Poway's Original Craft Brewery

Poway’s first craft brewery opened in 2006 and quickly earned widespread acclaim for producing phenomenal, top-rated German style lagers and ales.  After an extended foray in the world of large-scale production and distribution, Lightning Brewery is now a nano-scale enterprise that produces small-volume artisanal batches covering a wide range of beer types, all of which are brewed with Jim's signature scientific precision and artistic flare.

Beer aficionados, novices and those in between, journey to Lightning to quaff stellar legacy beers, limited seasonal selections, and whatever Jim's latest experimental concoction(s) happens to be.  Upon finding a new favorite(s), whether you want to share with friends and family or horde for yourself, plan on filling a growler (or two!) to go.   Prost!

About the Brewer

Head Brewer and President Dr. Jim Crute began brewing in the early 80's while in graduate school and continued to cultivate his passion during his 20-plus year run as a renowned biochemist in the biotech and pharma industries.  After only a few initial trial batches, Jim's beers were popular among friends and family.  In 2006 Jim founded Lightning Brewery and began selling his beers in a local market.  Ultimately, Lightning won more than 40 nationally-recognized gold, silver, and bronze medals.  Although Jim's German style lagers and ales are responsible for a majority of the awards, he's wowed judges with British and American style beers, too.  Stop by to enjoy Jim's delicious beer creations!