Beer of the Week: Pace Car
Arguably the county's foremost coffee-beer producer, AleSmith Brewing debuts a 6% beer inspired by its standard-bearer Speedway Stout
Like many San Diego craft-beer fans, I have a soft spot in my heart for Speedway Stout. In fact, I love the beer so much that it partially fueled my 2016 decision to move on from the brewery where I was working to head marketing for the Miramar company that produces that coffee-infused imperial stout, AleSmith Brewing. Once there, I was given a monthly beer allowance, which meant I had complimentary access to AleSmith products, including Speedway. Talk about a dream come true! I stocked my home beer fridge with bottle after bottle of this inky, roasty delight and limited-edition variants (Barrel-aged, Hawaiian Speedway, Hammerhead Edition, Mexican Speedway, Vietnamese Coffee, Velvet Speedway), but it wasn’t long before I found out that it is, indeed, possible to have too much of a good thing. You see, for all its balanced silkiness, Speedway Stout comes in at a bruising 12% alcohol-by-volume, making the act of getting through a 750-milliliter bottle formidable. You need a night to yourself, a bunch of friends or some seriously steely alcohol-tolerance (which I personally lack). When AleSmith started canning Speedway in 2021, that helped a bit, but even 16 ounces of imperial stout can be daunting. I often found myself wishing there was a lower-alcohol version of Speedway on the market. Lo and behold, now there is, and it’s this week’s featured beer, Pace Car. A nitrogenized stout making use of the many lessons AleSmith’s brew crew has learned about brewing with coffee, this smooth daily drinker is packed with bitter chocolate and medium-roast java essence offset by a touch of acidity. Pace Car provides proof that AleSmith doesn’t have to go big to make a profound impression on the palate. It’s got me wondering when we might see lower-ABV versions of some of their other award-winning imperial-strength behemoths. Maybe a lower-schilling version of Wee Heavy or a dubbel-strength Grand Cru? Hey, a guy can dream.
Pace Car is inspired by our approach to the quality coffee and craftsmanship in Speedway Stout, but built to be more approachable at 6%. We have received many requests for a lower ABV stout you can enjoy multiple pints of, and we’re excited to bring it to life in 2026. With Pace Car, you get light roast, chocolate and subtle toffee notes, with fresh coffee and a smooth, creamy nitro pour on draft and in cans.”
Ryan Crisp, Vice President of Operations, AleSmith Brewing
AleSmith Brewing is located at 9990 AleSmith Court in Miramar