Raise a Toast! Water Authority Declares February as San Diego Brewing Month

January 31, 2019

Recognizing the growing significance of the region’s craft beer and coffee roasting industries, the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors has declared February to be Brewing Month in San Diego County.

As part of the monthlong promotion, Cafe Moto – one of the oldest and largest local coffee roasters – developed Authority 1944 Blend, which celebrates the Water Authority’s formation 75 years ago. Cafe Moto and the Water Authority are providing coffee service at approximately 30 meetings of local civic and business leaders during February to spark conversations about the value of safe and reliable water supplies for San Diego County’s economy and quality of life.

In addition, the Water Authority is hosting a social media photo contest with prizes that include bags of Authority 1944 Blend and items donated by the region’s craft brewing industry. To enter, just snap and post photos of your favorite local brews – beer or coffee – using #B2UbyH2O on Instagram or Twitter. Winners will be drawn randomly each week from posts that meet contest rules at https://b2ubyh2o.org/.

Brewing Month and related activities are part of the Water Authority’s Brought to You by Water outreach and education program, designed to convey the importance of safe and reliable water supplies for sustaining the region’s 3.3 million people and its $220 billion economy. Over the past year, the Water Authority has highlighted an array of the region’s core industries – including tourism, manufacturing and brewing – that would not exist without the Water Authority’s substantial investments in water supply reliability.

“This is an exciting opportunity to showcase local craft beer and coffee roasters that share one common core ingredient – water,” said Jim Madaffer, Water Authority Board chair. “San Diego’s celebrated craft beers and its growing coffee industry together provide thousands of jobs and help define this place we call home.”

For Brewing Month, Cafe Moto on National Avenue in San Diego donated 100 bags of kosher, fair trade, organic coffee that it dark roasted to bring out notes of vanilla, cocoa and molasses. Authority 1944 Blend is branded with the Water Authority’s Brought to You by Water logo for sharing at meetings and on social media across San Diego County.

“Stewardship and sustainability are part of our vision and core values, so respecting our water is a natural,” said Torrey Lee, co-owner of Cafe Moto. “We brew with ‘Gold Cup’ standards for taste, and we depend on the water integrity to be sound and stable. The B2UbyH2O promotion is a real eye-opener about the importance of water for our region’s continued success.”

Additionally, as part of Brewing Month, the Water Authority is spotlighting the San Diego Brewers Guild and its more than 130 brewery members.

“San Diego is the capital of craft beer, generating an economic impact of more than $1.1 billion a year,” said guild president Matthew Zirpolo of Burgeon Beer Co. in Carlsbad. “Like every industry in this region, we rely on the Water Authority and its member agencies to deliver our most precious natural resource so that we can do what we do best – make the award-winning beers that define our region.”

To learn more about the Brought to You by Water program, go to https://b2ubyh2o.org/.

  • The San Diego County Water Authority sustains a $268 billion regional economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents through a multi-decade water supply diversification plan, major infrastructure investments and forward-thinking policies that promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. A public agency created in 1944, the Water Authority delivers wholesale water supplies to 23 retail water providers, including cities, special districts and a military base.

    Media Contact Information

    Jordan Beane

    Phone: (858) 221-3975

    Email: jbeane@sdcwa.org