September 8, 2020

Meet Brandon Hernández of San Diego Beer News® in Countywide

Local Stories

Brandon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began writing about food and restaurants for local papers and magazines after several appearances on Food Network. Before long, I was contributing to national magazines, as well, and as many as a dozen publications simultaneously. As much as I enjoyed culinary and dining articles, I couldn’t help but notice that the local craft beer I loved so much was hardly ever written about by my hometown outlets. So, I pitched a roundup of the (then) 20 or so breweries. It was approved and was well received by readers. I started pitching more and more beer articles, spending more time interviewing brewers and learning how special and unique the local brewing industry is. Several years later, I decided to shift to almost exclusively writing about San Diego breweries, and I haven’t looked back. I was the first-ever beer columnist for Pacific San Diego Magazine and the San Diego Reader. I have written two editions of the San Diego Beer News: Complete Guide to San Diego Breweries and contributed to numerous other books. I am co-host of The Indie Beer Show podcast and have been an on-air beer expert for FOX 5, The CW 6, plus radio programs and podcasts. I have written about San Diego for every major/national beer magazine, and served as Senior Editor for local beverage publication, West Coaster, for more than half-a-decade before moving on to continue my near-daily coverage of my hometown’s brewing industry and craft-beer culture via my own outlet, San Diego Beer News (http://sandiegobeer.news).

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I couldn’t have asked for a better beat to cover. The passion I have for my hometown, the beers produced here and the incredibly driven people who craft them, is mirrored by members of the industry as well as my readers. Even individuals who don’t understand the brewing process and can’t tell a pilsner from an IPA understand the stellar reputation our region has for ales and lagers, and the positive impact breweries have on our economy. The biggest challenge I’ve had is keeping up with all of the growth and trying to tell the wealth of stories that exist in and around the industry. Fortunately, I’ve always been industrious. It’s a lot of hard work to produce as much content as I do, but it’s also a joy, which makes all the sweat, long hours, miles driven and personal life sacrificed worth it. I sincerely care about the people and businesses I get to write about, and knowing I am doing my best and giving my all to spotlight the good work they do is extremely gratifying. The brewers and hard-working staff at San Diego’s breweries employ that same all-in approach. The least I can do is honor them by doing the same.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about San Diego Beer News® – what should we know?
San Diego Beer News® is a one-stop resource for anything and everything pertaining to the San Diego craft-brewing industry. In addition to news articles from me, expert contributors and members of the brewing industry, we have a constantly updated map listing the nearly 200 brewery-owned venues throughout the county, send out a weekly newsletter listing new-release and fresh-tapping beers using info straight from the breweries, provide platforms for industry groups, media outlets and homebrewers, plus up-to-date COVID-related info for local breweries. In the future, we will include more information on events (once gatherings may again take place), industry job listings, reader polls and more.

As far as what sets it apart, I bring seven years of experience having worked for local breweries (Stone Brewing, AleSmith Brewing and Societe Brewing) to the table. But the biggest differentiator is that the San Diego Beer News website is the most comprehensive resource of its kind that has ever existed in San Diego, and I’m proud to have been able to make it a reality with the help of my partners at local multimedia firm, Paradeigm, and some talented contributors and partners who are elevating the site to heights I couldn’t have accomplished on my own. Like the San Diego brewing community’s success and reputation, it’s a team effort all the way, which is fitting and amazing to witness.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I’d have to say my drive. There is no substitute for hard work and I live by a self-induced mandate to always do my best. Many tell me I’m way too hard on myself, way too demanding and need to take a break. To their credit, I think they’re right, but you can’t argue with results. My accomplishments in life are direct results of chugging ahead, believing in my abilities and the notion that if I just try harder, don’t give up and strive to be better each day, I will accomplish my goals and my dreams will come true. I have a lifetime of evidence supporting that belief. Being able to cover my hometown’s infinitely interesting and inspiring brewers via my own outlet, one that people greatly enjoy and get value out of, is a dream scenario I get to live every day.

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