A Weekend of Beer in San Diego
Growing up in San Diego helped cultivate my love of craft beer. The breweries, the beer bars, the specialized beer stores, it’s easy to get great beer in San Diego.
While visiting family this past weekend I had to make time to check out the beer scene a bit. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to any breweries this trip, and not as many beer bars as I would have liked, but it wasn’t a wasted trip in beer turns at all.
The first night I was in town there was a “pub crawl” with a free beer shuttle and eight stops at bars or restaurants with great beer selections. We started at Blind Lady Ale House, a restaurant that opened just before I left San Diego for Durango and that I’ve been to a few times. They have a great beer selection (and good pizza!). I meant to take a picture of their beer menu board, but didn’t. I started with a Nøgne Ø God Jul Winter Ale, an 8.5% dark ale (the menu said Imperial Porter but their website doesn’t mention this) and it was great. I’ve never had Nøgne Ø on tap and it was served in a smaller glass which was perfect as it’s a strong beer and I wanted to try a variety of beers (250cl I think, around half a pint).
Next I had a Victory Brewing Storm King Stout. Another strong beer (9.1% this time) and also served in a smaller glass thankfully. Also another beer I’d never had and another one I loved. Blind Lady Ale house is one of my favorite places to drink beer in San Diego, my only complaint is that it’s loud, they have concrete floors and open ceilings which amplifys the chatter.
Next we went down to Small Bar, a new bar (I think owned by the owners of Hamilton’s Tavern, one of the best beer bars in San Diego) with 42 taps of great beer. I started with a Brewdog Zeitgeist Black Lager, a delicious 4.9% lager. I followed that with a Port Brewing Co. Santa’s Little Helper Imperial Stout, a 10.5% Imperial Stout. This is the only beer I’ve seen in Durango, but wanted to try it on tap. It was good and I look forward to drinking some later this year.
While I loved the beer selection at Small Bar, if I lived in San Diego I probably wouldn’t go back, at least late at night. Again it was loud, far too loud. This time it wasn’t the noise from the crowd like at Blind Lady Ale House (which is more forgivable) but the music from the jukebox. We asked the bartender to turn it down, which he did for a song or two, but then turned it back up a short time later. Three out of ten friends left the bar because it was too loud. It was a real bummer because I was in town visiting friends I don’t see often, and couldn’t hear them talk.I feel old complaining about the noise of the bars, but I think it’s a legitimate complaint. It’s a shame that these bars with great beer selections are such an uncomfortable experience.
After Small Bar we stopped by Toronado but they were closing soon so we didn’t stick around.
I didn’t make it to Hamilton’s Tavern, my old neighborhood bar, but did stop by the liquor store to pick up some beers I can’t find in Durango.
- The Bruery Black Orchard (Belgian style black wheat ale)
- The Bruery Orchard White (Belgian style white ale)
- Santa Cruz Ale Works Pale Ale
- 2 bottles of Ballast Point Victory At Sea (Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter)
- 2 bottles of Alesmith Speedway Stout (Imperial Stout brewed with coffee)
- Bear Republic Big Bear Stout
- Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Organic Devout Stout
- Brewdog Punk – Post Modern Classic Pale Ale
- Brewdog Hardcore IPA (Imperial IPA)
- 2 bottles of Deschutes The Abyss
I’m not sure I’ve had any beers from The Bruery, but I’ve heard great things (I did pick up their Christmas beer last month in Denver, but haven’t tried it yet). I lived in Santa Cruz a few years ago, and Santa Cruz Ale Works wasn’t around at the time so when I saw this one on the shelf I had to try it. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Co. was there, and I drank quite a bit of their beer, Devout Stout is a good one. I’ve had Racer 5 and Red Rocket Ale from Bear Republic, but can’t remember ever drinking their Big Bear Stout. Alesmith Speedway Stout is probably the beer I miss the most that I can’t find in Durango. I didn’t drink it too often in San Diego, but I love to have some around. I really wish Alesmith distributed here. Ballast Point Victory at Sea sounds delicious, this one came out a few months ago and sold out pretty quickly, but a friend picked up a case and saved me a few bottles (I traded her some Durango beers you can’t get in California). I’m looking forward to trying both Brewdog beers as well (haven’t had much from them). If you read this blog often you already know my thoughts on The Abyss, I was super excited to see it at the liquor store.
I also stopped by Three Rivers Brewery in Farmington while driving and picked up a couple bottles of Miss Kringle’s Milk Chocolate Stout, which I’m told they still have some left of today. I haven’t tried it yet but it sounds delicious.
