robust Porter
Robust Porter is a dark ale in AleSmith's portfolio and, like Cream Ale, was described as being offered mainly on draft or in kegs at the brewery.
Brand decisions
2015
Expansion into a larger brewery and tasting roomStrategyBackground
The original Miramar brewery had limited space compared with the company's projected production needs.
Action taken
AleSmith added a 25,000-square-foot brewery and tasting room at 9990 AleSmith Court and planned a major increase in brewing capacity.
Aftermath
The new facility became the company's expanded production and visitor destination, while the original site was positioned for a partnership with Mikkeller.
2015
Partnership to convert the original brewery into Mikkeller San DiegoM&ABackground
AleSmith's move to a larger facility created an opportunity to repurpose its original Cabot Drive location.
Action taken
AleSmith announced a partnership with Danish gypsy brewer Mikkeller to turn the original facility into Mikkeller San Diego.
Aftermath
The former AleSmith site became connected with Mikkeller's San Diego presence, while AleSmith continued operating from its newer Miramar facility.
2002
Ownership and brewing-leadership transitionStrategyBackground
AleSmith had operated since 1995 under its founding team, with Skip Virgilio as original brewmaster.
Action taken
Peter Zien purchased the brewery in July 2002 and became brewmaster.
Aftermath
Zien's tenure became associated with AleSmith's growth, technical reputation, competition success, and later production expansion.
Recent events
AleSmith ranks ninth on RateBeer Best Brewers of 2020 list[3]
Reported:
AleSmith Brewing Co. ranked ninth on the worldwide “RateBeer Best Brewers of 2020” list and was one of 100 breweries recognized internationally.
Sources3 sources
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