Barrel Republic

This bar is… PIPED UP!
Cool spot. Electronic wristbands that charge you for your beer as your self-​pour from all the taps on the walls.
Surfing videos instead of sports… very bro hipster… NICE!

This place was awesome. A great place if you want lots of options. They have a wide variety of beers that you pour yourself. You choose how much you want which is great if you are indecisive. The décor of the place is nice and rustic, dim lights, wooden tables and barrels. The only thing I thought was wrong was the music. They played rave/​club electronic music and it threw the mood of the place way off. Other than that I had a awesome few visits.

5 stars for the fun time I had here, but if we’re factoring in the actual beers, it gets 4 stars.
Barrel Republic is basically like an arcade except instead of playing games, you get to try beers. You open up a tab and a bartender will give you a wristband. They have 50 taps available, including 6 or 8 of them being wine if you aren’t a beer person. You go up to a tap that sounds interesting, tap the screen to learn more about the beer, and if it sounds good, touch your wrist against the sensor and pour as much or as little beer as you want. At the end of the night, you close out your tab and they charge you for however many ounces you drank. Certain beers are more $ per oz of course, so it really depends which beers you drank.
This concept is great because then you can try as much beer as you want (and as many different kinds before you decide which beer you want to stick to), and you really just pay for exactly how much you want to drink, no waste. Also you don’t have to wait on a bartender, you just pour your own beer! Between my boyfriend and I, we drank about 24 oz of beer and paid about $ 15.
What keeps this place from being a 5 star is that although they had 40+ beers on tap, none of them blew my mind, which strikes me as surprising since San Diego is a huge brewery city. They didn’t have too many local SD beers, though they had a lot of beers from California in general. I was surprised they didn’t have Ballast Point or Stone or Modern Times.
All in all, I had a great time here and if I lived in San Diego, I would definitely hold group outings or celebrations here.

Walking in, I immediately had a good feeling from this place. It was a real treat to look through the full selection of beers and try a sip or a full pour of any one of them. We really enjoyed the Latitude 33 blood orange and Ace blood orange cider. And you can compare Ommegang and Urban St. Saison side-​by-​side. This could be a fun date or go with a group of friends. My only complaint is that the glasses had a slight scent of detergent. But what a novel concept!

I love this concept! This concept is so obvious but hasn’t been done (or so I know of). PYO (pour your own) beer is a cool concept.
Upon entering, the place is cool and had a cool vibe. There are barrels with pouring stouts. How it works is you go and pick up a magnetic bracelet that registers how much you pour. Then you get to pick any glasses you want and start the fun!
Forget bartenders! You can now be a bartender here.

I’m going to keep it real: Barrel Republic might just be my favorite bar in San Diego. Walk in, and you’ll be greeted with the most impressive self-​pour system ever. A total of 40+ beer taps plus a few wine taps smile at you along almost every edge of this bar, with some friendly cashiers that are ready to give you that glorious wristband, as well as your choice of board game to accompany the endless beer sampling.
They also have free butter popcorn plus seasoning, which just earned them Star #5.
Hot damn I love this place. Check it out for Trivia Tuesdays, which happen to start right after you’re done with Taco Tuesday nearby (approx 7pm), which makes your Tuesday even more excellent. Or literally any day. I avoid weekends because PB /​SD is becoming way privy to how epic this place is.
So on that note, don’t go to Barrel Republic: D

Such an awesome concept!
I was in SD for the week and came across this place on Unilocal.I’m not even that much of a beer drinker but it gives you the ability to have as much or little of each kind as you want.
Best described is that its like self-​served froyo but with beer. You come in, show your ID & Credit card, they give you a chipped wristband. Grab a cup and pick whatever beer or small selection of wine you’d like to try, swipe your wristband and pour away. This allows you to sample different kinds and come back to pour more portions of the kind you like. There are about 40 something different selections on tap which you can go to town with.
My favorite find was the Blood Orange Cider. Not sure how often their beer selection gets changed but I would definitely come back. Parking was fairly easy for a Friday night. It does go through waves of crowds but it seems like people pop in, grab a drink then leave. There are some seating areas but not much.
Afterwards, you trade in your wristband to close out your bill. Gives you a breakdown of what and how much you’ve drank. They don’t offer food here but they do have free popcorn in the back!

Great spot and so conveniently set up. You go in, give them your ID and card to put in their system, then they return it to you in exchange for a wristband. This wristband is used to self serve yourself at every beer and wine tap. I thought that was cool.
The atmosphere is laid back with standing areas and launch areas. A huge plus for me is the board games, they have a large assortment and I love me a good board game.
The staff is great, I’ll be returning.

I don’t even care about the beer, this place has a great thing going that’s very unique. I’m not sure if there other places like this in SD, but this was my first time and I was rather impressed. I loved the idea of trying any beer you want at any volume you prefer. It was a great experience!
Tip: I think it would be better if they served only San Diego brews, since we do in fact have a HUGE selection of local brews to choose from geographically! It would be a great way to promote the local brew scene (which is one of the best in the U.S.)

This place is such a fun place. I don’t like beer, but this place gave me a chance to try all different types of beer without the problem of having to order a whole beer. This place also has a nice wine selection and even had apple cider.
This place is also really fun and relaxing to go to with friends. They have lots of tables and a large selection of games to place. Definitely go here if you want a fun time.

THIS IS THE SPOT!!!
What a perfectly amazing concept. Grab a wrist ban and get your pour on! Have as much or as little of each beer that your little heart desires. Go crazy. Or don’t. Set your own tasting menu — have a full glass, have a half. This is your own customized drinking adventure.
So many options (even some wine for you non-​beer drinkers) — definitely something for everyone.
Also, right now, if you check in on Unilocal — they give you a tasting of the day — fo free. Free beer tastes better than anything else.
ALSO — if you haven’t had the pineapple cider — you have to. It’s so damn good. Tangy and so drinkable. I know it’s not really a beer and I should be embarrassed for endorsing a cider (what a lame.) BUT THIS ISH IS THE BIZZ OK? No shame in my pineapple cider game.
Note — they don’t have a kitchen, but you can bring your own snakcies. Also, Tap Room delivered food to some guy at the bar so it seems that’s a thing. Or even better — use the Postmates app to deliver to you (use code ‘emz3’ for a $ 10 delivery credit when you sign up! you’re welcome.)
Best part? Since you’re in total control of your pours I noticed my bill was insanely less than I expected. This place is definitely budget friendly. Drink on, San Diego!

I love the concept of Barrel Republic and it doesn’t hurt that they have plenty of TVs and a large projector screen playing live games. It constantly reminds me why I shouldn’t be a bartender but my pours are getting better by the day! They have free popcorn and you can order food from any nearby establishment and enjoy inside. You will not be disappointed.

**REMEMBER to check-​in for a FREE taster of the beer of the day!**
Great concept, lots of awesome beer to pick and choose from. You get a bracelet thing that’s connected to your card and name and you use it to scan into whatever beer you would like to try. You can pour as much or as little as you want and you pay by the ounce (different beers, different prices per ounce).
I’m very indecisive so this bar is the perfect place for me to try all the beers I want. There’s even free popcorn you can grab at the back of the venue. I checked-​in for the free taster (I’ve done this twice so far! Mmmm.) and brought it up to the lady who was working so I could redeem it. I have an inkling though that there’s no actual beer of the day and that they choose the least popular beer or just the one they currently have the most of. I dunno. I’ve just never seen a sign that lists the beer of the day, or maybe I’m blind. Either way it’s free beer!
It’s easy to let everything rack up but the $ per ounce isn’t that bad. My total each time I’ve been there has been really good deals for how much and how many beers I got to try. The taps seem to change often, so there’s always something new to try. :) There are even wine taps!
Great location in Pacific Beach near all the other fun bars. This bar is more for sipping and chilling but you can always use this as a pregame location… ;) There are plenty of TVs as well if you wanted to watch a game. I used to think this was a weird looking place and didn’t visit until recently — especially since I had seen that the crowd was mostly older. Glad I figured out it was a cool beer bar haha.

Can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get here. Been wanted to come forever and I finally had the chance. Such a great concept. Just have them swipe your card and then you get a wristband and then get as much or as little as you want.
I suggest getting a taster glass and trying a bunch of beers out. They also have cider and some wine I believe too.

I have come here quite a few times, and each time, I am both sad and happy.
SAD because I have tried a few beers that I fell in love with and will probably never have again.
HAPPY because they change the beers so much that it never feels like a waste to come here.
It’s a very relaxed spot, the vibe is different from most other places in PB. It’s more of a place to hang with friends and chat without being tempted to. shake it like a saltshaker Lol.
I used my Unilocal check-​in offer for the beer of the week. I was really disappointed! I can’t believe SIERRA NEVADA was the beer of the week… I wasn’t very happy about that, but it was a free beer so I can’t complain.

My girlfriend and I are kicking ourselves for not coming up with a beer tasting room where your intake is charged by the ounce (DIY froyo, anyone?). Seriously, if you’re a lightweight, this is a solid place to hang out with your friends and still partake in the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Or be like me and take the tiniest sip ever (see photo). Oh and get this, the tab was for both of us… Low tolerance and proud!
Sooooooo many tasters and the wristband (or wristwatch?) is intuitive enough that you can see exactly how much everything costs on the digital screens above each tap. Reminds me of Japan when they had digital pictures of every single item on the menu, and even their cute models of food…
Alright, enough of getting sidetracked, this is a sweet place to take a date, your friends, and even your parents because the vibes are good and everyone who checks in gets a free 4 oz. taster of the selected beer of the day. How can you not???

Barrel Republic is quite a unique bar in which you get to play your own bartender (need to be 21 and older to enter this bar… so parents, please leave your little ones at home). Barrel Republic is 2 doors down from the Tap Room and across the street from Sprouts Market.
My husband and I came by this place last Sunday around 12:30 pm. We parked on the street (free street parking on Sundays) and walked over. We walked up to the counter and eventually an employee helped us out and told us how it works around here.
So basically you show proper ID to prove you are of legal drinking age and then open a bar tab. Then you are given a wrist watch like mechanism that you scan next to each screen of the drink of your choice (beer or wine) and then it will keep track of your pours. At 32 oz, you will need to get it reset if you want to drink more. Most of the beer and wine cost about $ 0.50 per oz.
My husband enjoys drinking beer, but I’m not so much of one. I helped myself to a few of their red wines and thought they tasted okay (my husband liked the wine more than me, but I actually prefer dessert wines but they didn’t have any).
At this bar, there is only alcohol served, but you are welcomed to bring in your own food. Also there is complementary popcorn, so help yourself (there are also bags available if you want to take some when you leave, as plenty of others did).
One thing that I did not like was that this place was not ready to serve their beer floats. There was a sign right outside of their bar that advertiser a beer float, which I really wanted to try. I had asked when we first arrived about it and the male employee who helped set us up said they are getting them ready (not sure what that meant). Then about 30 minutes later, I asked this female employee about that and she said the same thing. And then about 10 minutes later, the male employee who helped us in the beginning came in with some items in grocery bags, which I assumed meant this is what they meant by «getting ready».
I didn’t want to stay here longer, so unfortunately I did not get to try a beer float. I guess I will just have to make one at home (probably will be better because I’ll make it awesome).
Just to let you know, that the woman’s restroom was clean on this visit. For some reason, I really liked the door, as it had thick tree back on it and felt like real wood (real random, I know). Also this place is not dog friendly and there is no outdoor seating.
And because this concept is quite unique (and rather fun), I decided to give this bar 4 stars. Oh and just one more thing to mention is that they have board games that you can borrow in case you want to come with some friends to play some games and catch up about your week.

I had a gift card for Barrel Republic so I paid a trip with a friend to burn it. I’ve noticed the place since it opened on Garnet because it’s close to my regular PB watering hole that shall remain nameless. Barrel Republic is self serve — they use your credit card to guarantee the funds and give you a wristband that you use at the taps.
They had roughly 41 taps available — really a showcase and testament to the San Diego craft brew scene, and furthermore west coast. I tasted maybe five different brews. One of them unfortunately needed the line cleaned — not cool. And some of the taps were really, really slow. And letting your brew settle was frustrating — waving the wristband over and over to finish off your pour.
Sorry but I just don’t get it. I’m by no means the top of the social food chain, but bars and pubs are social venues. You interact with people, and a big part of that is interacting with your server. In fact, it’s one of the things I look forward to when I pull up a stool at the bar, even myself as a geeky engineer type. So I think the entire concept of self serve beer at a bar is fundamentally flawed. And what the heck is the tipping strategy supposed to be? On the plus side, I will say I thought the per ounce price of various taps was very reasonable.
If you want to taste around with lots of small pours, maybe this place works for you — otherwise, I honestly can’t recommend it and there is way too much competition in PB for me to frequent Barrel Republic.

ILY BARREL REPUBLIC. You and your 40+ taps are everything.
This place has the innovative concept of having self-​serve beers on tap. It’s like Yogurtland for beer (I think they should have called it Beerland tbh). You check in at the counter and get a wristband after opening a tab (you can also put multiple wristband tabs on one card). Next, you essentially wave your wristband like a magic wand over the sensor and out pours beer! Well, you actually pour it yourself (and while you’re at it hopefully you don’t pour too much foam). Each beer is showcased on its own iPad with factoids listed. It also tells you what type of glass goes well with what beer and of course there’s a rack of all the glasses to choose from. I noticed most people don’t pay attention to the glass but I *guess* I’m kind of a beer snob so I try to play by the rules here. Though after a few beers it becomes a little tough to differentiate between glasses…
Once you’re done receiving your beer, the iPad tells you much you’ve drank so far. I think if you go over a limit you have to get your band reset. Whenever you’re done drinking, you go back to the counter and pay. You’ll get a receipt of all the beers you tried and how much you tried. Awesome reference if you’re looking to buy more on your own.
Another perfect thing is that there’s FREE fresh popcorn & seasonings! Who doesn’t want to enjoy popcorn while sampling beer? There’s also like 5 wine taps for those interested.
Barrel is amazing and I’ll be back for sure to try their constantly rotating selection. Maybe I’ll even come for Trivia Night Tuesdays! Don’t forget to check-​in to get a free 5oz pour of a beer of the week. You’ll have to show it to a worker who isn’t at the counter, since apparently counter workers can’t serve beer.

What a cool concept for a bar! It was awesome being able to serve myself and track my consumption with a wristband. It was pretty easy to sort out… you just put your card on file, they give you a wristband, and then off you go to pick out the beers, ciders, or wines of your choice and self-​serve. The wristband allows you a certain amount of ounces and tells you how many ounces you have already poured each time you try something new on the screen.
The selection of beers was quite plentiful! Various light, dark, and specialty beers with different alcohol percentages made the decision-​making process very time-​consuming as I wanted to try them all… but then, someone would have probably had to wheel me out of the bar on a stretcher.
So far, I have visited this bar 3 times, and each time it is nice to see a new selection of beers with some of my favorites from last time mixed in there. For example, during the holidays, they had a specialty Christmas-​tasting beer that was especially enjoyable and got me right into the holiday spirit! I also adore the Avery White Rascal, and that one is usually available at Barrel Republic which I am so happy about! A selection of about 8 or so wines is also on tap and available for those who are non-​beer drinkers.
Barrel Republic has also recently introduced a food menu as of a few months ago, and although I have not tried any items yet, I have heard people rave about the various appetizers… especially some sort of PB&J item that sounds quite tasty… I will have to try it next time :) Can’t wait to go back for another night of pregaming the PB bars again at Barrel!