SD BREWS IN THE NEWS


westcoastersd.com’s Month in Review 3 Top Brewers Sculpt


Scotch Ale at Stone 12/18/10


We drove up to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens on a rainswept Friday afternoon (Dec. 17th) to visit with Mitch Steele, head brewer of Stone Brewing Co., Chuck Silva, brewmaster of Green Flash, & Jeff Bagby, head brewer of Pizza Port Carlsbad (and overlord of Pizza Port brewing operations). The three had been hard at work on the “Highway 78 Scotch Ale” since 8 am.


Named after the infamous beer high- way that is the 78 of Northern San Diego County, Jacob McKean of Stone Brew- ing Co. described the brew-in-progress as “a big, rich, malty beer made with all English ingredients.” Mitch estimates that the ale will be 8-9%ABV, around 30 IBUs, and a deep-amber color. “It’s been a couple of years in the making,” Jeff de-


to westcoastersd.com, December 18, 2010, “Sid, Geoi & Co. Throw Epic Charity Bash @ DTJB”


Crashing Ladies Night 12/16/10


Patrick Rue of Placentia’s The Bruery made the trip down from Orange County to share his beer at The High Dive on Dec 14. Each month, this Bay Park venue hosts “Chicks for Beer,” a beer- centric social meet-up, and the perfect Girls Night Out. More than 35 ladies of all ages were on hand to enjoy a beer & cheese pairing hosted by owners Erik and Ingrid Qua. Tickets to the event were sold mostly through Chicks for Beer’s Facebook page, and the group has been gaining in popularity since its inception in June.


– for complete article and for photos


to westcoastersd.com, December 13, 2010, “KnB Rocks Beers & Beards”


And the Winners Are… 12/11/10


Congrats to AleSmith on receiving 1st Place in TapHunter.com’s SD Brewery of the Year Awards. Nearly 500 votes were cast and it was no surprise to see the Mira Mesa brewery take top spot. Just like their beers, the celebratory party on Friday night did not disap- point – the tasting room was filled to the brim. Head honcho Peter Zien dropped in to check the scene before retreating to enjoy a celebratory beer away from the masses. Mel and Jeff “Flash” Gor- don, TapHunter’s dynamic duo, were excited to see the great turnout.


– for complete article and for photos go to westcoastersd.com, December 11, 2010, “Tap Hunter Awards Recap”


Hamilton’s Firkin Friday 12/4/10


Like most Fridays, the place was packed. The casks tapped every Firkin Friday are a South Park staple, and last night’s proved to be quite popular – Ingrid tapped the cask at 5 pm and we arrived after our last round of deliveries to the sight of a ‘tender scribbling OUT on the board. The good news: we won’t have to wait long to attend more great cask beer events at Hamilton’s. – for complete article and for photos go to westcoastersd.com, December 4, 2010, “Hamilton’s A Hit”


The Tall Wall of Beer 12/6/10


TapHunter’s Melani and Jeff Gordon (far left and far right) present Michael Skubic (holding glass) and Mike Hess with the 2nd Place Award


Cheers to Chicks for Beer!


go to westcoastersd.com, December 16, 2010, “Chicks for Beer @ The High Dive”


Jeff and Chuck, latest in a stellar list of Stone col- laborators, with job-well-done shirts


scribes, “and we’re excited to age some of this beer in the scotch barrels that are on order.” Chuck chips in, “That’s the fun part!” This will be the first Scotch Ale created at Stone.


Distribution is in the works; check back for more details as the beer should be available in early February. – for complete article and for photos go to westcoastersd.com, December 18, 2010, “Highway 78 Scotch Ale Gets Rolling”


“Epic” DTJB Charity


Fundraiser Taster 12/18/10


Sid (of Best Damn Beer Shop) had this to say following the event at Downtown Johnny Brown’s: “Geoi (of South Bay Drugs) and I went through our cellars and pulled out extremely rare beers to share. Judging from everybody’s response post- event, we executed pretty great.” Execute, they did. Between proceeds from the entrance fee, the outrageous raffle of over 50 items, and the rare beer silent auction, Sid and Geoi raised close to $3,000 for Power Of Change, a non- profit organization dedicated to helping the lives of underprivileged children. “It really doesn’t get any better than that at a tasting, great response for a great cause!” – for complete article and for photos go


Beards Rock @ KnB 12/13/10


Don’t let the name fool you – KnB Wine Cellars in Del Cerro is also one of the best beer bars in San Diego, boasting 32 beers on tap and top-notch cuisine. As Saturday night (Dec. 11th) progressed, a growing number of customers started to roll in rocking Cosby-style sweaters and outrageous beards.


Their reasoning? 15 new Xmas beers on tap at a 10% discount. Rang- ing from The Bruery’s 3 French Hens to Samichlaus ’08, the selection was enough to get anyone in the holiday


Just a couple blocks away, the party was already underway as Hess Brew- ing relished their 2nd Place finish in the vote. On tap besides some great Hess selections were beers from the 3rd place finishers, Ballast Point and Stone. Tabe BBQ was on hand to provide nourish- ment to the growing crowd, with many coming straight from the AleSmith festivities. Although a small brewery, Hess is really making waves in the San Diego Craft Beer Scene.


Organized by Tom Nickel of O’Brien’s Pub, The 14th Annual San Diego Strong Ale Festival took place on the 3rd and 4th of December at Pizza Port Carlsbad. I opted for the VIP Session @ 1 pm be- cause, after speaking with Tom, I knew what was coming.


What struck me was the simplicity of the event. Emphasis was placed on the wall of taps. Pizza Port employees stood between the wall and the table bar to transform tickets into beer. The place was packed! After a few rounds, however, everyone became your friend. Eight tasters (count ‘em) was plenty for me, and made for a sleepy passenger- seat ride home.


– for complete article and for photos go to westcoastersd.com, December 6, 2010, “Strong Ale Festival”


Kristina and Jaclyn serve Christmas beer & cheer


spirit. Some of the ladies in attendance even got in the mix with beards of their own; all beards were judged thoroughly by a panel of KnB employees on texture, length, manliness, etc. This event was a creative way to kick off the holiday season in style.


– for complete article and for photos go


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