Rough Draft Brewing Company, which first opened in San Diego's Miramar area in 2012, has installed a brewery tasting room at the University of California San Diego campus in La Jolla.
Before leaving a career in finance to start Rough Draft Brewing Company, Jeff Silver earned his bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from UCSD, graduating in 1994, so opening a brewery tasting room at his alma mater is especially rewarding. Rough Draft Pub opened within the brand new Mesa Nueva housing complex at UCSD on September 28, just in time for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the residential community for graduate and professional students.
"Besides being active with the alumni organization I have been working with the Graduate Student Association for years now and that helped get me in touch with this project," explained Rough Draft Founder Jeff Silver. "We are doing much more than operating a pub on campus, we are building a community. The graduate students are working and studying all the time and they need a break, they need a place to socialize, so a pub has been in the works for a long time now."
Rough Draft Pub has 12 taps devoted to the company's craft beer selections, a small bar with indoor seating, and a roll-up door that leads to a large outdoor patio. There's even a pool within the residential complex with two jacuzzi's for the residents, and yes, they can drink beer in the pool as long as there is no glass.
"I look forward to Rough Draft being part of the lives of all these super smart graduate students," continued Silver. "I hope they build fond memories of their time at UCSD and remember meeting their friends and sharing a beer together. Who knows, maybe some great idea or breakthrough will be spawned while drinking a beer at the Rough Draft Pub."
In the near future, Rough Draft hopes to work out an arrangement with the UC San Diego Extension Brewing Certificate program to help students learn more about the inner workings of operating a craft brewery. The part-time, evening and weekend program offers academic and practical training for entry-level brewing professionals, which can be completed in 18-24 months with tuition paid per course at the time they are taken.
San Diego hospitality company CH Projects (Born & Raised, Craft & Commerce, Ironside Fish & Oyster) is also currently in the process of installing a Soda & Swine location on the UCSD campus in the space long occupied by Porter's Pub. The restaurant group's founder Arsalun Tafazoli is also a UCSD alumni.
San Diego hospitality company CH Projects (Born & Raised, Craft & Commerce, Ironside Fish & Oyster) is also currently in the process of installing a Soda & Swine location on the UCSD campus in the space long occupied by Porter's Pub. The restaurant group's founder Arsalun Tafazoli is also a UCSD alumni.
Rough Draft Pub is currently open weekdays from 4-11pm, Saturdays from 1-11pm, and Sundays from 1-8pm. For more information, visit roughdraftbrew.com.
