What’s Tapping (8/7)

Welcome to San Diego Beer News‘ weekly list of beers tapping for the first time or returning to beer lists at breweries throughout San Diego County, including links where you can find additional info or purchase the beers online. For more details regarding release/tapping dates, times and locations, consult the official website or social-media accounts of the brewing companies listed.

And keep scrolling for Bottlecraft staff recommendations about beers they are excited about that can be found at their bottle shop locations in North Park, Little Italy, Point Loma and Oceanside!

• AleSmith Brewing (Miramar): Azul y Chrome Lager, 4.2%
• Asylum Brewing (North Park): Witch Doctor Fruited West Coast IPA, 7.5%
• Athletic Brewing (Miramar): Island Time Piña Colada-inspired Non-alcoholic Sour Beer, < 0.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Ballast Point Brewing (Miramar, Little Italy): Red Right Hand Red IPA, 7.2%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Miramar, Little Italy): Shiver Me Timbers Cold IPA, 6%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Miramar, Little Italy): Sour Wench Blackberry Ale, 7%
• BattleMage Brewing (Vista): Heroes’ Feast IPA, 6.6%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Miramar, Little Italy): Unfiltered Sculpin IPA, 7%
• Bear Roots Brewing (Vista, Escondido): Sunshine Day Pineapple Mango Pale Ale, 6.2%
• Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista, North Park): Melony Griffith Kölsch w/ Cantaloupe, 5.5%
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido): Daywalker Red Ale, 6.1% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido): Gothica Mexican-style Lager, 5.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido): In My Darkest Sour Ale w/ Mango & Pineapple – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido): Medusa Imperial Milk Stout, 8.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido): Open Mind Hazy IPA, 6.8% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido): Trouble Maker West Coast IPA, 6.8% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Blue Fire Brewing (San Marcos): White Sage IPA, 7%
• Breakwater Brewing (Vista): Perfect Day American Strong Ale, 9.1%
• Brewjería Co. (Chula Vista): Race Related Japanese-style Lager, 5.2%
• Deft Brewing (Bay Park): Deft Not Daft English-style Pale Mild, 3.2%
• Deft Brewing (Bay Park): Deft Poets Society Czech-style Pilsner, 5.3%
• Deft Brewing (Bay Park): Don’t Beat a Deft Horse Dunkelweizen, 5.4%
• Docent Brewing (Carlsbad): Bert Day Blonde Ale, 5%
• Docent Brewing (Carlsbad): Handful Helles Lager, 5.2%
• Docent Brewing (Carlsbad): Macro Doce West Coast IPA, 6%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): Abso-hefin’-lutely German-style Hefeweizen, 5.2%

• Fall Brewing (Miramar, North Park, South Park): Tropical IPA, 6.8%
• Fall Brewing (Miramar, North Park, South Park): Vigilant Sidekick IPA, 7%
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): DDH Among Many Double Dry-hopped Hazy IPA, 7.2% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Pally Pils Italian-style Pilsner, 4.8% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): That Nelson Kief IPA, 6.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, Carmel Valley, Bay Park, South Park): De Harlanderji Belgian-style Blonde Ale, 6.1%
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, Carmel Valley, Bay Park, South Park): Paloma Hard Seltzer w/ Grapefruit, Lime & Agave, 5%
• Hodad’s Brewing (Serra Mesa, Ocean Beach, Downtown): Cool Story Bräu Munich-style Helles Lager, 4.8%
• Home Brew Mart (Morena): What’s Cooler Than Being Cool? Ice Cole! Cold IPA (San Diego Beer News Homebrew Summer collaboration )
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): The Dorsty Lion Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale, 9%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Hold the Orange Hefeweizen, 5.6%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): What You Need West Coast IPA, 7%
• Julian Beer Co. (Julian): The Assassin Japanese-style Rice Lager, 4.5%
• Julian Beer Co. (Julian): Wild Card Watermelon Lime Hard Seltzer, 6%
• Ketch Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Downtown, Point Loma): Clear Conditions Cucumber Lime Hard Seltzer, 5%
• Mason Ale Work (Barrio Logan, Point Loma): Mister Lager’s Neighborhood American Lager, 4.9%
• Mason Ale Work (Barrio Logan, Point Loma): You Can’t Resist the Oats Double Dry-hopped Triple IPA, 10.5%
• Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine): Pineberry West Coast IPA, 6.3%
• Michi Brew Co. (San Marcos): Cenote Mexican-style Lager, 4.5%
• New English Brewing (Sorrento Valley): Humbly Legit IPA, 7.5%
• Nickel Beer Co. (Julian): Mr. Cup West Coast IPA, 6.3%
• Night Parade Brewing (Scripps Ranch): El Jaguar Mexican-style Lager, 4.5% (collaboration w/ El Puerquito Hard Frescas)

• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Covington American Pilsner, 6% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Hop-Fu! Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Quadrangular Quadruple Dry-hopped Hazy Quadruple IPA, 12% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• The Original 40 Brewing (North Park): Magnetic Ribbon: Final Cut Edition Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ Cocoa Nibs, Coffee, Vanilla, Almond & Coconut, 13.3%
• Pizza Port Bressi Ranch (Carlsbad): Sunny Disposition Imperial Blonde Ale, 7.5%
• Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach): Ultimate Rush IPA, 7% (collaboration w/ Tarantula Hill Brewing)
• Pizza Port Carlsbad Village (Carlsbad): Flammabowl Agave-smoked Brown Ale, 6% (collaboration w/ All Things Agave)
• Prohibition Brewing (Vista): Valkyrie Whisper Lingonberry Hard Seltzer, 5.1%
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Lodebiër Vienna-style Lager, 6%
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Space Echos Murky IPA, 6.6% (collaboration w/ Bottle Logic Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Sun-kissed Sip Hard Smoothie w/ Peach & Guava, 6% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Quantum Brewing (Kearny Mesa): White Dwarf Belgian-style Witbier, 5%
• The Roadies Brewing (Vista): At the Hop Double Dry-hopped Double IPA, 8.1%
• The Roadies Brewing (Vista): Now That’s What I Call Anniversary, Volume 1 Triple Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7.2%
• The Roadies Brewing (Vista): Somewhere to Hide Double Dry-hopped IPA, 6.8% (collaboration w/ TapRoom Beer Co.)
• The Roadies Brewing (Vista): Wheels of Confusion Czech-style Dark Lager, 5.5% (San Diego Beer News Homebrew Summer collaboration)
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): More Than Its Parts Mexican-style Dark Lager, 5.2% (collaboration w/ Living Haus Beer Co.)
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Swift Evasion Dry-hopped Light Lager, 3.9% (collaboration w/ Whistle Punk Brewing)
• South O Brewing (Oceanside): Old School Rules American Pale Ale, 5.2%
• Weir Beer Co. (Vista): Double Doobie Double IPA, 8%

Gene Fielden | Bottlecraft North Park Manager

We are putting a spotlight on Kölsch at Bock Bar and Bottlecraft North Park this weekend! Please drop by BCNP on Friday, August 8 or Bock Bar all weekend long for flights of Kölsch or even a full Kranz! Accordingly, all three picks this week are from Cologne or inspired by it.

Local breweries all throughout the German-speaking world reacted in different ways to the Pilsner wave that crashed out of Bohemia in the latter half of the 19th century. Munich invented the helles as a softer and less hoppy pale lager, Düsseldorf doubled down on malt-driven offerings with the altbier and Köln (i.e., Cologne) came up with Kölsch. For over a century beforehand, the city had been making hybrid-style beers that were both a lager and an ale simultaneously, by fermenting warm with ale yeasts before cold crashing and lagering. The key to the evolution of the style was the addition of Pilsner malt and filtration, making for a vibrantly clear beer. Often evincing fruit-forward esters from the expressive German ale yeast, this style is elegantly light-bodied and traditionally served in 200-milliliter cylindrical glassware known as Stangen (prounounced SHTAHNG-en), Stange in the singular. A “wreath” (Kranz) of 11 of these Stangen is another efficient way to serve and transport a heap of Kölsch all at once. Prost!

Reissdorf Kölsch | Kölsch (4.8%): A true Kölsch from within Cologne city limits, this is one of the very best examples we can lay hands on from the wellspring of the style. Maintaining the golden malt of the Pilsner style as well as filtration for brilliant transparency but utilizing an ale yeast, a Kölsch is light-bodied with a whiff of esterification, like a good dry Riesling. Reminding us that lagering is a process and not just a family of beers, this is a top-fermented lager!

Wayfinder Kollaps | Kölsch (4.7%): With the world-famous Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) on the label, Wayfinder pays homage to this style’s origins and home city. Bright and estery, with abundant fruit-forward aromas and a spicy noble hop character, this offering from our friends in Portland is a delight for the senses.

pFriem Kölsch | Kölsch (4.7%): Drink this if you like pears! Unmistakably evoking the sense-memory of those soft and supple fruits, this creation by pFriem Family Brewers out of Hood River, Oregon is a gentle down pillow of a beer. Verging into golden ale territory, with floral overtones and a hint of biscuit, this is an ideal daytime beer for all occasions.

Click here to explore the quality beers at Bottlecraft’s four San Diego locations