Switching coasts and career, beer-loving Douglas Constantiner made an unforgettable lifestyle change 13 years ago.
Konstantiner, founder and CEO of Societe Brewing Company. “The goal was to learn from others before starting my own brewery. Things happened quickly, and all of a sudden, my brewery opened in May 2012. I had wanted to start a brewery since I was 18, but I didn’t think it would happen after eight Years! “
Douglas Constantiner, founder of Societe Brewing Company, shares a laugh with the customers behind him … [+]
Before opening Societe Bank, Constantiner worked in brewery-themed restaurants and famous breweries, San Diego. green flash And the Priory in Placentia, California. At The Breury, which won several awards at the brewing industry’s annual Super Bowl, the Great American Beer Festival, Constantiner made his way from basement to brewer.
His motto at Société is “Beer is the greatest social unit in the world.”
Societe’s website declared, “This mindset inspired our name, and it makes us focus on every ounce we brew. We see our brewery as a way to bring people together from all walks of life.”
The general appreciation of Societe’s beer means a lot to Konstantiner.
“The best part about owning and operating a brewery is knowing that all the hard work, paperwork, and long hours goes into an amazing product that I and the general public enjoy,” he says. “I can’t imagine putting the same effort into an uninspiring product or service. I’m looking at you, Donder Mifflin.”
Societe, located north of downtown in San Diego’s historic Old Town district, produced more than 13,000 barrels of beer last year. Its flagship beer is The Pupil, a 7.5% IPA that the brewery describes as a “tropical hop triumph” with “notes of guava and mango and a clean finish.”
Societe sells five beers year-round in cans and releases a new beer every month. There are over 20 beers in their tasting room.
The epidemic had a major impact on Societe’s business.
“COVID-19 evaporated about 95% of our income overnight when California closed its non-essential businesses,” Konstantiner says. “We went into the pandemic as a barrel-only brewery that sells about 90% of our volume to restaurants in San Diego and Orange County. The pandemic has caused us to quickly switch to cans for sale to grocery stores and other businesses.”
What do most Southern California beer drinkers look for in a beer?
“In general, they like anything that is drinkable, but more specifically, IPAs and anything that is driving,” Konstantiner says. “It could be a classic West Coast IPA, a lager beer or a pilsener. Anything paired with the best weather in the world tends to do the job.”