Beverage News
I remember it clear as day. It was a sunny Saturday morning during the 2011 edition of San Diego Beer Week. I was touring the grounds of the San Diego Brewers Guild Festival, getting a …
A true rarity – an American take on a Gueuze – and a spectacular one at that.
Last year, when attending a meeting of local cheesemaking club QuesoDiego, I met someone whose zeal for craftsmanship seeped like runny Cancoillotte from fromage into the fermentation arts. His name is Wes McCann and, while …
In April 2012, I wrote about “The Summer of Karl,” noting new developments for Karl Strauss Brewing Company. That included the 24-year-old stalwart, which is known for having been ahead of most local operations in …
Rookie operation delivers big, intriguing flavors via a hybrid beer style.
A few months back, I contacted restaurateur Jay Porter to see if he’d like to have himself and his businesses spotlighted for a chef feature I was working on. To my surprise, he wasn’t interested. …
Since opening two years ago, locavore lair Local Habit (3827 Fifth Avenue, Hillcrest) has gained a reputation as one of San Diego’s beeriest eateries. That reputation came on the back of numerous meet-the-brewer dinners, pairing …
They say passion is the secret ingredient in any good consumable. While genuine affinity doesn’t guarantee success in the fermentation arts, I have found that brewers without passion are at a severe disadvantage when attempting …
When interviewing Alpine Beer Co. owner Pat McIlhenney about how he'll soon have some of his beers brewed at Green Flash Brewing Company’s Mira Mesa facility, we met at craft beer bar O’Brien’s Pub (4646 …
Alpine Beer Co. (2351 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine) benefits from a rabid cult following. On the surface, this is the perfect situation, but for many years this small brewery has been unable to produce anywhere near …
Craft beer is spilling over into other subcultures. One that’s lapping up that overflow with great fervor is the vegan sect. Locally, vegans’ greatest ally in accessing quality craft beer with cuisine that matches their …
Statistics show that Vista is home to more breweries per capita than any other municipality in the United States. It’s not surprising considering how hospitable the City has been in fostering the establishment and growth …
Though Societe Brewing Company (8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Kearny Mesa) is a young business (its two-day, four-session first anniversary celebration takes place this weekend), owners and brewers Douglas Constantiner and Travis Smith possess a deep-seated …
I’m not a frequenter of the unincorporated town of Fallbrook and, hence, was unaware of the weekly exodus that occurs when its residents pick up and head out in search of good times, Friday through …
Earlier this year, after roughly a year of mismanagement and passable but lackluster-by-San-Diego-standards beer, El Cajon Brewing Company closed its doors, leaving behind a rather appealing skeleton. With a good-sized dining room, serviceable kitchen, and …
Sometimes new breweries pop-up out of thin air, coming online within weeks of me finding out about them. Then, there are the operations that stay on my lead list for a lengthy period before being …