Archive record · Brewery
Aztec Brewing Company
San Diego, California, California, USA
Also known as Aztec Brewing Co., later Altes Brewing Company phase
- Founded
- 1933
- Closed
- 1953
- Archive ID
- TB-M0WBS654
- Last checked
- Not yet checked
Who owns this brewery?
Independent ownership is recorded. No parent company is held in the archive.
From the record
Summary
San Diego History Center states Aztec Brewing Co. Was founded in San Diego in 1933 and identifies its Famous ABC Beer. City of San Diego historic-preservation material says Aztec acquired the former Savage Tire plant at 2301 Main Street in 1932, moved production to San Diego after Prohibition ended, and operated there until its 1948 sale to Altes Brewing Company. Independent historical reporting and San Diego history sources place final brewery closure under the later Altes/National succession in 1953. The original San Diego brewery is preserved separately from any later brand revival in Vista.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Where it brewed
- 2301 Main Street, San Diego, CASan Diego, California
PRODUCTION
Operated by Aztec Brewing Company
Site detail
San Diego History Center states Aztec Brewing Co. was founded in San Diego in 1933 and identifies its Famous ABC Beer. City of San Diego historic-preservation material says Aztec acquired the former Savage Tire plant at 2301 Main Street in 1932, moved production to San Diego after Prohibition ended, and operated there until its 1948 sale to Altes Brewing Company. Independent historical reporting and San Diego history sources place final brewery closure under the later Altes/National succession in 1953. The original San Diego brewery is preserved separately from any later brand revival in Vista.
The Beer Library
Beers
Famous ABC Beer
Year-RoundLager
Aliases: A.B.C. Beer; ABC Beer. San Diego History Center identifies Aztec Brewing Co.'s Famous ABC Beer as a lager-era flagship and preserves a 1943 Famous ABC Beer neon-sign image. Exact ABV and recipe remain UNKNOWN.
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Sources
- recordProbable
Brewery record taken from Tally's California master, Pass 187, which cited https://sandiegohistory.org/journal/v59-1/v59-1.pdf for this entry. The cited page has not been opened by the archive.
Tally's California master, Pass 187 (research workbook) · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026
CommercialMedium reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-19Claim last checked 2026-08-19
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Aztec Brewing Company
- Who owns Aztec Brewing Company?
- Aztec Brewing Company is independently owned — there is no parent company above it on record. It is based in San Diego, California, USA.
- Is Aztec Brewing Company independent?
- Yes. Aztec Brewing Company is recorded as independent, with no parent company. Independence is recorded as the brewery states it; where a stake is a minority holding or joint venture, this archive leaves it unmapped rather than calling it ownership.
- Is Aztec Brewing Company still open?
- No. Aztec Brewing Company has closed (1953). San Diego History Center states Aztec Brewing Co. Was founded in San Diego in 1933 and identifies its Famous ABC Beer. City of San Diego historic-preservation material says Aztec acquired the former Savage Tire plant at 2301 Main Street in 1932, moved production to San Diego after Prohibition ended, and operated there until its 1948 sale to Altes Brewing Company. Independent historical reporting and San Diego history sources place final brewery closure under the later Altes/National succession in 1953. The original San Diego brewery is preserved separately from any later brand revival in Vista.
- When was Aztec Brewing Company founded?
- Aztec Brewing Company was founded in 1933 in San Diego, California, USA.
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