Stone Brewing Celebrates 30 Years With Massive San Diego Anniversary Party

Stone Brewing is hitting a pretty significant milestone in 2026, and they’re planning to celebrate it in a big way.

The San Diego brewery will mark its 30th anniversary on Saturday, September 12, 2026, with an all-day celebration at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and this year Stone is opening up much of the celebration as a free public party, while also offering a limited VIP experience for those looking to go a little deeper into the beer side of things.

For anyone who has followed craft beer over the years, 30 years of Stone Brewing is definitely something worth recognizing. Stone launched in San Diego back in 1996 and became one of the breweries that helped push bigger, bolder, and hoppier beers into the spotlight during the rise of American craft beer.

And for the anniversary, Stone is leaning heavily into both its history and the fans who helped build the brand.

A Free All-Day Celebration

One of the biggest changes for this year’s anniversary event is that you won’t need a ticket just to join the party.

Stone is taking over its Liberty Station location for a complimentary celebration featuring live music, arcade games, 1990s movies, pet adoptions and, of course, plenty of Stone beer.

That should make this anniversary feel a little more like a festival than simply another brewery ticketed event, and it also opens the celebration to longtime fans, families and anyone who happens to be in the San Diego area.

With Stone celebrating three decades, the 1990s theme also makes plenty of sense. This is a brewery that came onto the scene during a very different time in American beer, long before craft breweries and IPAs became as common as they are today.

VIP Access Brings Out the Rare Beers

Those wanting more of a beer-focused experience can purchase one of Stone’s limited VIP tickets for $100.

Only 300 VIP tickets are being offered, and the package includes:

• Unlimited 2-ounce pours of exclusive Stone rare beers and beers from Friends of Stone
• Throwback fan-favorite food items
• Access to an exclusive VIP area
• Upfront seating for live music in the garden
• A commemorative souvenir glass
• Custom glass etching
• Access to a cigar lounge
• Exclusive access to Kris Ketcham’s Archive Beer Cellar
• A limited-edition 30th anniversary merchandise item
• Additional VIP benefits throughout the celebration

Stone is also offering a designated driver ticket for $70.

For longtime Stone fans, the Archive Beer Cellar might be one of the more interesting parts of the VIP experience. Stone has released plenty of memorable beers over the past three decades, so getting access to some of those archived selections could make the upgraded ticket especially appealing to collectors and longtime craft beer drinkers.

Stone 30th Anniversary Double IPA

Naturally, Stone isn’t celebrating 30 years without brewing something special for the occasion.

The event will feature the Stone 30th Anniversary Double IPA, a beer designed to tell part of Stone’s story through the evolution of American hops.

The beer starts with old-school varieties including Centennial and Chinook, hops that played a big role in defining the aggressive West Coast hop character associated with Stone’s earlier years.

It then moves through varieties like Simcoe and Citra, which became major players during the next generation of American IPA brewing, before finishing with newer hop varieties including Krush and Thora.

It’s a pretty fitting concept for Stone.

Rather than simply releasing another big Double IPA and slapping a 30th anniversary label on it, the brewery is using the hops themselves to highlight just how much American IPA has changed since Stone started brewing in 1996.

And considering how closely Stone’s identity has been tied to hop-forward beer, that journey through three decades of hops feels like an appropriate way to mark the anniversary.

Thirty Years of Stone Brewing

Whether someone loves Stone, remembers the first time they tried an Arrogant Bastard, or simply appreciates the impact the brewery had during craft beer’s growth years, Stone reaching its 30th anniversary is another reminder of just how much the beer industry has changed.

A lot has happened since 1996.

Craft beer exploded. IPAs became one of the dominant styles in American beer. Breweries grew, consolidated, closed, evolved and, in many cases, completely reinvented themselves.

Stone has experienced plenty of changes of its own along the way, but the brewery remains one of the names closely connected to the rise of bold American craft beer.

For beer drinkers who happen to be around San Diego in September, this should be an interesting opportunity to celebrate some of that history while also seeing where Stone is heading next.

Stone Brewing 30th Anniversary Celebration

Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Location:
Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station
2816 Historic Decatur Road
San Diego, CA 92106

General Public Celebration: Free

VIP Admission: $100

Designated Driver: $70

Only 300 VIP tickets are available.

Full event information, beer lists, food menus, and tickets are available through Stone Brewing’s 30th Anniversary Celebration event page:

https://www.stonebrewing.com/events/stone-30th-anniversary-celebration

Get your beer on 🍻