Local brewery mashes up with local artist to kick off new series of hazy IPAs

SAN DIEGO — A local brewery mashed up with a local artist to kick off of a new series of hazy IPAs on Saturday.

Thorn Brewing Co. announced last week it selected Hector Villegas, an artist from the Barrio Logan neighborhood, to create the first beer label in the Shades of Haze series.

“San Diego is home to so many amazing artists,” said Thorn Brewing Co. CEO, Marc Martin. “So for our Shades of Haze series, we reached out to local artists from each of the neighborhoods where we have tasting rooms. Each artist created a beer label for us and we will be hosting a release event featuring their art for each beer release.”

The brewery has tasting room locations in North Park, Barrio Logan and Mission Hills.

The first beer in the series, dubbed the Portal Hazy IPA, has a label that features a blend of Mesoamerican glyphs, textiles and 3D geometry that Villegas calls “Neo-Mexika.”

On his Instagram page, Villegas describes himself as a first-generation Chicano.

“The Barrio Logan art scene is rooted in working-class Chicano culture,” Villegas shared in a statement. “It’s relentlessly resourceful and always the vanguard of new, exciting art forms. The art scene here has established artists as well as youth and up-and-coming folks. Venues and galleries come and go, but there is always a pulse of artists making sense of the world through the Barrio lens.”

The Portal Hazy IPA can was officially released on Saturday with Thorn Brewing Barrio Logan hosting a party to celebrate with food, live music and local vendors.

The first beer in the Shades of Haze series will become available throughout San Diego starting on Jan. 23, according to the brewery.