A new gig for The Roadies’ former head brewer

When deciding to join the business in 2024, one of the primary motivators for Perrecone was the location owners Diane and Sean Hilz had selected as their base of operations. The 5,300-square-foot space was the very same site where he had worked with former employers to launch sour-beer-focused operation Toolbox Brewing in 2014. Not only did he have intimate knowledge of the space, but he was eager to get back to it to build something new and exciting. It was a rare opportunity, and one which seemed meant to be for both Perrecone and the Hilzes.

It turned out to be a solid partnership. The quality of The Roadies’ beers was never in question. Despite having spent the bulk of his career specializing in barrel-aged beers, Perrecone was able to excel at producing fresh, clean ales and lagers spanning the style spectrum, bucking any opinions he might be something of a one-trick pony.

“I was sad to see The Roadies come to an end. I truly loved working there,” says Perrecone, who adds that the Hilzes will always be family to him. “They gave me the freedom to create new beers and tweak our core beers to make them better. It was nice to show everyone that I can make more than just barrel-aged stouts and sours.”

The experience Perrecone gained at The Roadies significantly enhanced his professional résumé, something that’s come in handy for him of late. Mere days after the business shuttered, Belching Beaver Brewery Brewmaster Troy Smith brought him on at the company’s Oceanside headquarters to help his team catch up with a backlog on their production schedule. It was Perrecone’s second tour of duty with the 14-year-old North County beer biz.

After parting ways with Toolborx Brewing’s ownership in 2016, Perrecone was hired by Belching Beaver owner Tom Vogel to establish a barrel-aging program for the company from its Pub980 location in Vista. Over time, his role expanded to include production brewing in Oceanside, making this another homecoming of sorts.

Perrecone said returning to Belching Beaver felt like “riding a bike,” but only a day or two into his tenure there, Kevin and Kyle Conover, the fraternal owners of TapRoom Beer Co. ‒ and friends of Perrecone’s since the seventh grade ‒ reached out to see if he would be interested in becoming their head brewer. The Conovers got into the industry in 2006 when opening what has grown into one of the county’s most venerable craft-beer bars, Pacific Beach’s SD TapRoom, and later joined the manufacturing ranks with the 2020 launch of North Park brewpub TRBC.

“Kevin and I bought our first homebrew system together when we were in our teens. We have discussed collaboration many times, but the timing never worked out until now,” says Perrecone. “They needed a new brewer as their current one just put in his two weeks’ notice. It was a hard choice for me, but after sleeping on it I had to go with my heart and go where I could continue to brew new beers.”

As TRBC’s head brewer, Perrecone will again have the freedom to write and realize his own recipes, while maintaining core beers that have been longtime staples for the business. He says he’s looking forward to the slower pace of a brewpub, as well as the increased opportunities for creativity that artisanal model provides. Additionally, there’s something special about working for people he’s called friends for more than 30 years. That familiarity will help temper one of the unfamiliar aspects of his new job.

“It’s going to be a little different, having spent my entire career in North County, but I love the beer scene in North Park,” says Perrecone. “I’m excited to participate in it and make some new friends.”

TapRoom Beer Co. is located at 2000 El Cajon Boulevard in North Park.