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S ER VIN G TH E S AN D IEGO C RAF T B EE R C OM MU N ITY


TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Editor


Beer and Now: Bottlecraft Brews in the News


Coastal Craft - 21 Top Beach Spots


Into the Brew - Summer Beers


11 in ‘11 Check-In


Plates & Pints - AleSmith Wee Heavy Short Ribs


The Nameless Beermaid July Event Highlights Directory Map


2 4 5


NHC Recap & Coverage 6-7 8-9


10 11


12 13 14 15


Iron Fist’s Hired Hand has a little bit of everything: fruit, spice, and a refreshing finish. Read the full review by searching “Hired Hand” on westcoastersd.com. Photo courtesy of Iron Fist Brewing Co.


‘Tis the Saison Celebrate summer with this classic beer style


By Sam Tierney W


hile saison may be the French word for “season,” it also refers to a style of beer that is most likely golden to orange in color with a distinctively fruity yeast profile and a dry finish. It might be funky or sour. It might be on the hoppy side, but not to the extent of an American pale ale of IPA. It might be dark, spiced like crazy, or flavored with any matter of oddball fruits. The main criteria is that it should be refreshing and drinkable – always finishing dry, but full of flavor and most important of all, character. Saison is a fun beer for brew-


ers, and is often a good window into their personality. You can learn a lot about a beer maker’s influences and indulgences when you experience their take on this style. Saison traces its origins to the farms of


Wallonia, the French-speaking southern part of Belgium, where it developed as a refresh- ing and nourishing low-alcohol drink for those working the fields. Most farms would brew enough beer to ensure a healthy supply for their thirsty farmhands. Brewing was rustic and born of necessity. Brewers typi- cally had to use whatever ingredients were


available locally, including various grains and sugars. Fermentation was probably by a mix of cultures including wild yeasts and some lactic acid bacteria. The old saisons have been compared to lambic in their tart, acidic flavor profile. Modern brewing science has done a lot to change the flavors of beer. Since the invention of single culture fermentation in the 19th century, these flavors have mostly become cleaner and lost the acidity displayed from lactic fermentation and wild yeast strains such as tanomyces. Many modern saisons are fermented from pure ale yeast cultures and do not display the sour character of saisons past. Even so, saison yeast is still one of the quirkiest and most flavorful strains (or family of strains) out there, and is most often the main driver of the beer’s character. A wide range of fruity and spicy aromatics is often produced by these yeasts as they undertake fermentation at unusu- ally high temperatures.


Bret-


Strength (alcohol by volume) has also increased over time. While saisons in the past were typically under 5% ABV, modern com- mercial examples will start in that range and commonly get up around 6-7%ABV. Some saison produc- ers make specialty ales that hit the 8-9%ABV range, also known as “super saisons” to some enthusiasts and writers.


For descriptions of 5 must-try saisons, continue to Page 3


In With The New Butcher’s Brewing and Aztec Brewing Company make rookie bids for beer supremacy


By Brandon Hernández W


hen a craft beer scene is as scorching of a hot bed as ours, there’s never


a shortage of entrepreneurs look- ing to get in on the action. It is the opportunity to make money while flexing creative muscle that ensures the number of San Diego-based brewing companies will continue to increase.


In fact, two companies are debut- ing on the scene this summer (with a number of others navigating their way through City and County per- mitting and ABC limbo). The first to get their brews to market was Butcher’s Brewing, which debuted its inaugural beer, Mucho Aloha Hawaiian-style Pale Ale (HPA) at The Ritual Tavern on May 28 dur- ing a special meet-the-brewer event presided over by a familiar face on the San Diego edible scene, Butch- er’s Brewery owner Rey Knight. One of SD’s deftest crafters of charcuterie, Rey helmed Knight Salumi before that business was tar- geted by the Food and Drug Admin- istration (in a manner akin to the 2009 citations issued by the County


of San Diego Health and Human arm to San Diego breweries which unjustly held their tasting rooms to the same standard as restaurants). Although Knight Salumi’s minor infractions were fringe at best, Rey was eventually forced to shut the operation down after depleting his personal financial resources on legal fees.


But the charcuterie world’s loss just may become the beeriverse’s boon as Rey has been able to trans- late his meat-curing skills to the brewing arena quite naturally. “My knowledge of bacteria and fermen- tation, understanding the good and bad bugs and how they operate and influence the final product, plus the general knowledge of pH and temperature manipulation during fermentation are very helpful,” says Knight, who cranks out all of the recipes for Butcher’s beers. Already, Mucho Aloha HPA is earning fans and tap space. In ad- dition to The Ritual, it can be had at Cowboy Star in the East Village, Breakwater Brewing in Oceans- ide, Union in Encinitas and, soon,


at the wildly popular Searsucker in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter. The 5.6% ABV beer is mildly, yet effectively hopped at 36 IBUs and displays a piney nose and a creamy, well-balanced consistency on the palate.


“The HPA is a blend of American grains and hops fermented with Belgian yeast. It is a lighter bodied pale ale with tropical phenolic compounds of banana, citrus and a slight spiciness of clove and allspice,” says Knight. “Like the name suggests, it is inspired by the same laid back beach lifestyle we enjoy here


Continued on Page 3


Photo courtesy of Butcher’s Brewing

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