Ballast Point Taps Port of San Diego for Giant Beer Tanks

SAN DIEGO, CA: Something big is brewing at the Port of San Diego.

Last week, the local port took in four 24-ton beer fermentation and storage tanks.

Destined for San Diego-based brewing company Ballast Point, the tanks were manufactured in Ludwigsburg, Germany and loaded onto the vessel M/V Star Lysefjord in Antwerp, Belgium before arriving April 28 at the Port of San Diego’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.

The 69-foot tall tanks will be used to craft all of the main production beers that Ballast Point brews — including its flagship beer, Sculpin IPA — at its main production facility and brewery in Miramar.

Founded in 1996, Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits until recently had most of its equipment shipped through Long Beach and trucked to San Diego. The company has decided, however, that the Port of San Diego's close proximity to Miramar and its other breweries — Little Italy, Scripps Ranch and Home Brew Mart/Linda Vista, as well as a tasting room in Temecula — plus its experience with handling specialty "breakbulk" cargo, which is cargo that doesn’t fit into a container, make it an ideal port to handle its heavy equipment.

"We are fortunate to have experienced rapid growth recently, and with that we must keep up with increased distribution," said Hilary Cocalis, vice president of marketing for Ballast Point. "We are constantly adding new tanks and equipment to expand production at our main Miramar brewery. It’s always a happy day at the brewery when new tanks are dropped into place, and we’re glad the Port of San Diego has helped ensure this latest shipment arrived to us safely and efficiently."

Ballast Point plans to have additional equipment shipped to the local port, which is the fourth largest seaport in California.

The Port of San Diego has two cargo terminals: the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and National City Marine Terminal. Cargo processed at Tenth Avenue includes high, wide and heavy cargo such as the Ballast Point fermentation tanks, power plant components, steel and yachts. Tenth Avenue also processes refrigerated cargo, cement, soda ash, bauxite and fuel. National City Marine Terminal processes imported automobiles from Europe and Asia, and lumber from the Pacific Northwest.

"The shipment of Ballast Point’s fermentation tanks is a great example of the diversity of the Port’s cargo," said Marshall Merrifield, chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners. "We’re thrilled to be able to support a local company and are reaching out to many other San Diego companies to assist them with import/export opportunities."

(Photo courtesy of Port of San Diego)