Background
Michael and Caroline Poulson opened Jacked Up Brewery in January 2017. Michael, a navy veteran and a general contractor by trade began brewing beer in 1994, in his kitchen with the support of Caroline, his wife of 23 years.
In 2012, Mike started taking steps toward building the brewery by devising a business plan. They began looking for a space in Escondido located on a main road. Since the couples experience in Europe where every neighborhood had a brewpub, they wanted to create that feel with their brewery.
Mike’s general contract experience was key to starting on a shoestring budget. He was involved in the majority of the original rebuild as well as the expansion a couple years later. Jacked Up was how his friends used to describe his beer that they loved in the early days.
In 2018, Dexter Gaston join Carly and Mike and invested in Jacked Up. Gaston has a background in fermentation, both in the wine industry and with fermenting organisms in the biotech industry. He is Jacked Up’s CFO and chief investor.
Experience
We took an Uber to Jacked Up on a Tuesday afternoon. This was a few days before the pandemic shut everything down. The tasting room has an L shaped bar, a fair number of tables and stools and a stage for music. The brewing equipment is right off the seating area. The day we were there, they had the big garage door open and a food truck was setting up.
We ordered a flight of Hazy IPA, Punched in the IPA, LTO IPA & the Milk Stout. All were drinkable but overall none fit the flavor profile I most enjoy.
There is a Springhill Suites by Marriott nearby. When in the area you should check out Abnormal Brewing, Mason Aleworks, Wild Barrel Brewing, Modern Times and Little Miss Brewing.
