The Brewery Project: Mad Lab

A tiny suite in an industrial park way out in Otay.  No money or investors, just a husband and wife with a dream.  Fermenters sitting in kiddie pools on the carpet of a small office.  Growlers and 22 ounce bottles labeled by hand with homemade labels.  Are they mad?!?  Actually, they are Mad Lab Craft Brewing.  Owners Mike & Daphne McFarland, who live in Imperial Beach, wanted to bring great craft beer to South Bay, an area of San Diego that has yet to open up to the craft beer movement.  With their grand opening yesterday, the floodgates have opened.  What the new location lacks in fluff is more than made up for in the passion of the husband and wife team.  Mike, who is also the brewer, artist, marketer, etc., can't hold back his enthusiasm as he explains the ingredients and brewing process of each of his "babies".  I was highly impressed by I.B. Blonde, a style that I don't usually like, which weighed in at 6.5% alcohol.  Sultry Venus, an Abbey Ale, also stole my heart and taste buds with its 6.9% alcohol punch.  With 6 beers currently on tap including an IPA, Scottish Red, Porter, and a Stout, there's something for every taste.  The fact that my group won a couple of growlers and a t-shirt while we were there was just the icing on the cake!  Don't let the drive scare you away from checking out San Diego's newest brewery.  As they say, "Release the Madness"!