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.

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

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 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.

13th Annual Strong Ale Fest

Kick off your December holiday season with The 13th Annual Strong Ale Fest, which will be taking place at Pizza Port in Carlsbad on Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th!  There will be 75+ beers on tap that have at least 8% ABV from which to choose, and some of those will be cask conditioned kegs!  Normal hours are 4 pm - 11 pm on Friday and 11 am - 11 pm on Saturday.  A $30 fee will get you a commemorative logo glass with 8 taster tickets (4-oz pours), a Strong Ale Festival program and entrance during the normal festival hours.  A V.I.P. pass is available for $40, which includes everything mentioned above plus early entrance on Friday at 1 pm.

Brewery Tours of San Diego will be shuttling people to the Strong Ale Fest for a price of $30.  Pickup and return points are from the Ballast Point Homebrewmart and Ballast Point Old Grove for the V.I.P. session (Friday, 1-4 pm) or from PB Taproom and O'Brien's Pub for the normal Friday session (6:30-10 pm).  This does not include the admission price for the Festival.  Saturday trips can be arranged by contacting Brewery Tours of San Diego.  Tickets are very limited on the Brewery Tours bus, so get them while they are available!  Information can be obtained at:

Brewery Tours of San Diego
(619)961-7999
info@brewerytoursofsandiego.com

Pizza Port, Carlsbad
571 Carlsbad Village
Carlsbad, CA  92008
(760)720-7007
http://www.pizzaport.com/

Ballast Point Brewing Co. and Homebrewmart
5401 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA  92110
(619)295-2337 (BEER)
http://www.ballastpoint.com/

Ballast Point Brewing Co. Old Grove
10051 Old Grove Rd.
San Diego, CA  92131
(858)695-2739
http://www.ballastpoint.com/

PB Taproom
1269 Garnet Ave.
San Diego, CA  92109
(858)274-1010
http://www.sdtaproom.com/

O'Brien's American Pub
4646 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA  92111
(858)715-1745
http://www.obrienspub.net/

James Omlid

Saturday Tasting Tour - Ballast Point, Alesmith, Pizza Port, Lost Abbey & Stone Brewing.

Saturday starts off as another grand, partly-sunny day in southern California!  We look forward with great eagerness to not only visiting a number of quality breweries but also calling to wish our oldest son/stepson, Shane, a happy birthday.  Wish you were with us, Shane!

Our first destination on this jam-packed tasting day– takes us to Ballast Point Brewing Company, Scripps Ranch facility, aka:  the Old Grove production facility.  This is their newest brewery where much of their production takes place.  Both this facility and the older facility in Linda Vista are true breweries, allowing both tasting and purchasing of beer to go.

As we arrived at the facility we pulled up adjacent to the front door and parked directly behind a pickup truck with Alaska personalized plates decrying “BEERME.”  Upon entering the tasting room, we asked about the truck, and we were soon informed by Amber (yes, that’s her real name – talk about having the right name for the right job!) that the “BEERME” truck belonged to her. Amber is a fairly recent transplant from Anchorage yet her knowledge didn’t let on that she was new to the business.  We struck up a conversation with Amber and her boss, Karen, and started to experience some of their tasty brews.

We started out, as usual, on the light side, both in color and flavor.  The first sample was Wahoo Wheat, an unfiltered ale having a slightly spicey/nutmeg aroma which was quite drinkable.  Next came one of their more popular beers, Yellowtail Pale Ale, a rather mild “pale ale.”  This was actually more of a Kolsch style ale, rather similar to a pilsner, but with slightly more body.  The third selection on our tasting tour was the Schooner Ale, a dry-hopped offering poured from a nitro (nitrogen gas, either used in place of or in conjunction with carbon dioxide gas) tap.  This was a special release beer, not available year around.  It was a rather creamy but not noticeably hoppy beer considering that it was dry hopped and had a IBU rating of 20 and a 4.5% ABV.  The fourth sample in the first batch was the Calico Amber, another very popular Ballast Point ale that has a very nice balance of malt and hop flavors.

The second (and last) batch of five tasters consisted of three hoppy selections and two dark beers – a porter and a stout.  For the first three “hoppy” ales, we tried the Fathom IPL, a hoppy lager version of an India Pale variety.  This 7.0% ABV was quite hoppy (70 IBU’s) and quite smooth, no doubt due to its cooler, bottom fermenting process that are a signature of lagers. Next came the Sculpin IPA, also a 7.0% and 70 IBU beer and the Big Eye IPA, 7.0% and 91 IBU’s, which we sampled side by side.  Even though the Big Eye had a higher IBU rating, the Sculpin seemed to have a hoppier nose than the Big Eye.  The Big Eye was also slightly bitter tasting and had a mild earth-toned flavor to it.  By this time, Lee was really starting to appreciate the bigger IPA’s and we agreed that the Sculpin was our favorite so we bought a bomber of this to go!

We sampled the two darker varieties side by side as well.  The Black Marlin Porter had a lighter colored head than the Sea Monster Imperial Stout, but both were opaque and black in color.  Our server, Amber, had mentioned that she compared the Black Marlin Porter to Deschutes’ Black Butte Porter.  I told her that I had yet to find one of comparison, but after tasting Black Marlin, I did think that it was a very good option.  It was a very nice, light-bodied porter (6.0% and 42 IBU’s), that was not as “chewy” as Black Butte Porter.  For those who may prefer a drier porter, this may just be your favorite!  But the Sea Monster was our favorite of the Ballast Point beers.  A whopping 10% ABV (and a secret IBU rating!) gave us a hint that this limited release beer would be a worthy candidate for our favorite.  This dark-headed black ale was aged 14 months in Fitzgerald bourbon barrels and had a very complex “liquor” nose with incredible complex flavors (coffee, bittersweet chocolate and possibly hints of caramel) – WOW!  As Ballast Point states, “Don’t Fear the Monster!”  Naturally, we wanted to take home some of this wonderful brew, but since bombers weren’t available (darn) we ended up taking a growler of this luscious lovely home (yay!)!!

And one last item to mention to those of you who may visit Ballast Point sometime: check to see if they have their Victory At Sea – a coffee-vanilla flavored imperial porter!   It wasn’t available when we were there but sounds wonderfully delectable!

Stop #2 for the day took us on a short drive west across I-15 (through rather heavy traffic due to the air show taking place at neighboring Miramar Air Base) to the AleSmith Brewing Company.  AleSmith is another brewery located in a newer industrial park, just north of Miramar Road.  We arrived about 12:55 pm and found the doors to be locked.  Fortunately the owner, Peter Zien, pulled into the parking lot just after we got to the door and let us in.  Peter is a young, approachable gentleman who not only takes great pride in brewing great beer but also makes cheese.  In fact, his goal is to have some of his homemade cheese available to the patrons at future tastings (hopefully in the very near future)!

But on to the beer.  AleSmith had 11 scrumptious offerings on tap that day, of which we tried six.  Of these, three were on the “lighter” side (alcohol-wise): Lil’ Devil Ale, a very nice Belgian-style yeast yielding an orange peel and coriander flavor, Anvil, an English-style Extra Special Bitter ale having a malty nose with a nice hoppy balance on the tongue, and Evil Dead Red, a dark-reddish (almost blood colored) amber ale with a hoppy nose and a floral/hoppy flavor.  I guess that the meteorologist in me thought that Anvil would be a favorite, but Evil Dead Red was very nice and complex and was our favorite of the three.  Interesting to note that the ABV is 6.66% on this beer.

Of the three “heavier” beers that we tried (Grand Cru, Horny Devil and Speedway Stout), we found the Speedway Stout to be our favorite.  Grand Cru and Horny Devil were somewhat similar with the Horny Devil having a more noticeable nutmeg/coriander flavor.  Speedway Stout had a dark, foamy head with a nice chocolaty nose, and was brewed with coffee beans.  This “big” beer had a 12.0% ABV – a point higher than the other two “high octane” beers (Grand Cru and Horny Devil)!  We purchased a bomber of their Holiday Ale (the summer version) as well as a growler of the Evil Dead Red, which we figured would be appropriate to take to our annual Halloween Party.

We could have easily stayed longer at AleSmith, but alas, we had more places to go, people to meet and beer to sample!  Our next stop was up I-5 to the city of Carlsbad and the Pizza Port Brewing Company, a brewpub serving great pizza alongside their 18 house beers served on tap (one on a beer engine, or cask conditioned).  Located a short walk from the beach in Carlsbad they also serve a number of guest beers on tap from local to not so local breweries.  This place seems to be best suited for surfers and beach combers looking to carb-up after burning some calories on the surf.  The facility has an inside and outside section, composed of picnic tables and barstools, and was adorned with lots of surfing paraphernalia and photos.  Next door is their outlet store allowing you to purchase many beers from all over the world, complete with an area to stand (or sit) inside or outside and enjoy a brew.

Back at the production facility, I started by ordering a small pizza (the “Laguna” – a vegetarian pie with lots of artichoke hearts, made on whole-wheat crust) in the “pizza line”, then I quickly jumped over to the longer “beer line” to get our first set of samples.  Princess was the beer server today, and she informed me that only four samples can be purchased at a time.  After consulting with Lee prior to getting in line, I ordered their Sharkbite Red Ale (cask conditioned), Revelations Belgian Gold, None-the-Weisser Bock, and Carlsbad Cream Ale (after finding they were out of their Port Pale Ale). 

I met Lee back at our outdoor table with the four beer samples just before my name was called to pick up the pizza.  We started off our beer tasting with the Revelations, featuring a very nice Belgian-style yeast, yet not overly spicy.  Surprisingly, this sucker packed quite a wallop, coming in at 8.5% - quite high!  Next up was the Carlsbad.  This cream ale had a light color with a flavor to match – very similar to a Pilsner.  The third in this group was the Sharkbite.  I looked forward to this beer with great anticipation, as it was our first cask conditioned beer of the weekend.  Cask beers are not propelled out of the keg with the aid of a gas (either carbon dioxide, nitrogen or a combination thereof) – they are pumped out with the aid of an “engine.”  Cask beers have more of a true-flavor, not taking on another flavor due to the added gas.  The Sharkbite was very smooth and had a nice balance between malt and hops.  Since it is a cask-conditioned beer, it is served at a slightly warmer temperature than the gas-propelled counterparts.  And last, but certainly not least, was None-the-Weisser.  This was a rather heavy, dark Belgian-style ale – our favorite of the first batch of brews.

My second trip back to order four more tasters from Princess yielded Night Rider, Poor Man’s IPA, Black Lie IPA and Port Truck Stout.  The Night Rider was a big beer – 10%! – black in color with a dark head.  This chocolate-roasted imperial stout had a good balance for a stronger beer.  Poor Man’s IPA had a very hoppy nose and a good, double IPA flavor and was our favorite of the second batch.  We both really enjoyed the “over-the-top” hoppy ales, featuring a strong citrusy-piney nose and a puckering-thick hop flavor!  The Black Lie IPA was another black beer but had a white head (hence the name) and also had a very hoppy nose.  It tasted more like an IPA even though it looked like a porter and was another favorite of ours.  And the final of this four was the Port Truck Stout.  This low-alcohol (only 4.0% - similar to Guinness) stout was very creamy yet didn’t have much in the way of a chocolate or coffee flavor. 

After finishing our samples, we headed next door to the “outlet store” – a place of opportunity for one to purchase beers from all over the world.  They also have an outdoor section where you can sample one of your favorite brews.  While at this facility, we ran into a couple of friendly guys enjoying a beer together.  “Chili”, a groundskeeper at Stone Brewery, and his buddy, Larry, were just as approachable as nearly everyone we have encountered, whether employee or patron, throughout the entire weekend.  Maybe something can be said about those that frequent quality beer sites, or maybe the possibility that quality beers help calm the soul of all men and women?!  Regardless, we have found everyone on this San Diego beer excursion as interesting, enjoyable, and knowledgeable about their beers.  We then chose to depart with a couple of Port bottles, a bomber of their 3rd Anniversary Ale, a 10.0% offering, and a 12.7 oz. bottle of Old Viscosity Ale, a 12.0% strong ale, partially aged for 6 months in bourbon.

The fourth stop of the day was The Lost Abbey, located about 10 minutes east of Carlsbad in the city of San Marcos.  This was the third “industrial-type” brewery we visited today.  Walking into the oversized entry door, we gazed upon many wood storage barrels, mash tuns and fermentation tanks.  Also present was a rather lengthy bar, complete with bar stools fashioned from ½-barrel kegs covered with full bags of barley – a nice touch, albeit a rather difficult stool to maneuver.  The beers on tap available for sampling today included: Red Barn Ale (6.8%), Carmevale Ale (6.5%), Devotion (6.5%), Inferno Ale (9.0%), 10 Commandments (9.5%), Judgment Day (10.5%) and Older Viscosity (13%).  The Older Viscosity, a Port brew (Port and the Lost Abbey have been affiliated at the same location until recently) is a big beer aged in bourbon barrels for 1 year.

While enjoying our sampling at The Lost Abbey, we noticed a very mellow gray and white cat snoozing on the bar.  This “mascot” seemed very disinterested in all of the conversation and activity, and even tolerated gentle tail-pulling by some of the regular patrons.  Two of those patrons were young guys, Jesse and Justen, who are part of the band “Dead Feather Moon,” a band that, according to Justen, has a southern rock groove.  While at The Lost Abbey, one of their music videos was played from YouTube and displayed on the large flat screen plasma t.v. behind the bar, much to the delight of the patrons and employees.

Leaving The Lost Abbey around 6 pm, we made our way to our fifth and final stop for the day – Stone Brewing Company.  In the early 2000’s, the first beer I tasted from San Diego county came from Stone Brewing Co.  And how convenient - it was located only minutes away from The Lost Abbey! Not only do they have a consistently great lineup of regular offerings, Stone has some incredibly wonderful seasonal and anniversary ales released annually.  My taste buds begin to salivate the upcoming seasonal releases with great eagerness!  Therefore, I left the taster notepad in the car and Lee and I went to just “experience” the aura of their new huge facility, complete with huge landscaped, outdoor grounds and a large gift shop at the main entrance.  This amazing shop allows you the opportunity to purchase everything from hats to glassware, shirts, sweatshirts, towels, and of course, beer!  Bombers, growlers and kegs can be ordered and purchased here.

After passing though the store room, you enter into the seating area, where you can ask the host/hostess for a table (outside on decks or inside, either downstairs in the main “gallery” room adjacent to the centralized bar or upstairs for a little more intimacy).  Walking into the main dining room, separated from the outside area by large sliding glass windows, you will find a fountain to the right and the bar to the left.  The brewing area is behind the large windows to the left of the bar, where tours are held regularly throughout the day. The upstairs dining area is accessible via the Robinson Crusoe-esque stairs, located behind the bar. The restrooms, with their heavy rock doors are dungeon-like in design.  This place is an adult’s amusement park, built around quality beers and food. 

Speaking of food…the menu is quite extensive and very well planned.   They strive for natural, whole foods and often go to painstaking limits to insure the quality of the food that comes forth - admittedly, sometimes at a higher price.  This is not a place for a budget-conscious family to dine while quaffing a few quality brews.  This is a place to celebrate – a place to take someone that you want to impress or a place for special occasions.  Needless to say, the food menu is very impressive.

As for the beers…Stone has always had several “flagship” beers - including their Stone Pale Ale, Stone IPA and Arrogant Bastard.  They also have other wonderful year-round offerings, such as Levitation Ale (a lower ABV amber beer), Ruination Ale (a very hoppy double/imperial IPA with over 100 IBU’s), Stone Smoked Porter and their “supreme version” of Arrogant Bastard, the Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale.  Their anniversary ales for this year are Stone’s 13th Anniversary Ale and Stone 09-09-09 Vertical Epic Ale, both of which are remarkable ales that are best purchased and saved for future use, preferable at least 5 years down the road.  We “sampled” all of their taps, not so much to get to know them but to experience them at the source.  It was great to try the Arrogant Bastard side by side with the Oaked Arrogant Bastard, as there is a notable difference – the Oaked variety takes on a slightly smoother, richer flavor.  But the one that we both agreed was our favorite was this year’s Vertical Epic, a dark Belgian-style porter with incredible complexity.  This beer used dark candy sugar giving a molasses flavor, vanilla bean and a touch of tangerine peel added to the complexity of the Belgian spices.  Amazing!!  This was my favorite Vertical Epic by far, and I don’t know how Stone will eclipse this in future versions.  Knowing Stone, they’ll somehow achieve the monstrous feat!

James Omlid

Discovering San Diego Breweries--Day 2

Friday, October 2, 2009

We started our 2^nd day in San Diego heading east on I-8 to the quaint little village/mountain town of Alpine.  Tyson, our server last night at San Diego Brewing Company, pointed us to Alpine Brewing Company, saying he really liked what they were doing with their beers.

Upon arrival at the Alpine Beer Company we found the facility to be a true “brewery”, that is, having a small tasting room but functioning primarily as a place that brews beer.  With oak barrels and steel fermenting tanks lining the interior of the front room, you really get a feel that this is a production facility. Like many true “breweries,” there aren’t any tables, stools or food offerings.  It is primarily a place to sample beers from the taps, buy growlers, kegs and 22oz. “bombers”, and judging by the number of people who came during our visit, it seemed to have quite a local following. “Alpine” had quite a selection of beers on tap – 10 the day we visited - and our server Steve, who not only is a knowledgeable server but a photographer and “frustrated drummer” as well, poured up samples of a number of their quality ales for us. 

We first started off with Tuatara--a “session ale” made with New Zealand hops.  This one is billed as having a “lemon-lime” flavor, which was detectable yet subtle, and the hops struck us by surprise.  Although Steve wouldn’t divulge the precise IBU value (International Bitterness Units – a term used to rate the “bitterness” or hoppiness of a beer) the IBU level seemed to be in the 50’s – quite impressive for a “pale ale.”

The next ale we tested was Alpine ale. This pale ale was very nice and well balanced with malt--therefore having a slightly higher alcohol content but less hop “bite” than Tuatara.  “Sample #3” was McIlhenney’s Irish Red ale.  This dark, red-colored ale had lots of malts (13 to be exact!) added to the mix--great for those who shy away from the hoppier ales. 

Our fourth sample was the smooth Captain Stout.  This chocolaty, smoky, dry oatmeal stout is opaque-black in color with a dark brown head and is verrrry smooth – primarily due to it’s dryness. And the “last” (see below) sample we tried was Bad Boy, another “session ale.” This “malicious male”, was my least favorite selection at Alpine.  It had an orange-zest aroma, yet a rather funky flavor.  I learned that Columbus and Nelson hops were used in this offering.  Maybe I just haven’t experienced these enough in the past to appreciate their “uniqueness”

After our last batch of “singles” Steve poured us two half-and-half concoctions.  The first was titled “The Captain and Vanille”, and is half Captain Stout and half Willy Vanilly (a vanilla-flavored wheat ale), yielding a creamy vanilla-flavored stout, complete with a white head.  Lee went ga-ga over this mixology!  The second of the half-and-half concoctions was the same Willy Vanilly combined with equal portions of the Mandarin Nectar (an orange blossom honey ale with coriander and organic orange zest).  This yielded an orange creamsickle sort of flavor, or for those who haven’t tried that frozen dessert, an orange cream soda flavor.

We sampled the Pure Hoppiness ale again (we also tried it the night before at San Diego Brewing Company and loved it!) just to verify that this was the ale of which we wanted to get a bomber, and lo and behold, we enjoyed it just as much!  Can you imagine that?  In fact, we enjoyed it more it was served from the source: Sweet!  That’s kind of like spring water – the closer to the source the better, right?  We also purchased a bomber of their McIlhenney’s Irish Red ale, which was probably our next favorite ale featured on tap.  But the real prize we took home that day was a growler of their Captain and Vanille.  We intend to save this one for the holidays (which holiday, we’re not sure yet J )!

 After Alpine Beer Company, we made our way west on I-8 through downtown and crossed the Coronado Bay Bridge to Coronado Brewing Company (or CBC).  Located on Orange Ave. in the heart of downtown Coronado, this beautifully designed brick building is a brewpub, where brewery meets restaurant in the same facility.

We again found a couple barstools together (well, we actually had to coax Dave to slide over a chair for us – thanks Dave!) and bellied up for some tasty brews.  Dave also mentioned that CBC has a good happy hour with an extensive menu from which to choose. Charlotte was our server, working the many taps (12 that day) that were pouring. We first tried samples of their Mermaid’s Red Ale, Orange Avenue Wit, and Islander IPA.   The Mermaid’s Red Ale had a hoppy nose but wasn’t overly “fruity” or hoppy in flavor, and had a lingering malt flavor.  The Orange Avenue was very light in color and was served with a wedge of orange, much like a wheat beer but this offering was transparent (filtered).  The Islander also had a slight hop nose and was a fairly typical tasting IPA, with a 7.2% ABV (Alcohol By Volume).

Our second “group” of samples included Hoppy Daze, Red Devil ale and Pt. Loma Porter. Hoppy Daze was fairly heavily hopped and boasted a big 9.0% ABV, the Red Devil had a dark amber color and was quite hoppy - one of my favorites (also a 9.0% brew), and Pt. Loma was a nice selection as well.  We also tried a sample of their Oktoberfest--a seasonal favorite albeit not unique considering nearly all breweries lean towards brewing this style of beer this time the year.

Coronado Brewing Company is a great place to visit when you tour the “island” of Coronado or stay at the Hotel del Coronado.  It’s an easy bike ride from the Hotel or the Ferry landing, which is located across the bay from downtown San Diego.

Our last stop of the day was at Pacific Beach AleHouse, located about a block from the beach.  The facility was very nicely laid out…everything from the outside tables featuring a large gas fireplace and propane lamps/heaters to the inside/outside bar with sliding glass windows to the multitude of large screen t.v’s broadcasting sporting events (they are admitted Iowa Hawkeye, Arizona Wildcat, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Charger fans), and inside and upstairs tables.  This is a nicely laid-out facility next to a surfer’s paradise!

 As usual, we started off by ordering the set of samples, or as it’s called at PB AleHouse, “Flight of Five.”  This flight included samples of their five most popular house beers, including Good Times Gold, Whitewash Wheat, Crystal Pier Pale Ale, Oktoberfest, and PB Porter.  Good Times Gold was a rather average entry beer, light in color and not overly flavorable on the malty or hoppy side.  Whitewash Wheat was a nice Belgian-style beer with orange tones and distinctive hints of coriander.  We found this one to be our favorite of the five.  Also included in the flight were a fairly hoppy pale (Crystal Pier) that was decent but not overly smooth, Oktoberfest, another run-of-the-mill malty seasonal offering similar to many other breweries (see Coronado Brewing Co, above) and PB Porter, a slighty smoky version more reminiscent of a dry Irish stout.  After finishing off the Flight of Five, we split a pint of their Pacific Sunset IPA.  Unfortunately, we weren’t overly impressed with this IPA – maybe because of being spoiled by Alpine’s Pure Hoppiness earlier in the day??

PB AleHouse has a very diverse and interesting menu.  We couldn’t pass up the lobster mac ‘n cheese--especially when another patron gave us “thumbs up” on it! Thanks Chris! We also split a tuna melt with sweet potato fries, and a large dill pickle spear--all very tasty!  Now if they could just brew a few more beers and ante up a bit with the other quality beers offered at other breweries in the region!?

James Omlid
Enlightened Explorer Travel

 

 

 

 

Discovering San Diego Breweries--Day 1

Thursday, October 1, 2009
 
My wife Lee and I left Tucson for an extended weekend of beer discovery in San Diego.  We had heard about the many breweries that were popping up in the San Diego region and had sampled a few by bottle in our neck of the woods.  After a drive across the dry, sun-drenched desert, our taste buds were looking forward to a drenching--of a different, more pleasant sort.  Now we were ready to sample more of these delectable drinks right at their source…San Diego County!

 Shortly after our arrival in the San Diego area, we decided to head out for dinner and try one of the nearby breweries.  We chose San Diego Brewing Company, a brewery fairly close to Qualcomm Stadium (home of the San Diego Chargers football team).  San Diego Brewing Company is located at 10450 Friar’s Road, in a mini strip-mall near the intersection of Mission Gorge Road and Friar’s Road.

The facility was fairly small yet quite full (around 7 pm Thursday evening) and after asking a patron if she wouldn’t mind moving over one stool so that we could sit together, we saddled up in two adjacent barstools (hmmm, a Neil Young song from “Zuma” comes to mind here)! We perused over the “appetizer/specials” menu that adorns the bar about every 3^rd stool and saw their selection of beers and selected a few we wanted to try. The brewer on staff, Tyson, came to us shortly thereafter to take our order and we inquired  about a “taster” of the house brews.  He pointed out that their taster included the six beers that were presently on tap:   Blueberry Ale (a filtered “American-Style wheat ale) with a moderate blueberry nose and a slightly more noticeable blueberry flavor - very drinkable on a warm day), Grantville Gold (quite light colored but with a crisp, mildly hoppy flavor/finish – also quite quaffable), El Hefe (an un-filtered Hefeweizen that uses Belgian yeasts, giving it a nice nutmeg/spice nose), San Diego Amber (a copper-amber colored ale that has a subtle malty nose and richer malty flavor), Old Town Nut Brown (deep, dark brown color that has a balance of malt and hops but leans more towards the malty side and has a fresh, crisp finish), and Monster Mash (a higher alcohol – 7.5% - black-colored ale, somewhere between a porter and a stout and has a slight juniper essence in flavor). Other than the Monster Mash, the other five ales had alcohol contents in the 5-5.7% range.  Personally, Lee enjoyed the Blueberry Ale and I enjoyed the Monster Mash best.  We chose El Hefe as the best beer that we enjoyed equally.

We enjoyed what San Diego Brewing Company had to offer and look forward to experiencing more selections in the way of “extreme hoppy ales” and “bigger beers”.  The night that we visited, they didn’t have any IPA offerings and had only one “bigger beer”, Monster Mash.   San Diego Brewing Co. does, however, have around 50 guest beers on tap, ranging from other nearby San Diego area brews to European selections as well as 4 cask-conditioned or beer-engine ales.  They also serve up some “over-the-top” hot wings.  We felt gutsy and ordered their “Russian Roulette” hot wings, which has about a dozen “hot” wings and two “suicide” hot wings (infused with habanero sauce and pieces of habanero peppers).  These will get your thirst on! Combined with a decent brewhouse menu (burgers, sandwiches, pizza, salads, etc), this facility is a very fun place to meet friends, get a bite to eat, and experience some quality beer.  A great place to go before or after a Chargers game!

http://www.sandiegobrewing.com/beer/beers.htm
for more info on beer at San Diego Brewing Co.

By James Omlid, Tucson Arizona
Enlightened Explorer Travel