Bitter Brothers – Hidden Gem on Morena

When we think of beer neighborhoods, Morena Avenue in Bay Ho and Bay Park doesn’t necessarily come to mind.  But only a stone’s throw from the Costco, Bitter Brothers has opened up a quality brewery, operating since the start of the year at its location at 4170 Morena Ave.  Co-owner Bill Warnke was on hand to chat with my brother and I about his beers when we visited.  He said that he came to the beer industry by way of being a chef, which got him interested in the local beer scene.  He worked for a while with Lightning Brewing in Poway before deciding to go into the beer business with his brother.

The Bitter Brothers facility is fairly large for a brewery of its size, ensuring everyone has a place to sit.  The beer selection has a nice variety as well, with offerings such as West Coast style IPAs, but also more traditional styles such as stouts, weizens, ESB, and a tart Berliner Weisse. As a tall guy, I liked that the stools were adjustable and my wife liked the purse hooks under the bar on a previous visit.

I tried out some four ounce samples. At only $2 per sample, this is a quality beer bargain.  I usually start with milder varieties, because starting with an IPA will ruin your palate for other flavors.  First up was Brotherly Love, a Dunkelweizen, with mellow chocolate notes that don’t overpower the malted wheat.  (All of the beers have sibling themed names, as befits a brewery owned by two brothers.)   Next was Extra Special Brother, a traditional Extra Special Bitter, that had all of the malt character and mild sweetness I expect. Ironically, ESBs are not especially bitter, despite their name. Bill said that they are trying to deliver beers “true to the style” and I think they have hit the mark.

Black Sheep on Nitro, is a coffee porter filled with a very mild coffee flavor. That is unlike many coffee porters I have tried which have been very bitter. This has a gentle sweetness that might tempt you to drink too many.  I moved on to an IPA, Prodigal Son, made with Amarillo hops. These hops bring the citrusy and bitter taste expected of a true West Coast IPA.  If you are a hop-head, this is your kind of beer.

My final ale was the best of the evening.  I finished with the Double IPA, Big Brother, and wow, was it impressive.  Very balanced and less bitter, it was full of flavor, but remained balanced.  I couldn’t be sure, but it tasted like a mix of yeast varieties had been used, including a Belgian.  As befits a double, it had higher alcohol at 9% ABV.  It had been recently tapped.  $1 of the pour went to ALS charity.  This is a worthy beer to raise money for a good cause.

To sum up, Bitter Brothers is a small brewery doing a lot, but not trying to do too much.

 

Bill Warnke, Co-owner, raises a glass.

This post was originally published in the Clairemont Times.