BEER AND NOW Well-Crafted


Little Italy’s Bottlecraft takes cue from the wine world By Jeff Hammett


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Jeff Hammett first noticed craft beer early in college when a friend introduced him to Stone Brewing Co.’s Pale Ale. After gradu- ating from UCSD with a degree in Philoso- phy, he moved to Santa Cruz where he frequented Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and Seabright Brewery. Jeff would journey up to San Francisco to visit Magnolia and Toronado every chance he got. He started blogging about beer in early 2009 while living in Durango, Colorado. For a town of only 20,000 people, Durango boasts an impressive four breweries. Jeff quickly became a part of the brewing scene, and in January 2010 was invited to work with Ska Brewing Co.’s Head Brewer Thomas Larsen to formulate a recipe and brew on Ska’s pilot system. In addition to his love of craft beer, Mr. Hammett is an avid cyclist and can be seen riding on the road or trails most weekends.


ell-lit and bright thanks to the large windows in the front of the store, Little


Italy’s Bottlecraft isn’t a dark and dingy bar. Nor is it a convenience store selling everything under the sun with a few coolers of beer in the cor- ner. The focus at Bottlecraft is clear: craft beer (with a few artisanal foods thrown in on the side). Part bottle shop and part tasting room, Bottle- craft has a liquor license that allows them to sell bottles and cans of beer to-go as well as serve pints and tasters to be consumed while you’re there. As far as retail models go, it can be compared to many wine bars around town, which could be where owner Brian Jensen got the idea. Brian’s previous professional experience has been with wine and food – he’s a Level One Sommelier as well as a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York – but he’s quick to point out his roots in beer: “First and foremost, I have always been a craft beer drinker and homebrewer. I saw every day how wine was showcased in a boutique- like atmosphere and saw an opportu- nity to do the same with beer.” Although you might not find some of the more obscure imports, and just like all other bottle shops the rare stuff doesn’t stick around for long, the beer selection is nothing to scoff at. When Brian and I spoke in early June he estimated the shop at 300 different beers with 6-10 new beers coming in every day. There’s also plenty of different types of glassware for nearly every style of beer. One of the things that makes Bot- tlecraft so unique is the fact that you can buy any bottle in the store, pay a small corkage fee ($1.25 for 12oz bottles and $2.25 for bigger bottles) and open it on the spot. Drink it while browsing the rest of the selec- tion or take a seat – “I want the space to feel very relaxed and comfortable and focused on conversation and education,” says Brian. For those that can’t decide on which beer to try, Bottlecraft offers two flights every day. The flights, four ounce pours of four different beers, often have something in com- mon, either different beers from the same brewery, the same style of beer from different breweries or similar seasonals from different breweries. Prices on the flights are kept reason- able (they range depending upon the beers involved), but are often below $10, meaning you still can afford to


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A snapshot of some offerings available at Bottlecraft. Photo: Chadwick Gantes


take home a bottle of the beer you discover you like in the flight. Plans are already in the works to hold beer education events in the shop. Jensen says he’s open to every- thing, “I’d like to have a hop farmer talk about hops. Pairing nights with everything from cheese and choco- late to ice cream and peppers. Also Beer 101 and ‘How to Taste [Beer].’” In addition to educational events, Jensen plans to open Bottlecraft up to breweries who’d like to use the space as a temporary pop-up shop; inter- ested breweries could hold special


tastings and pairing events, as well as sell merchandise. Think of it like the brewery’s own tasting room (minus growler fills) on a bustling street in Little Italy instead of in an out-of- the-way industrial park warehouse. Bottlecraft is located at 2161 India Street in Little Italy and open Tues- day through Sunday until 10pm.


Aside from West Coaster, Jeff also writes for San Diego Beer Blog at sandiegobeerblog.com, and you can follow him on twitter @SDBeer


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