Sculpin - San Diego's Go To IPA

While going out around town lately, I have noticed that even the mediocre Mexican restaurants in Old Town have been carrying Sculpin IPA from Ballast Point.  My wife really enjoys this beer, even if not my favorite. (In fairness, I am not a big hop-head, so my favorite IPAs tend to have more malt backing and are slightly less bitter than average.) 


I was pleased to see that Sculpin was named King of Crafts in a National University study reported in the print edition of the Union Tribune.  (Link not available, print only.)  I like the brewery, since they have a great selection of styles, and they have a location on Linda Vista Rd near our neighborhood.


From the UT article (Sculpin, King of Crafts):

Raise a glass to the Sculpin Economy. All across San Diego County, brewers enjoyed a robust 2015. New breweries opened at a rapid clip, as the calendar year began with 97 local operations and ended with 114; expanding by more than 760 jobs, the workforce exceeds 4,500; and beer sales rose 17 percent, to $851 million.

Yet one beer dominated the National University System Institute for Policy Research study released today.

“A large part of that was Sculpin,” said Vince Vasquez, the study’s author, citing Ballast Point’s India pale ale. “Ballast Point doubled sales year over year, and overwhelmingly that is due to the power of Sculpin.”
. . .
What Vasquez calls Ballast Point’s “monstrous” year was well under way before its sale. One measure of its growth will be revealed today when the national Brewers Association releases its annual list of the country’s 50 largest breweries. Last year, Ballast Point was 31st, trailing ninth-place Stone among local breweries. (Two other San Diegans were on the list: Karl Strauss, 45th, and Green Flash, 48th.) While Escondido’s Stone remains a powerhouse — this year, it plans to open satellite breweries in Richmond, Va., and overseas in Berlin— experts predict the Brewers Association’s data will show Ballast Point outpacing Stone. “That’s a pretty big shift,” said Ryan Lake, a director with First Beverage Group, a Los Angeles-based private equity bank, “them overtaking Stone, given how long Stone has been the leader there.”

If you are a visiting San Diego, a tour of some of our over 100 craft breweries should be on your list of things to do.

Coronado Brewing Stingray IPA - One of my favorites

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