San Diego has one of the strongest craft beer scenes in the United States — well over a hundred breweries in the county, with a particular concentration in North Park, Miramar and East Village. Stone, Ballast Point, Modern Times, Pizza Port and Green Flash all started here; tap takeovers and brewery tours are easy to find on any night of the week.
Gaslamp Quarter is the high-energy nightlife zone — sixteen blocks of restored Victorian storefronts now full of clubs, sports bars and rooftop lounges. Cover charges are common on weekends, and the scene leans towards conventioneers and bachelorette parties. For something quieter, North Park along 30th Street has neighbourhood beer bars and cocktail spots, while Hillcrest is the historic gay neighbourhood with relaxed bars like Flicks and the Brass Rail.
Pacific Beach is the college beach-bar district — loud, casual, weekend-heavy. The PB Shore Club and the Australian Pub on Grand are the classics. Normal Heights, along Adams Avenue, is where locals drink without much tourist crossover and pubs are within walking distance of one another.