Koakai Brewing Company, a craft brewery with an Asian-inspired food program, is getting ready to open in Oceanside at 559 Greenbrier Drive, Suite B.
The company’s new location will open next to the owners’ existing business, Kyoto Japanese Market, according to San Diego Magazine. The brewery is owned by husband-and-wife team Mike Aubuchon and AJ Aubuchon, and is expected to debut in mid to late April 2026 after roughly two years of development. Customers can expect a mix of house-brewed beers alongside a food menu that blends Japanese, Hawaiian, and barbecue influences.
Mike Aubuchon brings more than a decade of experience in the craft beer industry, most notably from Pizza Port Carlsbad, where he worked his way up to head brewer and earned medals at the Great American Beer Festival in 2015, 2017, and 2020. He later helped launch brewing operations at Heritage BBQ & Beer Co., now known as Hill Street Brewing. AJ Aubuchon, originally from Kyoto, Japan, has worked in restaurants since her teenage years and later gained bartending experience and industry connections at Pizza Port after moving to Oceanside to attend MiraCosta College, with the pair developing Koakai as a project that reflects both of their backgrounds.
The brewery’s name carries personal meaning, with “Koakai” translating to “warrior for the sea” in Hawaiian and “a little red” in Japanese. The name references AJ’s maiden name, Kaiho, as well as Mike’s history as a surfboard shaper and their children.
Koakai’s initial beer lineup is expected to include a Japanese lager, German schwarzbier, West Coast IPA, hoppy pilsner, Mexican lager, and an extra pale ale. The food program will draw from both the brewery kitchen and Kyoto Japanese Market next door, offering items such as onigiri, bento boxes, sushi, and Japanese sandwiches, along with dishes like sticky ribs and yakitori-style chicken.
