Because I review beers for the Clairemont Times, I often get asked what is my favorite beer. That's obviously too hard to answer given the plethora of beer styles; you can't compare an IPA to a stout, they are just different things. However, I thought I would make a list by style and keep it updated.
Current Favorite Beer List by Style:
Helles Lager: Firestone Lager - Firestone Walker, Paso Robles, CA
Czech Pilsner: Lagunitas Pils, Lagunitas Brewing, Petaluma, CA
German Pilsner: Trumer Pils - Trumer, Berkley, CA (2nd place: Northern Pilsner - Sudwerk, Davis, CA)
Doppelbock: Celebrator - Ayinger, Aying, Germany.
Schwarzbier: Schwarzbier - Eppig Brewing, San Diego, CA
Brown: Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head, Milton, DE
Kölsch: Claritas - Mike Hess Brewing, San Diego, CA
Porter: Dawn of the Deft - Deft Brewing, San Diego, CA
Imperial Porter: Bine & Vine 4th Anniversary Ale Adams Avenue Imperial Porter, New English Brewing, San Diego, CA
Chocolate Porter: FivePine Chocolate Porter - Three Creeks Brewing, Sisters, OR
Wee Heavy/Scotch Ale: Icelandic Wee Heavy - Einstök Ölgerð, Akureyri, Iceland
Pale Ale: Equinox - Lagunitas, Petaluma, CA
IPA: Revolver - BNS Brewing, Santee, CA
Double IPA: 90 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head (Maximus - Lagunitas close 2nd place.)
Imperial IPA: 18th Anniversary Ale - Coronado Brewing, San Diego, CA
Strong American Ale: Bourbon Barrel Aged Freudian Sip - Rough Draft, San Diego, CA
ESB: Young Danny Boy - Half Door Brewing, San Diego, CA
Irish Red: O'Hara's Irish Red, Carlow Brewing, Carlow, Ireland
Dry Irish Stout: Wagon Crasher - Thorn St. Brewing, San Diego, CA
Stout: City of the Dead - Modern Times, San Diego, CA
Imperial Stout: Hawaiian Speedway Stout - Alesmith, San Diego, CA
Russian Imperial Stout: The Butcher - Societe Brewing, San Diego, CA
Old Ale: Sucré - The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Saison: Hennepin Farmhouse Saison - Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Belgian Quad: 7 Swans-A-Swimming - The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Belgian Tripel: Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Triple Emboozlement - Rough Draft
Belgian Dubbel: Two Tortugas - Karl Strauss, San Diego, CA
Belgian Strong Golden Ale: Tie. La Chouffe Blond - Brasserie d'Achouffe, Houffalize, BE; Vertical Epic 11.11.11 Aged in Red Wine Barrels - Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA
American Adjunct Lager: Coors Banquet Beer - Coors, Golden, CO
Mexican Adjunct Lager - Pacifico - Grupo Modelo, Mazatlán, MX
Light Beer: Lite - Miller, Everywhere USA
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Fall Brewing – North Park Neighborly
In February, I ventured to North Park to visit Fall Brewing, at 4542 30th Street. Fall has become a neighborhood favorite hangout, attracting a packed house by early afternoon on my President’s day visit. Co-founders Ray Astamendi and Dave Lively took the name from the idea that they had fallen in previous experiences in the brewing business. I talked with sales manager and Bay Park Resident Larry Monasakanian about Fall Brewing’s history, direction, and of course, craft beer.
Fall opened in November 2014, with Astamendi as head brewer. Building on his previous commercial experience, he designed the layout of the facility to achieve a clean work flow for the brewer. His handiwork is visible from the tasting room. Lively had extensive experience in graphic design in the San Diego skate, surf, and music scene. They were coworkers at a previous brewery who wanted to “get it right” with a neighborhood craft brewery. The goal is to brew clean, classic, consistent, and drinkable beers. Part of getting the classic recipes perfect is getting the water chemistry correct for the style. A reverse osmosis unit built into the brewery aids that. The beer line up reflects a desire for variety, but since this is San Diego, hoppy beers are the most popular, according to Monasakanian. Fall recently got on board with the Hazy New England IPA trend, Goo Goo Muck, was packaged and sold out quickly, but is still available on draft. Currently, Fall is selling Green Hat IPA, Rise Up, Plenty for All, and Magical & Delicious Pale Ale in select stores and BevMo. In March, Fall will be putting a new hazy into canned four packs, Lupulin Saturation. Another recent San Diego trend is towards lagers. Fall has separate lagering tanks, long recognizing the importance of that style.
The vibe is dominated by the musical influence of the punk rock scene, and it shows up in beer names as well. Each month, a new art show is featured on the left wall. Concert advertising from Lively’s personal collection add more character. The music on the sound system reflects those tastes but isn’t too loud. For eats, Fall has worked to get a varied food truck line up 7 days a week, after 4 p.m. Kabobs, sushi, burgers, or Mexican are in the mix.
The beers were all terrific. Fall deliberately limits the alcohol content of their beers to less than 9%, allowing you to sample more of their product. I started with Rise Up Czech Pale Lager. This was very clean tasting, balanced to the maltier side; a challenging style done very well. Crystal Mess is a floral, hoppy pale ale, but still clean. A little wheat softens it up. Speedo’s Tiki Love God is a traditional nutty brown. It is sweet up front, and just slightly dry. Another tough style done well by Fall is the German Pilsner, Plenty for All. Sweeter than Rise Up, this has softer taste than Rise Up, offset with noble hops. Rods and Mockers, is an English Mild, at the lighter end of the pale ale spectrum. You can taste the breadiness of the Maris Otter malt, with a little hop balance. Monasakanian dropped Fall Brewing’s flagship IPA, Green Hat, into middle of my tasting session. This is a very West Coast IPA with bold citrus hitting your nose and tongue right away. It is still a little cleaner than similar San Diego IPAs, and an excellent flagship offering.
Berliner Weisse is low alcohol German sour wheat beer. I normally avoid this, but Watermelon Jazz Hands was a treat. The sour and watermelon combined wasn’t syrupy, just refreshing and easy to drink. We shifted gears to Puppy Cuddles Milk Stout, a lighter stout with lactose mellowing the flavor. 2AM Bike Ride is a coffee stout brewed with whole bean coffee from nearby Dark Horse Coffee Roasters. The coffee flavor dominates but is very mellow, due to the use of the whole beans, rather than ground or brewed coffee. The one non-traditional, “Frankenstein” beer was a hoppy, amber, Imperial Lager, Enormous Schwanzstucker, brewed in collaboration with Revision Brewing and Automatic Brewing. It was malty, dry, and hoppy, and pretty decent. I finished Nucular Strategery, a barrel aged Imperial Stout that was my favorite of the day. Bourbon notes were subtle, and a little coconut finish made for a delightful balance. Worthy of note, a barrel-aged version of Jinx Remover Imperial Black Lager won the gold at the 2016 World Beer Cup in the barrel aged strong category.
How would I describe Fall? A chill neighborhood brewery serving a good variety of drinkable beers.
Fall opened in November 2014, with Astamendi as head brewer. Building on his previous commercial experience, he designed the layout of the facility to achieve a clean work flow for the brewer. His handiwork is visible from the tasting room. Lively had extensive experience in graphic design in the San Diego skate, surf, and music scene. They were coworkers at a previous brewery who wanted to “get it right” with a neighborhood craft brewery. The goal is to brew clean, classic, consistent, and drinkable beers. Part of getting the classic recipes perfect is getting the water chemistry correct for the style. A reverse osmosis unit built into the brewery aids that. The beer line up reflects a desire for variety, but since this is San Diego, hoppy beers are the most popular, according to Monasakanian. Fall recently got on board with the Hazy New England IPA trend, Goo Goo Muck, was packaged and sold out quickly, but is still available on draft. Currently, Fall is selling Green Hat IPA, Rise Up, Plenty for All, and Magical & Delicious Pale Ale in select stores and BevMo. In March, Fall will be putting a new hazy into canned four packs, Lupulin Saturation. Another recent San Diego trend is towards lagers. Fall has separate lagering tanks, long recognizing the importance of that style.
The vibe is dominated by the musical influence of the punk rock scene, and it shows up in beer names as well. Each month, a new art show is featured on the left wall. Concert advertising from Lively’s personal collection add more character. The music on the sound system reflects those tastes but isn’t too loud. For eats, Fall has worked to get a varied food truck line up 7 days a week, after 4 p.m. Kabobs, sushi, burgers, or Mexican are in the mix.
The beers were all terrific. Fall deliberately limits the alcohol content of their beers to less than 9%, allowing you to sample more of their product. I started with Rise Up Czech Pale Lager. This was very clean tasting, balanced to the maltier side; a challenging style done very well. Crystal Mess is a floral, hoppy pale ale, but still clean. A little wheat softens it up. Speedo’s Tiki Love God is a traditional nutty brown. It is sweet up front, and just slightly dry. Another tough style done well by Fall is the German Pilsner, Plenty for All. Sweeter than Rise Up, this has softer taste than Rise Up, offset with noble hops. Rods and Mockers, is an English Mild, at the lighter end of the pale ale spectrum. You can taste the breadiness of the Maris Otter malt, with a little hop balance. Monasakanian dropped Fall Brewing’s flagship IPA, Green Hat, into middle of my tasting session. This is a very West Coast IPA with bold citrus hitting your nose and tongue right away. It is still a little cleaner than similar San Diego IPAs, and an excellent flagship offering.
Berliner Weisse is low alcohol German sour wheat beer. I normally avoid this, but Watermelon Jazz Hands was a treat. The sour and watermelon combined wasn’t syrupy, just refreshing and easy to drink. We shifted gears to Puppy Cuddles Milk Stout, a lighter stout with lactose mellowing the flavor. 2AM Bike Ride is a coffee stout brewed with whole bean coffee from nearby Dark Horse Coffee Roasters. The coffee flavor dominates but is very mellow, due to the use of the whole beans, rather than ground or brewed coffee. The one non-traditional, “Frankenstein” beer was a hoppy, amber, Imperial Lager, Enormous Schwanzstucker, brewed in collaboration with Revision Brewing and Automatic Brewing. It was malty, dry, and hoppy, and pretty decent. I finished Nucular Strategery, a barrel aged Imperial Stout that was my favorite of the day. Bourbon notes were subtle, and a little coconut finish made for a delightful balance. Worthy of note, a barrel-aged version of Jinx Remover Imperial Black Lager won the gold at the 2016 World Beer Cup in the barrel aged strong category.
How would I describe Fall? A chill neighborhood brewery serving a good variety of drinkable beers.
Larry Monasakanian with co-founders Ray Astamendi and Dave Lively of Fall Brewing.
This article was originally published in the Clairemont Times on page 13.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Half Door Brewing – Heirloom Style
Half Door Brewing is a throwback to two different eras. Housed in a 1900s era, 4000 square foot duplex, Half Door harkens to an era when a village pub brewed their own beer and was the center of cultural life in Irish villages, according to the Half Door website. The rambling pub has bars and table seating upstairs and down, as well as Charleston style patio seating where you can see the Petco Park outfield, two blocks away from their 903 Island Ave location. In addition, to the 16 beers on tap, there are hearty Irish pub items on the menu, brunch on weekends, and cocktails on offer. I visited the Half Door family operation just before their third anniversary and talked to Dan Drayne Jr., brewmaster, and sampled beers offered by his sister Claire. The Drayne’s came from Ireland when Dan Jr. was 8. The family’s first business venture was The Field, an authentic Irish Pub on 5th Ave. Drayne learned the brewing trade working at the Coronado Brewing brewpub on Orange Ave, where he was given the opportunity to experiment with many styles.
I asked Dan if he was still in the business of never making two beers exactly the same. He is well known for constantly tweaking his recipes, aiming for perfection. He replied that he is aiming for more consistency in his mainstay IPAs, especially during the busier part of the year, the summer. Half Door is a popular pregame stop for Padres fans. However, he is also still experimenting. For example, Persistent Failure Double IPA was still being tweaked to increase the alcohol content. Also, Half Door has over 80 unique beers listed on Untappd. Drayne is also attentive to the effects of the water supply on the quality of his beer. During draught years, more of the city water comes from the Colorado River, increasing hardness and alkalinity. He compensates by adding water from the brewery’s reverse osmosis unit and making other adjustments. Drayne is also known for his hazy IPAs, currently a popular style. He said that he wasn’t so much interested in hazy or not hazy, but in the way in which hop oils undergo biotransformation by the yeast to produce new flavors. According to Peter Wolfe’s thesis, this is a relatively new area of inquiry in beer science. Drayne summed up the theme of his work, as trying to keep a varied line up, that was well rounded and tuned to the season. With 16 beers in rotation from a 10 barrel system, that is a challenge. For their third anniversary in February, they will introduce a triple IPA.
Being a brewpub, Half Door has its own kitchen. I ate twice at there, once for brunch and once with the beer tasting. The brunch menu featured mimosas and substantial Irish breakfasts; I had the Irish has with sausage and rashers. The sausage flatbread that accompanied my beers was solid as well.
Of course, what would a brewery review without a review of the beer? My favorite and first beer sampled with brunch was the Young Danny Boy ESB. Eponymous of the brewer perhaps? It had a perfect blend of nutty maltiness, some fruity esters, and hopped bittering. A great example of one of my favorite styles. Father Ted, named after the Irish Sitcom, is a refreshing Belgian Blonde that tastes similar to a Saison, but brighter, with a little hint of lemon and clove. Dad Bod Brown Ale, named after another British Isles Sitcom, had mysterious hints of bitter chocolate usually reserved for stouts, which worked very well. Persistent Failure is a hazy IPA filled with tropical pineapple while retaining its IPA character. The haziness gave it a pillowy mouth feel for an overall excellent experience. Northeast IPA was less hazy and more in the traditional West Coast IPA mold, with more of a hint of passion fruit. HypeMachine IPA was brewed with only Pacifica hops; it came across very juicy with strong grapefruit notes. I moved away from these unique stylings to the a traditional West Coast IPA, with House of Hops, nicely carbonated with good citrus bitterness. Coleman’s Stout is a good example of a dry Irish Stout with a coffee roasted flavor from the barley dominated the flavor. I finished with another favorite, a Tripel, with spicy, banana notes and a strong malty finish. This high alcohol brew was a great way to end the tasting.
Half Door has a traditional feel, even if only three years old. It’s a great place to meet up downtown for drinks and a bite, especially if you are going to walk to the ballgame after.
Photo caption: Dan Drayne Jr. at the Half Door entrance.
This article was originally published in the Clairemont Times on page 13.
I asked Dan if he was still in the business of never making two beers exactly the same. He is well known for constantly tweaking his recipes, aiming for perfection. He replied that he is aiming for more consistency in his mainstay IPAs, especially during the busier part of the year, the summer. Half Door is a popular pregame stop for Padres fans. However, he is also still experimenting. For example, Persistent Failure Double IPA was still being tweaked to increase the alcohol content. Also, Half Door has over 80 unique beers listed on Untappd. Drayne is also attentive to the effects of the water supply on the quality of his beer. During draught years, more of the city water comes from the Colorado River, increasing hardness and alkalinity. He compensates by adding water from the brewery’s reverse osmosis unit and making other adjustments. Drayne is also known for his hazy IPAs, currently a popular style. He said that he wasn’t so much interested in hazy or not hazy, but in the way in which hop oils undergo biotransformation by the yeast to produce new flavors. According to Peter Wolfe’s thesis, this is a relatively new area of inquiry in beer science. Drayne summed up the theme of his work, as trying to keep a varied line up, that was well rounded and tuned to the season. With 16 beers in rotation from a 10 barrel system, that is a challenge. For their third anniversary in February, they will introduce a triple IPA.
Being a brewpub, Half Door has its own kitchen. I ate twice at there, once for brunch and once with the beer tasting. The brunch menu featured mimosas and substantial Irish breakfasts; I had the Irish has with sausage and rashers. The sausage flatbread that accompanied my beers was solid as well.
Of course, what would a brewery review without a review of the beer? My favorite and first beer sampled with brunch was the Young Danny Boy ESB. Eponymous of the brewer perhaps? It had a perfect blend of nutty maltiness, some fruity esters, and hopped bittering. A great example of one of my favorite styles. Father Ted, named after the Irish Sitcom, is a refreshing Belgian Blonde that tastes similar to a Saison, but brighter, with a little hint of lemon and clove. Dad Bod Brown Ale, named after another British Isles Sitcom, had mysterious hints of bitter chocolate usually reserved for stouts, which worked very well. Persistent Failure is a hazy IPA filled with tropical pineapple while retaining its IPA character. The haziness gave it a pillowy mouth feel for an overall excellent experience. Northeast IPA was less hazy and more in the traditional West Coast IPA mold, with more of a hint of passion fruit. HypeMachine IPA was brewed with only Pacifica hops; it came across very juicy with strong grapefruit notes. I moved away from these unique stylings to the a traditional West Coast IPA, with House of Hops, nicely carbonated with good citrus bitterness. Coleman’s Stout is a good example of a dry Irish Stout with a coffee roasted flavor from the barley dominated the flavor. I finished with another favorite, a Tripel, with spicy, banana notes and a strong malty finish. This high alcohol brew was a great way to end the tasting.
Half Door has a traditional feel, even if only three years old. It’s a great place to meet up downtown for drinks and a bite, especially if you are going to walk to the ballgame after.
Photo caption: Dan Drayne Jr. at the Half Door entrance.
This article was originally published in the Clairemont Times on page 13.
Friday, March 2, 2018
Groundswell Brewing – Community Tasting Room
Kevin Rhodes, owner of Groundswell Brewing, told me that he had originally thought of the name “Community Brewing” when he was starting operations almost four years ago. He eventually settled on the name Groundswell denoting a small group moving things in a big direction. But his tasting room in Grantville, at 6304 Riverdale Street, certainly seemed like a community gathering. Even early in the afternoon, people were coming in and out on a lunch break or just because they were in the area. My bartender Ray was highly knowledgeable and invested in the success of the operation as well. The tasting room, also the original brewing site, is very comfortable for a relaxing afternoon of beer tasting. It is dog and kid friendly, although I saw neither on my visit.
Rhodes provided some background on the Groundswell operations and his future plans for the brewery. He moved operations to the former Twisted Manzanita location at 10151 Prospect Ave. in Santee this year, with a grand opening last February. This provided increased production capacity, while still maintaining the tasting room in Grantville. He is also getting set to open a kitchen in Chula Vista along with the already established tasting room, which officially opened on December 17th. When asked about the emphasis on tasting rooms, Rhodes replied that they provided a solid foundation to maintain future growth for the business.
Although Groundswell has gone through some changes in head brewers, Rhodes still sees the brewery as producing beers with more moderate alcohol content than others in San Diego. Quaffable and crushable might aptly describe his product. He is making beer with great flavor, balanced, and easily drinkable. The exception to the mild ABV rule is the highly popular Oathkeeper and Oathbreaker stout series, which are typically Christmas releases. These stouts also went into cans on December 16th. The new year should bring the release of an Imperial IPA and then a new release every month. Groundswell will release its first hazy IPA in 2018.
I started off tasting with some milder, sweeter beers. When I sip a flight of tasters, I usually move from mild to hoppy and then to darker and stronger beers. My first taster was Tropical Hefeweizen, a great start. Galaxy hops offset by a mild nectar flavor give this wheat ale extra character. A great beer to get your friend started on craft beer is First Date Blonde Ale. It was a is on the sweet side but still balanced. Belgian Pale had characteristic spicy esters with floral notes. All of these beers were on the sweeter side.
Rhodes remarked that Undulation White IPA is the brewery’s flagship offering. I started my IPA samples there. Undulation’s dry hopping hits your nose and palate first, then the wheat kicks in and smoothes out the whole experience. This beer feels full in the mouth, so you will want to savor it. Quattro IPA, uses a blend of four hops to give an intense floral smell and taste, offset by some melon sweet notes. Hubba Hubba IIPA is big and bold with the Galaxy hops dominated bitter flavor. This has plenty of malt to keep it tasty.
Piloncillo Brown, brewed with the eponymous Mexican sugar in the boil, is toasty brown that is very drinkable. A lighter porter with coffee and vanilla notes, Pull My Porter is a very drinkable porter. Mocha Milk Stout was slightly bitter with a surprisingly dry taste. The chocolate was subtle in this stout. I finished with Oathkeeper Russian Imperial Stout, my favorite beer of the day. This is a very rich caramel boozy beer. It should be sipped slowly to enjoy subtle notes of chocolate and spice. I hope to try the canned version soon.
If you haven’t been to Groundswell in a while, it’s time to come back to sample the new beer and enjoy the beer drinking community.
This article was originally published in the Clairemont Times on page 13.
Rhodes provided some background on the Groundswell operations and his future plans for the brewery. He moved operations to the former Twisted Manzanita location at 10151 Prospect Ave. in Santee this year, with a grand opening last February. This provided increased production capacity, while still maintaining the tasting room in Grantville. He is also getting set to open a kitchen in Chula Vista along with the already established tasting room, which officially opened on December 17th. When asked about the emphasis on tasting rooms, Rhodes replied that they provided a solid foundation to maintain future growth for the business.
Although Groundswell has gone through some changes in head brewers, Rhodes still sees the brewery as producing beers with more moderate alcohol content than others in San Diego. Quaffable and crushable might aptly describe his product. He is making beer with great flavor, balanced, and easily drinkable. The exception to the mild ABV rule is the highly popular Oathkeeper and Oathbreaker stout series, which are typically Christmas releases. These stouts also went into cans on December 16th. The new year should bring the release of an Imperial IPA and then a new release every month. Groundswell will release its first hazy IPA in 2018.
I started off tasting with some milder, sweeter beers. When I sip a flight of tasters, I usually move from mild to hoppy and then to darker and stronger beers. My first taster was Tropical Hefeweizen, a great start. Galaxy hops offset by a mild nectar flavor give this wheat ale extra character. A great beer to get your friend started on craft beer is First Date Blonde Ale. It was a is on the sweet side but still balanced. Belgian Pale had characteristic spicy esters with floral notes. All of these beers were on the sweeter side.
Rhodes remarked that Undulation White IPA is the brewery’s flagship offering. I started my IPA samples there. Undulation’s dry hopping hits your nose and palate first, then the wheat kicks in and smoothes out the whole experience. This beer feels full in the mouth, so you will want to savor it. Quattro IPA, uses a blend of four hops to give an intense floral smell and taste, offset by some melon sweet notes. Hubba Hubba IIPA is big and bold with the Galaxy hops dominated bitter flavor. This has plenty of malt to keep it tasty.
Piloncillo Brown, brewed with the eponymous Mexican sugar in the boil, is toasty brown that is very drinkable. A lighter porter with coffee and vanilla notes, Pull My Porter is a very drinkable porter. Mocha Milk Stout was slightly bitter with a surprisingly dry taste. The chocolate was subtle in this stout. I finished with Oathkeeper Russian Imperial Stout, my favorite beer of the day. This is a very rich caramel boozy beer. It should be sipped slowly to enjoy subtle notes of chocolate and spice. I hope to try the canned version soon.
If you haven’t been to Groundswell in a while, it’s time to come back to sample the new beer and enjoy the beer drinking community.
Kevin Rhodes at the Groundswell tasting room in Grantville.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Book Review - Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher
I recently finished Randy Mosher's invaluable resource for the aspiring beer connoisseur, Tasting Beer, 2nd edition, Kindle version. Since I have made beer tasting into a hobby, I thought this book would be a must-read for me. Indeed it has expanded my knowledge and horizons and given me a much deeper appreciation of both beer making and tasting. The most enjoyable parts are the history of beer, which is as old as civilization itself. Discussions on the history of beer styles were fun as well. Fun fact, even the ancient Sumerians had a light beer, named eb-la, literally "lessens the waist."
Mosher is nothing if not passionate about his subject. It also helps that he is well connected with craft brewers and with the beer judging community. He attempts to leave no style undocumented and no nuance of flavor undescribed. The book gives the beer taster a vocabulary and the necessary tools to develop his or her own skills at tasting beer. I have to admit that the technical discussion of taste and smell was a challenge. Since I don't aspire to professional taster or judger status, perhaps I wasn't as motivated for those parts. But, if you are so interested, this is a perfect companion to the Cicerone Beer Tasting certification program. However, if you just want to have a handy reference and style guide, Tasting Beer is a resource that no serious beer drinker should be without.
I think this book would be better as hardcover or softcover, because it is such a great reference. Hosting a dessert party, and want to know what chocolates pair with what beers? Chapter 7 has your answer. Can't remember if Bière de Garde is a lager or an ale? Beer styles from around the world are explained. (Bière de Garde is the only significant native French style.) Need help describing the flavor of your favorite nut brown, Chapter 3 explains the vocabulary of beer tasting.
I highly recommend Tasting Beer in your library if you are at all serious about beer.
Mosher is nothing if not passionate about his subject. It also helps that he is well connected with craft brewers and with the beer judging community. He attempts to leave no style undocumented and no nuance of flavor undescribed. The book gives the beer taster a vocabulary and the necessary tools to develop his or her own skills at tasting beer. I have to admit that the technical discussion of taste and smell was a challenge. Since I don't aspire to professional taster or judger status, perhaps I wasn't as motivated for those parts. But, if you are so interested, this is a perfect companion to the Cicerone Beer Tasting certification program. However, if you just want to have a handy reference and style guide, Tasting Beer is a resource that no serious beer drinker should be without.I think this book would be better as hardcover or softcover, because it is such a great reference. Hosting a dessert party, and want to know what chocolates pair with what beers? Chapter 7 has your answer. Can't remember if Bière de Garde is a lager or an ale? Beer styles from around the world are explained. (Bière de Garde is the only significant native French style.) Need help describing the flavor of your favorite nut brown, Chapter 3 explains the vocabulary of beer tasting.
I highly recommend Tasting Beer in your library if you are at all serious about beer.
32 North – Journey AND Destination
For my December review, I journeyed to 32 North Brewing, 8655 Production Ave, in the Miramar area. Owner Steve Peterson has had quite the journey since he opened his doors three years ago, going through changes in head brewers and focus before finding his stride with his current line up. Peterson told me that he had started out thinking that 32 North would be a head brewer driven brewery, analogous to a “chef-driven restaurant”, with frequent new beer offerings. While still offering one or two new specialty beers per month, Peterson now has a core lineup of accessible beers to draw in the average beer drinker. The specialty line up does not impinge on keeping the core lineup in rotation. The core beers are cleaner styles: pilsner, lager, amber, pale ale, blonde ale, and an IPA in order to maintain broad appeal. I ask Peterson if he had any difficulties brewing a pilsner. He said that it is a challenging style even though we think of it as a mass beer style (Bud and Coors). Brewing pilsner (or any lager style) takes longer than ale, and the hops are more expensive. Finally, because of its very clean style, imperfections are easier to notice. 32 North has done a good job with their Pilsner the Conqueror flagship beer. In addition the tasting room, 32 North beers are available in restaurants throughout southern California, and is just starting to be available in Arizona.
32 North is also a wedding destination, just not by design. When the brewery operations were getting started, a friend of Peterson’s asked if they could use the facility for their wedding. The open layout of the facility and the rows of wood casks make for a picturesque venue. Pictures of weddings have become a highly ranked item on internet search engines when you enter “32 North.” Peterson’s desire to help keep the cost of weddings reasonable has led to the continued popularity of the brewery as a wedding destination.
The tasting room is wide open, with football projected on one wall when I visited. There is a huge polished wood table that looks perfect for board meetings. A couple of classic pinball machines along with bean bag games and board games are available for additional entertainment. As you enter the brewery, all facets of operations are visible including gorgeous wood casks holding aging ale. 32 North has a very friendly atmosphere, which allows dogs, and is definitely a comfortable to place to hang out. On Fridays and Saturdays, food trucks supplement the snacks offered at the bar. I visited during San Diego Beer Week; Death of a Brewer, a stout aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels was on tap and in bottles for the occasion.
I sampled five of the six core beers. Pilsner the Conqueror is hop forward with a grassy hoppiness and delicious bready malt backing. Peterson said it is the flagship beer, a worthy selection. Pennant Pale Ale is light and refreshing, citrus and tropical hop flavors predominate, but there is enough of malt to balance. Best Coast IPA is interesting, it has both citrus and piney hopping, but the pine lingers, and the malt middle stays subtle. Magnum Hops give Considerate Gentleman Lager more bitter flavor than I expected, with Glacier hops adding a spicy background. I tried a taster from a just tapped keg that was well carbonated. Anchor Down Amber has an endearing caramel sweetness that made it very easy to drink.
The specialty beers were even better, in my opinion. Breakfast Red is rich, smooth, creamy and a bit sweet, but not so heavy that you couldn’t have two. Another rich and creamy ale was Hello, Darkness Oatmeal Stout, which had great balance with a bit of coffee bite. Death of A Brewer, barrel aged, had bourbon and coffee notes with a little boozy caramel; it was worthy of a Beer Week release. Landfall Berliner Weisse was a solid sour, but I am a terrible judge of this style. Oktoberfest Märzen was well carbonated and malty, just what you want this time of year. Zesty orange citrus lifts the bitter flavor Orange Is the New Black stout. Finally, S'mores Polar Opposite is a gonzo barrel aged take on the Polar Opposite Golden Stout. Vanilla, graham crackers, and coffee beans gave this aged ale a lot for my mouth to consider. I sipped it very slowly to fully enjoy its complex character. A beer not on offer, which will be aged in rum barrels for release next year is Julia’s Grand Cru. This beer was first brewed to raise funds for Julia Davidson, a seven year old who has overcome a form of bone cancer.
32 North has both accessible core beers and frequent new additions to appeal to a wide range of beer lovers, worth the trip to Miramar. It’s a great spot for weddings too.
This article was originally published in the Clairemont Times on page 13.
32 North is also a wedding destination, just not by design. When the brewery operations were getting started, a friend of Peterson’s asked if they could use the facility for their wedding. The open layout of the facility and the rows of wood casks make for a picturesque venue. Pictures of weddings have become a highly ranked item on internet search engines when you enter “32 North.” Peterson’s desire to help keep the cost of weddings reasonable has led to the continued popularity of the brewery as a wedding destination.
The tasting room is wide open, with football projected on one wall when I visited. There is a huge polished wood table that looks perfect for board meetings. A couple of classic pinball machines along with bean bag games and board games are available for additional entertainment. As you enter the brewery, all facets of operations are visible including gorgeous wood casks holding aging ale. 32 North has a very friendly atmosphere, which allows dogs, and is definitely a comfortable to place to hang out. On Fridays and Saturdays, food trucks supplement the snacks offered at the bar. I visited during San Diego Beer Week; Death of a Brewer, a stout aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels was on tap and in bottles for the occasion.
I sampled five of the six core beers. Pilsner the Conqueror is hop forward with a grassy hoppiness and delicious bready malt backing. Peterson said it is the flagship beer, a worthy selection. Pennant Pale Ale is light and refreshing, citrus and tropical hop flavors predominate, but there is enough of malt to balance. Best Coast IPA is interesting, it has both citrus and piney hopping, but the pine lingers, and the malt middle stays subtle. Magnum Hops give Considerate Gentleman Lager more bitter flavor than I expected, with Glacier hops adding a spicy background. I tried a taster from a just tapped keg that was well carbonated. Anchor Down Amber has an endearing caramel sweetness that made it very easy to drink.
The specialty beers were even better, in my opinion. Breakfast Red is rich, smooth, creamy and a bit sweet, but not so heavy that you couldn’t have two. Another rich and creamy ale was Hello, Darkness Oatmeal Stout, which had great balance with a bit of coffee bite. Death of A Brewer, barrel aged, had bourbon and coffee notes with a little boozy caramel; it was worthy of a Beer Week release. Landfall Berliner Weisse was a solid sour, but I am a terrible judge of this style. Oktoberfest Märzen was well carbonated and malty, just what you want this time of year. Zesty orange citrus lifts the bitter flavor Orange Is the New Black stout. Finally, S'mores Polar Opposite is a gonzo barrel aged take on the Polar Opposite Golden Stout. Vanilla, graham crackers, and coffee beans gave this aged ale a lot for my mouth to consider. I sipped it very slowly to fully enjoy its complex character. A beer not on offer, which will be aged in rum barrels for release next year is Julia’s Grand Cru. This beer was first brewed to raise funds for Julia Davidson, a seven year old who has overcome a form of bone cancer.
32 North has both accessible core beers and frequent new additions to appeal to a wide range of beer lovers, worth the trip to Miramar. It’s a great spot for weddings too.
Steve Peterson, owner of 32 North Brewing.
This article was originally published in the Clairemont Times on page 13.
Friday, February 2, 2018
Pure Project – Ingredients Making a Difference
Pure Project Brewing, located at 9030 Kenamar Dr. in San Diego, is an early success of H.G. Fenton’s Brewery Igniter project launched in 2015. I asked Mat Robar, one of the founders of Pure Project about the direction the brewery is heading and their vision for beer making. Initially Robar and his business partners, Jesse & Agi Pine, intended to set up a brewery in Costa Rica, but the infrastructure in that country didn’t support their plans. They became aware of the Brewery Igniter project and were able to move in and start brewing in just six months, opening their doors in January 2016. This column previously reviewed Amplified Ale Works, next door, another success story from Brewery Igniter.
While they were setting up brewing operations in Costa Rica, the partners came across unique ingredients at the farmers markets and hoped to include them in their beers. Their desire to use pure, local, and unique local ingredients, which support environmental sustainability, fueled their vision for the brewery. Additionally, Robar said that Pure Project donates 1% of gross sales to local environmental non-profit organizations, Surfrider, Outdoor Outreach and San Diego Coastkeeper. He added that a commitment to sustainability involves numerous business decisions. Those decisions include how ingredients are sourced, how merchandising decisions are made, and other facets of the business. They want to be a part of the local and global community and tell an interesting story about each beer.
Pure Project’s approach to beer making often starts by considering the unique ingredient, such as peaches, strawberries, or honey, and crafting the beer around it. I also talked to head Brewer Winslow Sawyer about his beer making style. Other examples of his approach to beer making are in the use of 100% organic local ingredients in some of the beers. They have been trying out California grown organic base malt for example. Additionally, they use local water that is filter but not stripped of its character. Some of his yeasts have been cultivated from the local air and fruit. The accumulation of these sourcing decisions is restoring the terroir in beer making, an idea from wine making where the complete natural local environment influences the taste of the product.
The tasting room itself is cozy. Wood paneling lines the walls along with hanging ivy decoration, evoking a sense of the jungle. Nature films running on the wall to add to the ambience. This is a clearly a popular destination, there was a full room of customers tasting flights of beers on a Friday afternoon. The two year anniversary is coming up in January. Sawyer said that there are plans to released some beers that been cellared and some new varieties and a canned beer that is in collaboration.
Of course, I spent time tasting beer, not just talking about it. I started with the German Pilsner Rein. The full biscuit flavor of this beer was nicely balanced with extra hop character from the imported noble hops. Delilah, a Belgian Blonde, is slightly sweetened by wild flower honey from Temecula. Strong clove notes characteristic of this style are balanced by the honey in the background. La Vie en Rosé is a Saison with a beautiful deep pink pour, and nice carbonation. It was light, refreshing, and floral with a slightly sour taste balanced again by honey. Murklands is one of many “murky” or hazy beers on tap, a rye IPA. Sawyer said that the term murky is intended to distinguish from the New England hazy style, as Pure Project’s IPAs are in the San Diego tradition. Murklands had a creamy mouth feel and tropical and peach hopping that made me want to drink it in big gulps. I finished this tasting with a double IPA punctuated by strong coconut and tropical flavors, Pipa Fría. It was less bitter than most IPAs, but the hop oil lingered in aftertaste, which I enjoy.
I came back the next day to try some more because one flight didn’t do justice to their variety. Crème de la Pêche is a seasonal cream ale using peaches that was light, creamy and very easy to drink. Sawyer rotates Valencia, Blood Oranges, and strawberries with this ale on a seasonal basis. The Dry Irish Stout, Milagro, was one of my favorites. It was very rich and creamy, a little bitter with great coffee flavor. Oatverdose is another murky IPA, made with oats. It was another refreshing offering, with classic grapefruit notes up front and good carbonation for a full mouth feel. I finished with a big imperial stout, Prime Evils. It was dark, sweet, and boozy, which hid the subtle pepper notes. Not for everyone, but one of my favorites.
Pure Project is making a difference with their sustainable approach to beer making and their use of unique ingredients. They are worth your visit, especially if you are a fan of murky beers.
While they were setting up brewing operations in Costa Rica, the partners came across unique ingredients at the farmers markets and hoped to include them in their beers. Their desire to use pure, local, and unique local ingredients, which support environmental sustainability, fueled their vision for the brewery. Additionally, Robar said that Pure Project donates 1% of gross sales to local environmental non-profit organizations, Surfrider, Outdoor Outreach and San Diego Coastkeeper. He added that a commitment to sustainability involves numerous business decisions. Those decisions include how ingredients are sourced, how merchandising decisions are made, and other facets of the business. They want to be a part of the local and global community and tell an interesting story about each beer.
Pure Project’s approach to beer making often starts by considering the unique ingredient, such as peaches, strawberries, or honey, and crafting the beer around it. I also talked to head Brewer Winslow Sawyer about his beer making style. Other examples of his approach to beer making are in the use of 100% organic local ingredients in some of the beers. They have been trying out California grown organic base malt for example. Additionally, they use local water that is filter but not stripped of its character. Some of his yeasts have been cultivated from the local air and fruit. The accumulation of these sourcing decisions is restoring the terroir in beer making, an idea from wine making where the complete natural local environment influences the taste of the product.
The tasting room itself is cozy. Wood paneling lines the walls along with hanging ivy decoration, evoking a sense of the jungle. Nature films running on the wall to add to the ambience. This is a clearly a popular destination, there was a full room of customers tasting flights of beers on a Friday afternoon. The two year anniversary is coming up in January. Sawyer said that there are plans to released some beers that been cellared and some new varieties and a canned beer that is in collaboration.
Of course, I spent time tasting beer, not just talking about it. I started with the German Pilsner Rein. The full biscuit flavor of this beer was nicely balanced with extra hop character from the imported noble hops. Delilah, a Belgian Blonde, is slightly sweetened by wild flower honey from Temecula. Strong clove notes characteristic of this style are balanced by the honey in the background. La Vie en Rosé is a Saison with a beautiful deep pink pour, and nice carbonation. It was light, refreshing, and floral with a slightly sour taste balanced again by honey. Murklands is one of many “murky” or hazy beers on tap, a rye IPA. Sawyer said that the term murky is intended to distinguish from the New England hazy style, as Pure Project’s IPAs are in the San Diego tradition. Murklands had a creamy mouth feel and tropical and peach hopping that made me want to drink it in big gulps. I finished this tasting with a double IPA punctuated by strong coconut and tropical flavors, Pipa Fría. It was less bitter than most IPAs, but the hop oil lingered in aftertaste, which I enjoy.
I came back the next day to try some more because one flight didn’t do justice to their variety. Crème de la Pêche is a seasonal cream ale using peaches that was light, creamy and very easy to drink. Sawyer rotates Valencia, Blood Oranges, and strawberries with this ale on a seasonal basis. The Dry Irish Stout, Milagro, was one of my favorites. It was very rich and creamy, a little bitter with great coffee flavor. Oatverdose is another murky IPA, made with oats. It was another refreshing offering, with classic grapefruit notes up front and good carbonation for a full mouth feel. I finished with a big imperial stout, Prime Evils. It was dark, sweet, and boozy, which hid the subtle pepper notes. Not for everyone, but one of my favorites.
Pure Project is making a difference with their sustainable approach to beer making and their use of unique ingredients. They are worth your visit, especially if you are a fan of murky beers.
Mat Robar in front of the robust line up at Pure Project.
This article was originally published in the Clairemont Times on page 13.
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