San Diego is Brewing

Coronado Ferry to Coronado Brewing Company

I've really been enjoying the Coronado Brewing Company "Mermaid's Red Ale" which has been on tap at Whistlestop in South Park. Next to Karl Strauss "Red Trolley" it's my favorite San Diego Red Ale. Mermaid's Red Ale has a fresh, hoppy nose, kinda hinting towards a Pale Ale while retaining the nutty subleties of a Red Ale. It has just enough flavor and kick for those times when I'm in between a lager and an IPA. It's drinkable, pairs well with a variety of foods and is a perfect "before dinner warm up."

Which reminds me of a quick, easy and fun brewery tour that is free 'cept for the transpo and the beer of course. So easy in fact, I rate this tour a "Kramer" on the neurodiversity scale that runs from Lloyd Christmas to Einstein.

We're keepin' this simple, one brewery, Coronado Brewing Company. No, you're not gonna drive over the bridge cuz that's a pain. Just get yourself to the Broadway Pier at 1050 N. Harbor Drive 92101 or the marina behind the Convention Center at 600 Convention Way, 92101. Oh, I almost forgot, you're gonna take a ferry across San Diego Bay (http://www.flagshipsd.com/ferry-and-water-taxi/coronado-ferry). Check this out: 15 min boat ride, frequent departures (check schedule), see the bay, easy walk to brewery, only costs $8.50 round trip and it's loads of fun. 

For the Broadway Pier ferry, I suggest parking at the USS Midway lot at 910 Harbor Drive. It costs $7  bucks, is safe and an easy walk to terminal.  For the Convention Center Way terminal there is 3 hour metered parking nearby or park in the 5-Star Parking lot for $10 per day. For more parking info and directions go to http://www.flagshipsd.com/about-us/map-and-directions.

So, if everything goes well you'll ride the ferry across the bay and land in Coronado. Once there, it's so easy to get to the Coronado Brewing Company I'm almost embarrassed to give directions--but I will. Once off the boat, walk to end of pier, turn right onto walking path, walk to grassy park and turn left, walk through park to corner of First St. and Orange Ave., Cross First St. and walk on right side one block to Coronado Brewing Company located at 170 Orange Ave. 92118.

You're there! Now comes the fun part--beer. I could dazzle you with delightfully descriptive prose about the food and beer but I'm not, you're gonna have to experience it for yourself. Let's just say it's all good and leave it at that.

Taste, eat, enjoy the vibe and retrace your steps when you've had enough. Watch the time, the ferry doesn't run all night. Last departures just after 10 p.m. on weekends, earlier on weeknights.

A Cool Reason to Enjoy Great Beer

On Sunday, July 19th, Blind Lady Ale House will be hosting the Friends of Normal Heights Canyon Benefit. Friends of the NH Canyon are the awesome local folks who maintain the canyons of Normal Heights and restore messed up areas to their natural habitats. Stop by BLAH and learn how they are working to establish trail connections between Normal Heights, Mission Valley and Serra Mesa. BLAH will donate 15% of the sales for the day for their efforts. Also, they will host a native plant sale outside the restaurant from 12-6.

Blind Lady Ale House
3416 Adams Avenue
Normal Heights, Ca 92116

BLINDLADYALEHOUSE.COM

Cheap Beer

Everyone loves San Diego craft beer. But you know what makes it even better? Getting it cheap. We hunted down some deals for you beer lovers that will make beer drinking even more pleasurable.

On Sunday, the 30th, The Linkery is offering $2 Green Flash 30th Street Pale Ales. For those of you new to Green Flash and/or 30th Street Pale Ale, let me just say this is an awesome, easy-drinking, citrus-laced pale ale that hits the palate with tons of flavor and never looks back. This special is part of the “30th on 30th” monthly event where a bunch of pubs and restaurants on 30th Street have special offers making pub and restaurant crawling especially easy and rewarding. 5:30 pm to 9 pm at The Linkery.

Newport Pizza and Ale House has $3.50 happy hour pints and as their website says “No Crap on Tap” which means your happy hour pint will be an awesome craft beer—usually local. Last week was Firehouse IPA. Check their website for more details and location. http://obpizzashop.com/index.php/contact-us

All local drafts $1 off during 5-8 happy hour at Hamilton's on 30th Street. Hamilton's is now serving their release of  “Hamilton's Smooth Pub Ale” which they describe as “a recipe with the mindset of English Pub ales like Boddingtons, John Smith Smooth, Tetleys and sent Denno to Shipyard (Maine) and he helped brew this tasty Pub Ale. Our house English style Pub Ale uses a not so typical pub ale hop profile--Simcoe/Amarillo hop by design the result is a very smooth, highly drinkable ale with just a slight hint of citrus hop on the finish.” On Friday, the 28th, they are doing a “keep the glass night” where $5.50 gets you a pint pour of Hamilton's Smooth Pub Ale and a Hamilton's commemorative glass to take home along with $3.50 refills.

On Saturday the 29th, Blind Lady Ale House is offering $3.50 pint pours 'til 3:50 pm from a “mystery cask”. The cask may be a mystery, but anyone who knows BLAH knows this will be an awesome beer.

Enjoy the holiday weekend in San Diego.

John Rogers, San Diego is Brewing

San Diego—America's Great Beer Town

I'm learning that San Diego is not just a town with a bunch of great breweries. San Diego is a town with a great beer culture.

What's the difference you ask? Well, for starters, it seems like almost every weekend there is some kind of stellar event going on that features local craft beer. For example, last weekend was Karl Strauss' “Beach to Brewery” beer and music fest. 70 kegs of awesome beer from Karl Strauss, live music, a bike ride to the beach—just your average weekend in San Diego : ).

This coming weekend is the “Craft Beer Block at North Park Festival of the Arts” http://www.northparkfestivalofarts.com/north_park_festival_of_the_arts_craft_beer.html. Check that out and tell me you're not impressed.

And it's not just the local breweries that are featured either. San Diego breweries and pubs have such an affinity for great beer, that they often feature great brews from non-local breweries. The local attitude is: if it's good beer it shall be served. Kudos San Diego.

Seems like everywhere I go—pizza joints, restaurants, hotel bars, ball games etc. everyone is serving great local beer on tap. You're not just going to find local craft brew at the breweries, you will find it everywhere. Even the San Diego Zoo is now serving local craft beer. Their fine-food restaurant, “Albert's”, has an excellent selection of local beer in bottles. Several of the Zoo's eateries also have a tap or two. I bought a Stone Pale Ale on tap at the Sabertooth Grill last week.

And local grocery, convenience and liquor stores all seem to have at least a modest selection of local beers. Many have outstanding collections and are worth making a trip to when you're in town. Try South Bay Drugs in Imperial Beach. Joey, their beer expert, loves to talk beer and has assembled one of the best selections of craft beer ANYWHERE (http://sites.google.com/site/southbaydrugs/). Joey also ships beer which is legal to many states so if you're from out of town make your selection and he will ship to you.

San Diego has great breweries—yes. San Diego also has a culture that recognizes and promotes great beer. People here know and love their beer. So the next time you visit, keep your eyes and ears open because no matter where you go or what you do—chances are great beer will be waiting for you.

John Rogers
San Diego is Brewing

San Diego Brewers--Pat Korn--La Jolla Brew House

What inspires a person to brew beer?  Brewing great beer takes passion—and passion comes from extraordinary people.  We think San Diego breweries are extraordinary and so are their brewers.  So we'd like to introduce a few of them to you—starting with Pat Korn, head brewer at La Jolla Brew House (http://lajollabrewhouse.com).

Pat relocated to the San Diego area in the early 90’s from Napa, Ca.  While in Napa, Pat’s favorite beer was Anchor Steam.  After working in a winery for about a year in the Napa area, Pat found wineries to be a little boring for his liking, so he headed down to the San Diego area in 1991 to try a new line of work.

When Pat saw that Karl Strauss was recruiting people to work at their Kurtz Street facility (former brewing operations site), he thought it would be a good opportunity to give brewing beer a try.  After four months at Karl Strauss, Pat started brewing beer at several of their facilities.  Between 1993 and 2001, Pat worked at the old Kurtz Street facility, the current main brewing facility on Sante Fe Street and the Downtown brewery restaurant.  He also helped brew a few batches at the Karl Strauss' La Jolla brewery restaurant on occasion.

Pat left Karl Strauss and after a four-year hiatus from brewing, came to La Jolla Brew House to become their head brewer in 2005.  La Jolla Brew House, formerly known as Beach House Brewery, opened in 2003 and is currently celebrating their seventh anniversary.  Pat is currently the only brewer at La Jolla Brew House.

Over time, Pat’s favorite beer styles have changed.  California common/steam beers (lagers) as well as Amber Ales were Pat’s favorites when living in the Bay Area.  Nowadays, Pat prefers IPA’s, Imperial IPA’s, Belgian’s and Belgian Dark Ales.

Pat looks at brewing as an art that he developed on his own.  The near future at La Jolla Brew House will likely be Pale Ales, IPA’s. Amber Ales, etc.  Pat also envisions “indigenous style beers” that use locally grown hops and fruits in the brewing process.  And Pat’s “Dream Beer” would be a “Bacon Beer” that would somehow incorporate bacon or bacon flavorings.  If this beer ever comes to be, he thinks it would be a very popular style of beer, because as Pat says, “who doesn’t like bacon?”

Stop by La Jolla Brew House when you visit San Diego and say hello to Pat.  La Jolla Brew House is located in the village of La Jolla at 7536 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA 92037 or call them at 858-456-6279.

James Omlid
San Diego is Brewing

Sprinter to San Diego Breweries, Stone Brewing, Lost Abbey, Oceanside Ale Works, Backstreet Brewery, San Marcos Brewery

Ride the Sprinter to San Diego Breweries

Interested in visiting some of north San Diego County's breweries? The North County Transit District’s “Sprinter” commuter train may be the answer to your transportation needs.  There are eight breweries located along Sprinter's Highway 78 corridor route (Oceanside to Escondido).   San Diego is Brewing will be focusing on a tour of five of those breweries—each located within a short to moderate walk from a Sprinter station.

The Sprinter is a sleek, quiet train that travels the 22-mile route in approximately 50 minutes.  For more information about the Sprinter, visit their website (link provided at the end of this article).  At their website, you will be able to view maps, schedules and other important information about riding the Sprinter.

If you start at the west end (Oceanside Transit Center) of the route and travel east, the first brewery that is on today’s tour is Oceanside Ale Works.  Get off the Sprinter at the Rancho del Oro Transit Center.  Upon disembarking at the Rancho del Oro Transit Center, it is approximately a seven tenths (0.7) of a mile walk east to the Oceanside Ale Works.

After your visit to Oceanside Ale Works, return to the Rancho del Oro Transit Center.  Board the Sprinter and head east to visit the tour’s next brewery stop - Backstreet Brewery.  Exit the train at the Vista Transit Center.  From the Vista Transit Center, it is a short ¼ mile walk south to the Backstreet Brewery. Backstreet Brewery is part of Lamppost Pizza, where the menu focuses on their signature pizzas, as well as pasta, sandwiches and appetizers.  When you are ready to experience the next brewery, head back to the Vista Transit Center and proceed eastbound.

The third stop on today’s tour will take you to San Marcos Brewery.  To visit the San Marcos Brewery, disembark at the Palomar College Transit Center.  From this station, it is about 1-1/3 miles southwest to the San Marcos Brewery. You will cross under Highway 78 on your way to San Marcos Brewery.  San Marcos Brewery also has extensive lunch, appetizer, happy hour and dinner menus. When you are ready to continue the tour eastward, return to the Palomar College Transit Center and head eastbound to the next station.

The Lost Abbey is the fourth stop on today’s tour.  To get to Lost Abbey, exit the train at the San Marcos Civic Center.  From this station, walk about one mile east and you will arrive at the Lost Abbey.  Return to the San Marcos Civic Center and continue eastbound for one last stop.

The final stop on today’s tour is Stone Brewing Company.  To access Stone Brewing Company, disembark at the Nordahl Road Transit Center and trek south a little over a mile from the station.  It is a bit of an uphill trek, but well worth it – especially if you have never visited this brewery.  Besides the beautiful outdoor landscaping, koi ponds and fire breathing stones, Stone has a very unique and diverse food menu.

Keep in mind that if you intend to ride the Sprinter back west to Oceanside, the last train of the evening leaves the Nordahl Road Transit Center around 7:30 pm, so plan accordingly!  Depending on your activity level (and how much you imbibe throughout this day), it will likely take you 20-30 minutes for the downhill walk back to the train station from Stone Brewing. 

Even though five breweries are spotlighted on today’s tour, it doesn’t mean that you need to visit all five in one day.  Keep in mind that the last train leaves the east end (in Escondido) around 7:30 pm.  It would probably take an early start and rather short stays at each brewery if you were to attempt visiting all five breweries in one day.  At most, my suggestion is to try two or three tastings in one day.  You may then enjoy the other breweries on a different day.  Whatever you decide, the Sprinter is a great way to leave the driving to someone else so that you can really enjoy your time experiencing some of the San Diego area’s finest breweries!

Article by James Omlid, San Diego is Brewing

Additional information:

Sprinter info:  www.gonctd.com/sprinter_intro.htm
Oceanside Ale Works:  www.oceansidealeworks.com
Backstreet Brewery:  www.lamppost-backstreet.com/Backstreet_Brewery.html
San Marcos Brewery & Grill:  www.sanmarcosbrewery.com
The Lost Abbey:  www.lostabbey.com
Stone Brewing Co:  www.stonebrew.com

San Diego Area Breweries Reap Numerous Awards at the World Beer Cup 2010!

The San Diego area scored numerous awards at this year’s bi-annual World Beer Cup! This event, sponsored by The Brewers Association, was created to promote greater consumer awareness about the quality and diversity of various beers around the world. It also strives to promote worldwide responsible consumption of beer. Registration for this year’s prestigious event started in October of 2009. Entries were to be received in Denver, CO between February 22 and February 26, 2010. The judging took place in Chicago on April 6-7 and the winners were announced at the World Beer Cup Gala Awards Dinner in Chicago on April 10, 2010.

The San Diego county breweries that garnered awards included:

Champion Brewer and Brewmaster, Small Brewing Company (15,000 barrels or less per year) – Ballast Point Brewing Co.

“Other Strong Beer” category
Silver Medal: Green Flash Stout, Green Flash Brewing Co.

“Traditionally Brewed Beer” category
 Gold Medal: Fathom IPL, Ballast Point Brewing Co.
 Silver Medal: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co.

“Wood- and Barrel-Aged” category
 Gold Medal: Bourbon Barrel Aged Piper Down Scottish Ale, Ballast Point Brewing Co.

“German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock” category
 Gold Medal: Broken Skeg, Breakwater Brewing Co.

“Baltic-Style Porter” category
 Bronze Medal: Token, Alpine Beer Co.

“Belgian-Style Flanders/Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale” category
 Silver Medal: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey

“Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale” category
 Silver Medal: Revelations, Pizza Port Carlsbad

“English-Style Brown Ale” category
 Silver Medal: Longboard Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery (La Jolla)

“Scotch Ale” category
 Gold Medal: AleSmith Wee Heavy, AleSmith Brewing Co.
 Bronze Medal: Reed’s Wee Heavy, Pizza Port Carlsbad

“South German-Style Weizenbock/Weissbock” category
 Bronze Medal: AleSmith Decadence 2009, AleSmith Brewing Co.

“Irish-Style Red Ale” category
 Gold Medal: Red Trolley Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing Co.
 Bronze Medal: Ragtop Red, Rock Bottom Brewery (La Jolla)

“Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout” category
 Silver Medal: Port Truck Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad

“American-Style Strong Pale Ale” category
 Gold Medal: O’Brien’s IPA, Alpine Beer Co.

“American-Style India Pale Ale” category
 Bronze Medal: Duet, Alpine Beer Co.

“American-Style Amber/Red Ale” category
 Gold Medal: Rudolph’s Red, Rock Bottom Brewery (La Jolla)

“Imperial Red Ale” category
 Bronze Medal: Shark Attack, Pizza Port Solana Beach

“American-Style Stout” category
 Gold Medal: Black Magic Stout, Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Co.
 Silver Medal: Sticky Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad

“International Pale Ale” category
 Gold Medal: Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Co.

So not only does San Diego County have the top brewer award for Small Brewing Company (Ballast Point Brewing Co.), they collected nine gold medals, seven silver medals and six bronze medals! Not bad considering that there were participants from 47 states and 44 countries! It’s no wonder that the San Diego area is fast becoming one of the premier brewing capitals, not only of the United States, but of the world!

James Omlid, San Diego is Brewing

San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Next Wednesday, St. Patrick’s Day, is one of the largest celebrations in the country that traditionally seems to encourage the knocking back of a brew or two.  Although San Diego is quite a Blarney Stone’s throw from Dublin, there are ample opportunities to enjoy part of the festivities right here in San Diego County.  Even though the United States doesn’t observe St. Patrick’s Day as a national holiday, it doesn’t mean that you can’t join in by “wearing the green.”  Regardless of whether or not you are Irish or wearing green, there are several taverns and breweries featuring St. Patrick’s Day specials that are sure to encourage merriment.  
 

Blind Lady Ale House will open at noon and is expecting to roll out a cask-conditioned keg of AleSmith’s Speedway Stout.  For further information, call them at (619) 255-2491 or visit their website shown below.

The SD TapRoom, located in Pacific Beach, will also have a cask on tap for a salute to this special day.  They will be tapping a keg of Lightning Old Tempest Ale at 4 pm.  Old Tempest is a strong “winter warmer” and is brewed in the tradition of old ales.  English malts, strains of aroma hops, as well as a house strain of British ale yeast are used to achieve this traditional brew.  Call them at 858-274-1010 or check out their website shown below.

If you are looking for a more authentic Irish flavor, you may want to seek out Hamilton’s Tavern.  They will highlight a special corned beef sandwich served on Irish soda bread.  Also featured will be sides of Bailey’s mashed potatoes, colcannon (a traditional Irish dish made from mashed potatoes, kale or cabbage, butter, salt and pepper) and Irish cheese…not to mention $3.50 pints of Guinness all day and all of the night.  You may reach Hamilton’s at (619) 238-5460 or for additional details, view their website shown below.

Further east, in the town of El Cajon, is the Main Tap Tavern.  The Main Tap will feature a keg of cask-conditioned Pure Hoppiness from Alpine Beer Company at 5 pm.  They will also offer $5 car bombs made from Murphy’s Irish stout (on nitro), a shot of Bailey’s Irish cream, topped off with a floater of Jameson Irish whiskey.  After a few of those, one may think about starting an Irish civil war!  For information, contact the Main Tap at 619-749-6333 or check out their website, shown at the end of this article.

Now our focus on events turns to the brewpubs.  The Brewhouse at Eastlake will also have a noticeably Irish theme.  Besides Happy Hour prices all day (and wouldn’t that charm the heck out of anyone?), they will be offering Green House Beer, Rolling Hills Irish Red and Otay Lakes Oatmeal Stout as a companion to their homemade corned beef and traditional fish and chips dinners.  And to really put you in the spirit, authentic Irish tunes will be playing throughout the day and night!  Phone: 619-656-BREW (2739); website shown below.

La Jolla Brew House also gets in on the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, offering green beer, Guinness black-and-tans, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Lucky Charms beads and a Blarney Stone to kiss (hey, did someone muster up the strength to move that from Ireland to San Diego?).  They will also be featuring Irish music, and of course, corned beef.  Need more info?  Just call them at 858-456-6279.  Alternatively, check out their website shown below.

So get out your favorite green clothes, place a shamrock on your hat, and drop by one or two (or more, if you are REAL lucky) of these festivities that will sure to put a twinkle in your eye and bring you luck throughout the rest of the week!

Blind Lady Ale House:  www.blindladyalehouse.com
SD TapRoom:  www.sdtaproom.com
Hamilton’s Tavern:  www.hamiltonstavern.com
The Main Tap Tavern:  www.maintaptavern.com 
The Brewhouse at Eastlake:  www.brewhouseeastlake.com
La Jolla Brewhouse:  www.lajollabrewhouse.com
San Diego Brewing:  www.sandiegobrewing.com

Ride “The Coaster” to Pizza Port in Solana Beach

This week we are featuring an easy and convenient public transportation option to safely visit one of San Diego favorite craft breweries—Pizza Port!  All aboard “The Coaster” to the beachside city of Solana Beach!

The Coaster is a sleek passenger train that travels between downtown San Diego’s Santa Fe Depot and the coastal city of Oceanside.  Parking is available at all eight train stations along this route.  Eleven trains make the hour-long trip on weekdays and four trains run on Saturday.  For information about The Coaster, check out their website shown below.  Pay special attention to the schedules as the last train departs around the dinner hour on weekdays and approximately an hour earlier on Saturdays.

If you board The Coaster at the downtown San Diego station (Santa Fe Depot), it is a 35-minute scenic train ride to the Solana Beach station.  Once you disembark at the Solana Beach station, Pizza Port Solana Beach is located just to the west, across Coast Highway.  You can’t get more convenient than that!  Pizza Port has a great selection of beers on tap (check out their website below for their beer list!) as well as tasty morsels such as salads, spicy chicken wings, cheese sticks, portzels (giant handmade pretzels made from wholegrain beer crust topped with pizza toppings!) and of course, their signature pizzas.  Mmm, I’m getting hungry (and thirsty) just thinking about it!

While in Solana Beach, you may want to visit the art and home deco shops at the Cedros Avenue Design District.  This two and one half block district contains more than 85 shops and is located across the street from the Coaster station.  To reach the Cedros District from the Coaster station, walk south and cross Lomas Santa Fe Drive.  And of course, there’s always the beach!  The beach can be accessed by walking west along Lomas Santa Fe Drive, which becomes Plaza Street after crossing Coast Highway.

What a great way to enjoy the southern California coastline--a scenic train ride, a stroll down Cedros Avenue Design District, a walk on the beach topped off with world-class craft beer and California-style cooking at Pizza Port in Solana Beach! 

James Omlid, San Diego is Brewing

The Coaster: http://gonctd.com/coaster_intro.htm
Pizza Port, Solana Beach: http://www.pizzaport.com/solana.htm
Cedros Avenue Design District:  http://www.cedrosdesigndistrict.net/

San Diego Trolley and San Diego Breweries

Using The San Diego Trolley to Visit Local Breweries: Part One

The first part of this series will show travelers staying in downtown, Old Town, Mission Valley, the Gaslamp District or in hotels near the Convention Center how to use the San Diego Trolley to visit several local breweries.

From your location downtown/Gaslamp/Convention Center take any Orange Line or Blue Line train to the Old Town Transit Center. At the Old Town Transit Center, transfer to the Green Line and ride north and east to Mission Valley. For Mission Valley visitors we suggest beginning at the Morena/Linda Vista Green Line station that is a short drive from many Mission Valley hotels.

This unique trip will take you within short walks of four fabulous San Diego breweries.  As you disembark from the Old  Town Transit Center, the first brewery you will approach is Ballast Point Brewing Linda Vista.  This “first” Ballast Point Brewing location is also known as the Home Brew Mart.  After a short three-minute ride on the Green Line, you’ll want to get off at the first station – Morena/Linda Vista.  Ballast Point Brewing Linda Vista is located approximately 1/3 mile north of the station (see map)—a very easy and safe walk. To learn more about Ballast Point Brewing check out their website at: www.ballastpoint.com or call them at: (619) 295-2337 (BEER).  Their tasting counter is open from 11-7, Monday-Saturday.

After enjoying some tasting at Ballast Point, you may now return to the Morena/Linda Vista station and continue east on the Green Line.  The next brewery, or in this case “brew pub”, is Gordon Biersch.  This brewery/restaurant group operates roughly forty restaurants in sixteen states and Washington D.C.  They also bottle beer for Trader Joe’s at their San Jose facility.  To get to this Gordon Biersch brewery take the Green Line to either the Hazard Center (second stop after the Morena/Linda Vista station) or Mission Valley Center trolley station (3rd stop).  You’ll arrive at these stops within five or seven minutes respectively.  Gordon Biersch is located approximately ½ mile south (see map) of either station.  For more information about Gordon Biersch, visit their website: http://www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants/index.php?pg=location&sub=loc&location_id=17 . You may also contact them via telephone at: (619) 688-1120.  Gordon Biersch is open until 1 am on Sun-Thurs and until 2 am on Fri and Sat.

If you are ready to continue east on your trip, return to the trolley station of your choice (Hazard Center or Mission Valley Center).  The next stop you may wish to make will be for Oggi’s Pizza and Brewing Company Mission Valley.  You’ll only need to ride the Green Trolley a short distance to reach the Fenton Parkway station stop – your disembarking location for the ¼ mile jaunt (see map) northwest to Oggi’s.  Contact info for Oggi’s - website: http://www.oggis.com/Locations/SanDiego.htm; phone: (619) 640-1072.

Returning to the Fenton Parkway trolley station, you are now able to access the fourth and final stop on this trolley trip, The Firehouse Brewing Co., which is located 1/3 mile north of the Mission San Diego trolley station (see map).  This station is the 2nd station after Fenton Parkway and is reached in just three minutes.  If you choose to visit all four of these breweries/brewpubs in one day, you may wish to make this your second stop of the day as they close early (7 pm, daily).  Then stop for a visit/dinner at Oggi’s and/or Gordon Biersch on the return trip.  Further information about the Firehouse Brewing Co. can be gathered at their website: www.firehousebrew.com, or by calling (805) 605-1416.

As you will see, the trolley is a great way to visit several excellent San Diego Breweries that feature some of San Diego’s select brews.  It’s only a 30 minute ride from downtown (Santa Fe Depot) to the Mission San Diego trolley station.  You will also have the opportunity to enjoy several short strolls totaling approximately three miles. These walks will offer you the opportunity to get to know San Diego from a different perspective. It will contribute to ridding yourself of some of those extra calories acquired after indulging in some superb food and drink treats!

To return to your point of origin Trolley station you’ll want to take the Green Line trolley to Old Town then switch to the Blue Line for the return.  Keep in mind that the last ride from Old Town is at 12:15 am so you’ll want to arrive at the Old Town station in time for that last trolley. For more information about the trolley, visit their website: http://www.sdmts.com/trolley/Trolley.asp or call: (619) 595-4949.

James Omlid and Lee Corbett, San Diego is Brewing

Blind Lady Ale House to help support “A Reason to Survive” fundraiser

This Sunday, February 21st, Blind Lady Ale House, aka: BLAH, will be a major contributor to a very worthy cause - “A Reason to Survive.”  ARTS, a non-profit organization that benefits children between the ages of 3-18, helps less fortunate children who face many of life’s challenges.  These children face such difficulties as homelessness, domestic violence, chronic illness, and/or severe physical, mental, emotional and behavioral disabilities. BLAH will donate 15% of their sales during their normal Sunday hours of operation: 11:30 am – midnight.  BLAH is located at 3416 Adams Avenue in Normal Heights.  For more information about BLAH, contact them at (619) 255-2491, or visit their website: www.blindladyalehouse.com

ARTS has a growing staff and dedicated volunteers who help these challenged children.  This noble cause is run by individuals who understand the power of the arts to heal, inspire and empower people.  Various forms of visual, performing and literary arts are offered at the Pat D’Arrigo ARTS Center, in Pt. Loma.  This 7000 square foot facility has been home for ARTS since 2007, providing a performing arts space as well as studios for painting, mixed media and ceramics.  For more information about the ARTS program, visit their website at: http://www.artsurvive.org/mission.php.  In addition, the facility will lease available space for meetings, events, birthday parties, workshops and classes.  For information about renting space, contact Carolyn Smyth at (619) 297-ARTS, x. 2003. 

So come on down to Blind Lady Ale House to enjoy a pint or two of your favorite beer along with some tasty food treats.  Kids are welcome, so make it a family event that will help teach everyone in your group the importance of helping those who may face difficult challenges in life.

Coronado Ferry to Coronado Brewing Company

Looking for an easy and safe way to visit popular San Diego breweries?  Here’s an option that may be perfect for you! Let the San Diego Harbor Excursion ferry you within walking distance to three premier brewpubs near downtown San Diego! 

Often referred to as the Coronado Ferry, this scenic and inexpensive alternative to driving will transport beer-lovers across San Diego Bay. One-way tickets are only $3.50 and children under 3 ride for free.  Tickets are available at the Broadway Pier, 5th Avenue Landing, and the Coronado Ferry Landing. For more information about San Diego Harbor Excursions call (619) 234-4111 or call toll-free at 800-44-CRUISE (27847) or visit their website at: http://www.sdhe.com/san-diego-bay-ferry.html

If you’re traveling to the Coronado side of San Diego Harbor, it is a short 3-block walk from the Coronado Ferry Landing to the Coronado Brewing Company.  Coronado Brewing Company is a wonderful brewery and restaurant that has a varied, delicious menu and a huge selection of  beers brewed right at the facility. For more information on what’s on tap or to check menu specials and times of operation contact the Coronado Brewing Company at (619) 437-4452 or visit their website: http://www.coronadobrewingcompany.com/

Back on the mainland side, you can access two full-service restaurants and breweries via the Ferry: Karl Strauss Brewing Company (Downtown location) and Rock Bottom Brewery (Gaslamp District).  The Karl Strauss Brewing Company is a short, 3-block stroll from the Broadway Pier.  For more information about the Karl Strauss Brewing Co. call (619) 234-2739 or visit their website: http://www.karlstrauss.com/. 

Rock Bottom Brewery, a well-known chain operating in 15 states and has a location in the Gaslamp District.  This brewpub/restaurant is located roughly 5 blocks from the 5th Avenue Landing (Convention Center) and offers American-style cuisine such as pizza, burgers, steaks, and salads. In addition, the Gaslamp Rock Bottom Brewery has their own unique beer offerings. Further information is available by calling (619) 231-7000 or visiting their local website: http://www.rockbottom.com/san-diego.

Take in the beautiful San Diego skyline on a scenic harbor cruise; breathe the fresh sea air; relax and don’t worry about driving and parking!  The Coronado Ferry is great way to enjoy quality, hand-crafted beer at these popular San Diego breweries.

James Omlid
San Diego is Brewing

 

San Diego Craft Beer Valentine’s Day Weekend

Blind Lady Ale House will feature food specials this Valentine’s Day weekend!  

In their own unique style—Blind Lady Ale House on Adams Ave. will be preparing, by hand, oysters, lobster and in their words “lip-staining beets.”  Also expect to see some delicious desserts prepared by Rachel.  To complement their culinary treats, Blind Lady will be serving AleSmith’s “My Bloody Valentine”.  This seasonal “blood-red” hoppy beer weighing-in with a tantalizing 6.66% alcohol content will be offered in AleSmith flights from both keg and cask.  Other AleSmith  flight selections will include “Lil Devil”, “Speedway Stout”, “AleSmith X”, “Nautical Brown” and on Sunday, “Decadence ’09!”  And speaking of Sunday additions, Russian River’s “Pliny the Younger”, a remarkable Imperial India Pale Ale from Santa Rosa, CA will be tapped at 9 pm on Sunday the 14th

Blind Lady Ale House
3416 Adams Ave.
San Diego, CA 92116
619-255-2491

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AleSmith Appearances this Valentine’s Weekend:

Hamilton’s Tavern will be celebrating with not one but two AleSmith brews on cask; “My Bloody Valentine” and “AleSmith IPA!”  Also on regular CO2 taps from AleSmith will be: “Barrel Aged Speedway Stout”, “Decadence ’09” (a Dunkel Weizenbock), “AleSmith IPA”, “My Bloody Valentine”, “Speedway Stout”, “Horny Devil”, “Lil Devil”, “Grand Cru”, “Wee Heavy”, “AleSmith X”, “Anvil ESB”, “Old Numbskull”, and “Nautical NutBrown.”  Wow!  Along with AleSmith beers, Hamilton’s will have a complimentary BBQ on Saturday featuring an assortment of foods infused with AleSmith beers.  They will also have live music by Jon Kanis.   In addition, Hamilton’s will have their regular happy hour from 5-8 pm daily including $1 off all local San Diego area draft beer as well as free billiards on Sunday.

Ritual Tavern will offer an AleSmith pairing dinner with two seatings – 5 pm and 8 pm – on Valentine’s Day.  These four-course dinners will be paired with AleSmith beers including cask-conditioned “My Bloody Valentine.”  Cost for either seating is $50/person and reservations are required.

San Diego Brewing Company will also feature an AleSmith Valentine’s Day dinner pairing.  Six courses paired with six excellent AleSmith brews will be available for those who reserve the 6 pm dinner.  The cost is $50/person and once again, reservations are required.  And yes, “My Bloody Valentine” on cask will be one of the beer pairings!

The Taproom will also be offering AleSmith’s “My Bloody Valentine” on cask for Saturday the 13th along with food pairings.

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Stone Brewing Company will be hosting a “Weekend of Romance”

Starting Friday with AleSmith’s “My Bloody Valentine” (seems to be a trend here!), Stone will be concocting delicious dinner delectable’s including desserts crafted by Chef Andrew.  Also at Stone, live harp music, a perfect way to swoon your sweetheart, will be played from 5-8 pm on Sunday only!

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Pizza Port Carlsbad will be hosting a first ever “Brewbies Festival”

This festival will take place at the Pizza Port Beer Gardens on Saturday the 13th from noon until dark and will showcase 20 handcrafted beers from local breweries including a special Pizza Port Pink beer!  A $20 donation will benefit the Keep a Breast Foundation and includes a custom Brewbies Pint Glass, four 6-oz. tasters and a raffle ticket.  Additional tasters and raffle tickets are available for a small purchase.

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Next Week…The next “DrinkAbout” is scheduled next Wednesday, February 17th.  Four hours of free transportation, thanks to Brewery Tours of San Diego, will run from 7-11 pm, and will include stops at Blind Lady Ale House, Small Bar, Live Wire, Toronado, Sea Rocket, The Station, Hamilton’s and Ritual Tavern.  This is a great way to get around to some of San Diego’s most popular taverns without having to worry about driving or parking!  Come down and give DrinkAbout a try – it’s a great way to have dinner, some drinks, and socialize.

For more info on DrinkAbout go to http://sddrinkabout.blogspot.com/

_______________________________________________________

James Omlid
San Diego is Brewing

San Diego Pale Ales, India Pale Ale's, Double IPA's

San Diego Pale Ales & IPA’s Earn “A” Grades!

People who know beer give San Diego Pale Ales, IPA’s and Double IPA’s “A” grades.  Beer Advocate (www.beeradvocate.com) has reviews contributed by thousands of beer lovers who have logged on to their website and rated beers because—well because they just love beer!

San Diego is Brewing has compiled the following list of San Diego Pale Ales, India Pale Ales and Double India Pale Ales that were graded "A" by Beer Advocate reviewers.  The list shows the name of the beer, the brewery name, the alcohol by volume percentage (ABV%) and number of reviews for that beer.  Thank you Beer Advocate and Beer Advocate users for again recognizing that San Diego is brewing some of the best beer in the world! (Results as of January 2010 and courtesy of Beer Advocate)

San Diego Pale Ales:
•    Tuatara,  Alpine Beer Co. 4.20% ABV, 9 reviews
•    30th Street Pale Ale,  Green Flash Brewing Co. ??% ABV,
  9 reviews
•    (Honorable Mention) – Stone Pale Ale,  Stone Brewing Co. 5.40% ABV,
628 reviews (hard to believe, but this was rated a “B+” by BeerAdvocate.
Like Stone IPA, I think that this is a yard stick for southern California Pale Ales.)

San Diego India Pale Ales:
•    AleSmith IPA,  AleSmith Brewing Co. 7.25% ABV, 656 reviews
•    Duet IPA, Alpine Beer Co. 6.75% ABV, 114 reviews
(has a wonderful, floral nose!)
•    Nelson IPA, Alpine Beer Co. 7.10% ABV, 109 reviews
•    O’Brien’s IPA, Alpine Beer Co. 6.20% ABV, 22 reviews
•    Big Eye IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Co. 7.00% ABV, 444 reviews
•    Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Co. 7.00% ABV, 470 reviews
(a favorite!)
•    Green Flash West Coast IPA, Green Flash Brewing Co. 7.00% ABV,
743 reviews (one of my favorites from San Diego County!)
•    Black Lie 7th Anniversary Liar’s Club Dark IPA,
Pizza Port Brewing Co. 8.00% ABV, 15 reviews
(an uncharacteristically dark IPA with a lighter colored head)
•    High Tide Fresh Hop IPA, Pizza Port Brewing Co. 6.50% ABV,
286 reviews
•    Wipeout IPA, Pizza Port Brewing Co. 7.00% ABV, 388 reviews
•    Hopnotic, San Diego Brewing Co. 7.50% ABV, 9 reviews
(a favorite, from this strip-mall style brewery)
•    Stone IPA, Stone Brewing Co. 6.90% ABV, 1896 reviews
(this flagship from Stone is often a benchmark for all other IPA’s)

San Diego Double India Pale Ales:
•    YuleSmith (summer release), AleSmith Brewing Co.  8.80% ABV,
688 reviews
•    Exponential Hoppiness, Alpine Beer Co. 10.50% ABV, 115 reviews
•    Pure Hoppiness, Alpine Beer Co. 8.00% ABV, 308 reviews 
(a personal favorite!)
•    Dorado Double IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Co. 9.60% ABV,
288 reviews
•    Green Flash Imperial IPA, Green Flash Brewing Co. 9.00% ABV,
509 reviews (another personal favorite!)
•    Big Barrel Double IPA, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. 9.00% ABV,
14 reviews
•    Hop 15, Pizza Port Brewing Co. 10.00% ABV, 518 reviews
(another personal favorite, using 15 varieties of hops!)
•    Hop Suey, Pizza Port Brewing Co. 9.00% ABV, 21 reviews
•    Poor Man’s Double IPA, Pizza Port Brewing Co. 9.00% ABV,
26 reviews
•    Stone Ruination IPA, Stone Brewing Co. 7.70% ABV, 1885 reviews

Beer Advocate lists 73 categories of ales, 27 categories of lagers, and 3 “hybrid” styles of beer!  If you are so inclined, find out more about their plethora of beers by checking out the “Beer Styles” under the “Education” category on the left column of the homepage at www.beeradvocate.com. It’s quite educational!
 
James Omlid
San Diego is Brewing

San Diego Brew News

"San Diego Drink About"--This Wednesday, January 20th

After a successful launch last month, the San Diego Drink About will now continue each month. Two buses from Brewery Tours of San Diego will cruise a loop through Normal Heights, North Park, South Park and beyond, stopping repeatedly at eight different craft-beer bars and restaurants. The purpose of the Drink About is to enjoy great craft-beer without the concern of driving.

Everyone is invited to hop on and hop off wherever and whenever they choose starting at about 7pm. And the best thing about Drink About: it’s absolutely free of charge.  

Included stops will be Blind Lady Alehouse, Small Bar, Livewire, Toronado, Sea Rocket, The Station, Hamilton's, & Ritual Tavern. Residents of Normal Heights may choose to start at Blind Lady and then board the bus as it heads west and south through Normal Heights and North Park. Residents of South Park may prefer starting at Hamilton’s and boarding the bus as it heads north.

Check out Drinkabout on Facebook for details and bus schedules!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/DRINKABOUT/230138975798?v=app_2373072738

Ballast Point
The Beer Advocate “American Porter” Category is now topped by none other than
Ballast Point’s Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter. See the results for yourself at http://beeradvocate.com/top_beers?style=159 . Congratulations to Ballast Point!

Blind Lady Ale House
Blind Lady Ale House’s 1-year Anniversary is the last week of January. They are celebrating with amazing beers, delicious food, glassware events, a brewer's dinner and more. They are planning a week long party January 25-30 so mark your calendar.

O’Brien’s Pub
January marks the 16th Anniversary of O'Brien's Pub. On Friday the 15th, O’Brien’s will host a 15 beer Alpine Beer Company Extravaganza.  They will feature 15 different beers from Alpine to include Pure Hoppiness, Nelson, Duet, Exponential Hoppiness, O'Brien's IPA, Captain Stout, Good, Great and the new Imperial Porter. The Good will be on cask along with either the Imperial Porter or Duet (both be on tap as well) for a total of 15 different beers on the 15th and 16 total Alpine handles for their 16th Anniversary!  All of the beers will be on tap by 5 pm, most much earlier.  

AleSmith
AleSmith announces Decadence 2009 --Dunkel Weizenbock. In 2005, AleSmith first brewed Decadence® Anniversary Ale to celebrate their first decade in business. AleSmith releases Decadence every year, each edition showcasing a different style of beer. This year’s Dunkel Weizenbock debuted in December at Toronado San Diego. AleSmith plans to release Decadence 2009 for bottled distribution this month. The Alesmith brewery will have a limited amount of Decadence available on draft for tasting and growler fills.

AleSmith describes Decadence® 2009 as “a dark German-style Weizenbock weighing in at 9% abv.  A complex blend of dark fruit flavors is deliciously balanced by a yeast-derived spiciness, making this traditional Bavarian style a perfect fit with the other high-octane, fine crafted brews of Decadence years past.”   

Alpine Beer Company

Tucked away on a back road in a peaceful rural setting in east San Diego County sits a small brewery that brews big beer—in fact, some of the best “big beer” around these days—Alpine Beer Company.

I picked a sunny, quiet weekday to visit this small brewery and decided a moderate hike beforehand would make the beer taste extra good—a little reward after time on the trail.  

So myself and a good friend headed east--to San Diego County’s rugged and beautiful backcountry. Our destination was Pine Valley, the starting point of Noble Canyon—a favorite hiking and mountain biking destination.

Pine Valley is an easy 45 minute drive from San Diego and lies about 17 miles beyond Alpine, where Alpine Beer Company is located, making an easy stop on the return trip.

From San Diego, take Highway 8 east about 45 miles to the Pine Valley Road exit. Turn left and cross under the freeway and drive about a quarter mile to a “T” intersection which is Old Highway 80. Turn left on Old Highway 80 and drive about 3 miles to Pine Creek Road and turn right. Drive on Pine Creek Road about 4 miles and look for a sign to the Lower Noble Canyon Trailhead Parking area which will be on your right. Drive about a half mile on the entrance road and find a shady parking spot and gather your essentials for the hike. There are restrooms in the parking lot. 

The “Lower Trailhead” begins on the east side of the parking area. The trail quickly ascends a sandy and somewhat rocky hillside, twisting through tall stands of chaparral. Look for White Sage on the left side of the trail and pick a few leaves, crush them and enjoy the fragrance. The trails tops out after a mile or so on a small ridge offering views of the Laguna Mountains to the east and Pine Valley to the west. The trail now gently descends through more brush into oak woodland.

After descending for about a mile the trail levels out and soon intersects Noble Canyon. Hike up the canyon as far as you like, but remember: you will be retracing your steps on the way back and the trail gains a total of 1600’ if you hike the full length.

Noble Canyon is a wooded riparian zone with Oak, Sycamore and Pine trees along with plentiful wildflowers April through Summer. Along with hiking, Noble Canyon is also a very popular mountain biking and equestrian trail.

After a vigorous hike through beautiful mountain scenery—my friend and I were ready for our reward—tasting beer at Alpine Beer Company. We retraced our drive and jumped on Highway 8 west and drove about 17 miles to Alpine. We took the Tavern Road exit and turned left, crossed the freeway and drove about a half mile to Alpine Blvd and turned left again. Alpine Beer Company is located on the right side of the road at 2351 Alpine Blvd. in a very small retail complex—don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

With a good friend accompanying me on the hike—a duet of sorts—it seemed fitting that the first beer to taste was Alpine’s “Duet” IPA. I’m not one for the “beerspeak” that floats around these days, but I will say this: Duet stands out among the crowd of IPA’s that seems to grow by the day. One sip of Duet and you know it’s something special. There are complex but familiar notes of pine, citrus and spices—none dominant or overpowering (there I did it--beerspeak). The hops are notable and strong—but seem to dance with this brew rather than lead in an overpowering way. The flavors splash your tongue and immediately send a signal to the brain requesting more.

After Duet we tasted Exponential Hoppiness—a triple IPA with a complexity and strength that will  have hop lovers screaming for more. Next was Nelson, a golden rye IPA that distinguishes itself from the more familiar west coast IPA’s—offering a subtle variation hop lovers will appreciate. To settle my taste buds, I ended with the Mandarin Nectar, an orangey, spicy, honey ale whose flavorful sweetness would pair well with dessert.

After tasting we filled a growler with Duet IPA and purchased a 22oz. bomber of Exponential Hoppiness. We departed planning our next hike and tasting session at Alpine Beer Company. 

Alpine Beer Company is open for tasting, growler fills and bottle purchases noon to 6 pm, Tuesday thru Saturday. For tasting you can order 4, 4 oz. glasses from the extensive tap menu.    

John Rogers, San Diego is Brewing

Alpine Beer Company
2351 Alpine Blvd.
Alpine, CA 91901
619-445-2337 (BEER)
www.alpinebeerco.com

Noble Canyon Trail Info: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland/recreation/trails/nobelcanyon.shtml

Noble Canyon Trail Map:
http://www.mountainbikebill.com/images/Trails/NobleLaguna/NobleCanyonMap.JPG

San Diego is Brewing on New Year’s Eve

Wondering what to do tomorrow night? Here are a few ideas to get your plans brewing for New Year’s Eve in San Diego.

Blind Lady Ale House
Blind Lady Ale House will be open until 1 am and feature  many holiday beers, most of which will be gone in the new year. Dupont Avec Les Bon Voeux, Craftsman Holiday Ale, Sierra Celebration, Nogne (Barren Isle) Holiday Ale, Anchor Our Special Ale and Scaldis Noel are some of the selections. For the moment, still available are Dogfish Head Midas Touch, Unibroue Blanche Des Chambly, Alesmith Speedway Stout, Hitachino Nest White (on Tap!) Ballast Sculpin and Victory at Sea and Allagash White. And think about toasting the New Year with a bottle of Russian River Temptation! It has a cork, after all.

Blind Lady Ale House will also offer special food for New Years' Eve. How do oysters on the half shell with yuzu and grapefruit mignonette sound? Or short ribs braised in Chimay with creamy polenta, root vegetables and gremolata? And then, Rachel is making a chocolate pretzel cake with caramel sauce and cream. All will have beer pairings available. Plus their usual delicious pizzas, salads, house-made charcuterie will be offered.

Blind Lady Ale House
3416 Adams Avenue
Normal Heights, Ca 92116
www.blindladyalehouse.com

The Toronado
The Toronado will be, for all intents and purposes, a Pizza Port location for a day. Jeff, Brandon, Noah, Yiga, Ignacio and the crew have assembled 50 kegs and 3 casks of Pizza Port beer for Toronado to serve on the 31st. It is the largest collection of Pizza Port beers ever assembled under one roof! IPA's, Stouts, Belgians, Strong Ales, Brown Ales, German styles will be available. Pizza Port won the coveted “Large Brewpub of the Year” award at last Fall's Great American Beer Festival, and took home a slew of medals in the process.

In addition to all the beer, Pizza Port owner Vince Marsaglia will be parking the Port pizza trailer in front of the bar and we'll be serving Pizza Port's famous pizza all afternoon and into the night! Plus, the lovely ladies from Port Carlsbad have graciously offered to bartend for the night!

The Toronado will close at midnight. They will, however, be observing the Mountain Standard Time New Year at 11:00pm with an Underberg toast. So in addition to the 11pm, shout, you can celebrate our (PST) New Year's at one of North Park's other fine drinking establishments, or in any way that you choose.

The beers will be hooked up and ready to go when Toronado opens at 11:30 am on Thursday morning so go check them out. It'll be going on all day and night. They'll be serving their usual food menu until about 3 pm or so and then hand the reins over to Vince and his Pizza Port crew. It's going to be a blast.

The Toronado
4026 30th St
San Diego, Ca 92104
(619) 282-0456
www.toronadosd.com

The Linkery
The Linkery will be open New Year's Eve through midnite: no prix fixe menu or anything like that, just what they always do with a full selection of pastured meat dishes, veggie dishes, wine and craft beer. That's their kind of special occasion celebration. If you're into it, please join them, they’d love to have you.

The Linkery
3794 30th St
at North Park Way
619.255.8778
www.thelinkery.com

3rd Thursday Drinkabout

What could be better than a pub crawl to San Diego's favorite craft beer-bars and restaurants? How about a free ride to do so!

This Thursday, December 17th at 8:00 p.m., Blind Lady Ale House is hosting a 4-hour tour of 8 craft beer bars and restaurants.



Hop on and off the Brewery Tours buses FOR FREE at Blind Lady, Small Bar, Live Wire, Toronado, Ritual Tavern, Sea Rocket, The Station & Hamilton's.



San Diego was rated Top Beer Town by Men's Journal.


Now it's time to experience why.

San Diego Seasonal Brews

Winter has arrived in San Diego. The sun is setting early; storms are rolling in from the Pacific and  mornings are a bit nippy—well for San Diego at least. So now is the perfect time to head down to your local pub or brewery and enjoy this year’s eclectic mix of seasonal and holiday brews.  San Diego is Brewing has put together a few examples of what’s on tap for this holiday season:

Alesmith
Alesmith is offering it’s most popular seasonal ale, YuleSmith, which is brewed twice a year in two different, yet similar styles: An Imperial / Double IPA and an Imperial / Double Red Ale. “For the winter season, YuleSmith is brewed as an Imperial Red Ale. This version is maltier, more balanced, and darker in color than the summer version. Although quite malty, big hop flavors and aromas are abundant making this an unforgettable winter warmer. Winter YuleSmith is packaged in traditional holiday red and green.” (Alesmith)

Original Gravity    1.085
Alcohol by Volume      9.5%

“Yulesmith is being offered Tuesday, December 15th @ Toronado SD for AleSmith Night!  The first-ever AleSmith Night at Toronado SD is finally here!  On Tuesday, December 15th, our friends at Toronado will be serving up a bunch of hand-forged AleSmith ales including Winter YuleSmith on cask and maybe a "decadent" surprise or two.  AleSmith Night starts at 6pm so be sure to get there in time to taste your favorite AleSmith offerings!” (Alesmith)

Blind Lady Alehouse
Blind Lady Alehouse is open throughout the holidays including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day. See the Blind Lady website for details and hours, www.blindladyalehouse.com.

On Christmas Eve they are planning a Flight of Xmas and Seasonal beers along with a silly Christmas movie or two on the big screen. Christmas Day will be a White Christmas featuring white beers.

Ritual Tavern
Ritual Tavern has Alesmith YuleSmith on tap. In bottles are Big Sky Powder Hound Winter Amber Ale, Shipyard Prelude, Black Diamond Winter Dubbel Ale from Walnut City, and Vintage 2008 Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi.

Karl Strauss
** December 3, 2009.  Karl Strauss Brewing Company is releasing their new winter seasonal, Fullsuit Belgian-Style Brown Ale. While the company has long brewed a variety of seasonals, Fullsuit is only the second seasonal offering to be bottled, following Oktoberfest. Fullsuit is a medium-bodied Belgian ale with toasted malt flavors, oak undertones, and a dry warming finish.

“We wanted to brew a flavorful beer that was still sessionable as the weather starts to cool,” says Paul Segura, Karl Strauss Brewmaster. “You know it’s winter in San Diego when the surfers start to paddle out in their fullsuits, so the name seemed fitting.”

Brewed with a blend of brown and caramel malts, and fermented with a Belgian yeast strain, Fullsuit is an extremely flavorful example of a quaffable winter warmer. Rolled oats were added during the mash to create a creamy mouthfeel while saaz hops were added for aroma. After fermentation, Fullsuit was aged with French oak chips to impart subtle vanilla and oak undertones that complement the slightly peppery character from the Belgian yeast. Mahogany-brown in color and finishing at 6.3% ABV, Fullsuit has a dry, slightly warming finish perfect for those brisk Southern California nights.

The company plans on bottling 2,000 cases of Fullsuit Belgian-Style Brown Ale for distribution throughout Southern California. “I’m stoked that our new bottling line gives us the flexibility to put out a beer like Fullsuit. I know people are going to enjoy this beer,” says Segura. Expect six packs to hit shelves in early December and run through February. For more information, visit www.karlstrauss.com.

Specs:
6.3% ABV
24 IBU
35 SRM

**(information courtesy of www.karlstrauss.com)

Oceanside Aleworks
Oceanside Ale Works will be debuting their 1225 Christmas Ale on Friday, December 11th. See the Oceanside Ale Works website at www.oceansidealeworks.com.

Alpine Beer Company
“On Friday, December 18th, starting at noon, we are releasing two special bottled beers. We will have 12 ounce long neck bottles of “Great”, our bourbon barrel aged barleywine. This is the beer that was in those barrels just inside the door at the brewery. It finished at 14.16% alcohol by volume and tastes out of this world. The other offering is the debut of the 22 ounce “Exponential Hoppiness”. These beers will only be available at the brewery until just before Christmas, unless we sell out. We have about 60 cases of each and both will cost $7.99 each. There will be limits on quantities of one case per beer.” (Alpine Beer Co.)
 
See the Alpine Beer Company website for holiday hours. www.alpinebeerco.com.

Airdale Brewing Company
“Homecoming is our Fall Seasonal Beer and is only available from October thru December.”

“Airdale Homecoming, is a classic brown porter spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. It starts with hints of espresso on the nose and a light malt sweetness with faint traces of chocolate and vanilla. Caramel notes come through as well. The Holiday spices are faint, allowing the porter's flavor to dominate while the spices enhance the chocolate notes. A light-bodied beer, the finish is smooth with a subtle hoppy bitterness. A wonderful warming effect makes this beer a perfect holiday treat!” (Airdale Brewing Company)

www.airdalebrewing.com

Those are just a few examples of holiday and seasonal brews being offered by San Diego breweries and pubs. For additional information on seasonal and other brews please visit the brewery and pub websites for all current offerings and events.

John Rogers
San Diego is Brewing

Airdale Brewing--American Underdogs

Airdale Brewing Company is a featured start-up business in this inspiring video segment titled “American Underdogs”. American Underdogs features entrepreneurs that embody the American spirit of hard work and risk-taking. Way to go Airdale and all the other San Diego breweries for being bold and leading the way for craft brewing in America.