Mission Brewery: Amber Ale

5.0% ABV  43 IBU's

Mission Brewery had me hooked with their Shipwrecked DIPA. Now that I found out that they have 32 oz. oil cans of it at Costco for less than $7 I am going to be in trouble...

This is the last one of my random 12 oz. bottles that I picked up at Total Wine & More. I was already hooked on their DIPA, so I thought I would try their Amber Ale. This one pours out a bit darker and has extra malty goodness than your typical amber ale, maybe because of the German Altbier style that is referenced on the bottle.

Overall a solid beer if you are looking for an amber ale with more character than usual.

Coronodo Brewing Co.: Orange Avenue Wit

5.2% ABV  19 IBU's

The second time around for me with Coronado Brewing Co. was just right with their Orange Avenue Wit. It poured out a nice orange color. There was some good yeastyness right out of the bottle. You could definitely taste the orange peel. There seemed to be just a bit more bitterness than your average wheat beer, which I liked.

Overall a great tasting wheat beer. I look forward to making it down to their place one of these days and having a cold Orange Avenue Wit while enjoying the amazing SoCal weather.

North San Diego Trip: Pizza Port Carlsbad, Belching Beaver, Aztec Brewing

Just a quick trip down to San Diego County with some friends on a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago.

We started off at Pizza Port - Carlsbad because we know that they always have a great selection of beer, awesome pizza, and a relaxed atmosphere (although it was really crowded). The Grapefruit Puncher was probably my favorite. Instead of the grapefruit coming from the hops, it tasted like they used real grapefruit juice. My other favorite was the Schanerberry (Belgian blond with passion fruit & blackberries). For pizza we knocked out a large Lahaina (Canadian bacon, pineapple, green bell peppers & onions).


While eating, we took a look at the Pacific Beer Map and noticed that there were about 5 breweries within a mile or so of each other in an industrial area just a few miles inland in Vista, CA. So we headed out for a little adventure...

First stop was Belching Beaver. I suppose we couldn't resist the name! They have a nice little set up going on there with the brewery in view in the back and a tasting counter and tables in the front. Outside they had a food vendor cooking up so good smelling snacks.

We went ahead and tried samplers of all 11 beers they had on tap that night. We liked the Saison de Beaver, Me So Honey (honey wheat), and the Peanut Butter Milk Stout was also interesting. After enjoying the tasters, picking up a few souvenirs, and posing for some pictures with the comical beaver art... we were off.






The next closest place we saw on our map was Indian Joe Brewing. We were excited to try the place because you could see the flashing LED open sign from way down the street. Sadly though we were met head on at the front door at 8:57 pm where we were told that they were closed. The half way open front door was pulled out of our hands and then the lady walked over and turned off the open sign. It actually worked out well though because.....


Right down the street was Aztec Brewing. We didn't realize it, but it was their 2nd Anniversary party and the place was busy. They had live music and food for the party. I saw a flyer that said they were selling tickets for the event, but I guess they just let us in because it was getting later in the evening.

We went for a taster of all 12 of their beers on tap (there was a lager that wasn't on the tasting menu). They were all nice beers and did a great job of showcasing different malt profiles. I'm not a big coffee fan at all, but surprisingly on of my favorites was the Coffee Blond. We also liked the Sacrifice Red IPA and the Poco Gigante IPA.

Too much fun for one night. Hopefully we will get a chance to make it back down to San Diego County soon. It seems like new breweries pop up faster that I can visit them. I will accept the challenge though!

Stone Brewing Co.: Ruination IPA

7.7% ABV  -  100+ IBU's

No need for an introduction for Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA). These guys produce consistently great beers year after year.

Ruination IPA is one of my favorites. It pours out a clear golden color, but don't let that fool you. This one has some serious maltiness and a whole lot of lingering bitterness. The hop aroma is strong from start to finish.

I look forward to every opportunity to take on a Stone Brew!

San Diego Trip: Alpine Beer Co. and Pacific Beac AleHouse

A couple of weekends ago my wife were down in San Diego County, so we took a little extra time to visit some brewpubs. If you've got to go somewhere to eat, it might as well have some great beer!

On Friday night we made our way down to Alpine Beer Co. (Alpine, CA). This place was highly recommended by a friend and we weren't disappointed.

It's a tiny little place in town and has a really cool mountainy cafe character. It was pouring rain outside too, so that added to the feel!

We got started with the six sampler of Willy Vanilly, Alpine Ale, Mandarin Nectar, Duet, and Pure Hoppiness. My wife liked the Willy Vanilly the best due to the fresh vanilla taste and I enjoyed the Mandarin Nectar the most as the honey used as a fermentable gave the beer a unique taste.








The food at Alpine Beer Co. was killer too. We started out with the pulled pork potato skins (special) as an appetizer and then finished off with a spicy chicken sausage sandwich. Both were great.

The next day we were down in Point Loma and randomly selected Pacific Beach AleHouse (San Diego, CA). It was right down on the beach and I can imagine this place gets crazy in the Summer.

I went for their standard taster of Good Times Gold, White Wash Wheat, Crystal Pier Pale Ale, Promiscuous IPA (in place of Amber Wave that was tapped out), and PB Porter. My favorite was the Pale Ale.

For food, the Rattlesnake Flatbread was very good. The lobster mac and cheese was way too pricey.