Ballast Point Brewing has always been one of my favorite spots for craft beer consumption. San Diego craft beer drinkers were wondering about the implications of the sale of Ballast Point to Constellation Brands about a year ago, which owns Modelo, Corona, and Pacifico. Does it presage big changes in the local industry? I paid two visits to chronicle any change, once to take a home brewing class and once to sample beer.
An impressive tap line Ballast Point in Linda Vista.
Sports on the telly and craft beer in my belly; a perfect Sunday afternoon.
Ballast Point has four San Diego locations; 5401 Linda Vista Road, the Home Brew Mart, being the location closest to most Clairemont Times readers. Beer making classes are taught and home brewing supplies sold there. I took an extract brewing class, which shortcuts the beer making steps that extract the sugars from the malted barley (mashing) by using prepackaged extract directly. The availability of malt extracts allows the beginning brewer to start learning before investing in the more expensive equipment needed for mashing. It also saves time. The brewing class is also a great introduction into the science of beer making, explained in easy to understand terms. Understanding the basic vocabulary and why the brewing steps are needed is a great aid in making good beer. The emphasis on sanitation throughout the whole process was stressed for its importance in controlling the taste and quality of the end product.
The class lasted about two hours; but we were given tickets to sample some of the craft beer in the tasting room and given a break at the half-way mark. I felt confident of my ability to take my second crack at brewing, but haven’t done so yet. Overall, the beer making class was a great experience, and really reflects Ballast Points’ dedication to its roots in the home brewing culture of San Diego.
A few weeks after the beer-making class, I returned to sample some beers in the tasting room side of the Linda Vista facility. They have some great original art from their marketing on the wall, and they put up some sports on two big screens. The layout is unpretentious, with solid wood tables, benches, and chairs. There is typically a food truck out back; San Diego Poke Company served up a great spicy salmon poke for my brother Dean and my son on this trip. Its always good to have great food to go with great beer.
My sampling started with Pescadero Pilsner, a nice hoppy pils with a little extra grain in the taste. Next, I tried Alt-Hands on Deck, alt-bier is a German style that uses top-fermenting yeast, like an ale but is fermented at colder temperatures. This sample tasted better as it warmed up with the caramel malt flavor coming out. Another traditional style is the Extra Special Bitter or ESB, with BP serving up California Amber in this category. Most English ales of this style aren’t as well hopped; there was a little resinous finish here. Pumpkin Down is a pumpkin and yam version of the Piper Down Scottish Ale. That makes for a great combination, as Ballast Point keeps the pumpkin flavor subtle, allowing the sweetness of the base ale to come through. Lastly, I tried a “roots to boots” Biere De Garde. Roots to Boots is a program that allows employees to experiment with new offerings and keeps with the home brewing traditions of Ballast Point. This was my favorite beer of the afternoon, a Belgian style with lots of banana and cinnamon notes.
Ballast Point delivers as broad a range of styles of any brewery in San Diego. They never disappoint and I am glad to see that their new owners haven’t altered their formula for success.
If you like my beer reviews, you might enjoy visiting San Diego and staying at our home.
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