Beer of the Week: Pisto

From the Beer Writer: I am a lifelong San Diegan and spent the first 13 years of my life growing up in Chula Vista. My mom and I lived on one side of town and both my sets of grandparents lived on the other, a mere four blocks from each other. The furthest we ventured outside the city limits was to hit up a restaurant we’d go to on the southern edge of National City, and even that was rare. Chula Vista was my whole world and a wonderful place to call home. As a child, I frequented the movie theaters, restaurants and shops on Third Avenue, and I find it very cool that when I stroll that thoroughfare today I come across numerous local breweries that not only make quality beer but also celebrate my municipality of origin and the South Bay swagger displayed by Chula’s proud citizens. One of those businesses, Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing, extends its efforts to be a productive member of the community through the work of its sister organization, the Emo Brown Foundation. That non-profit organizes a variety of fundraising events, proceeds from which allow them to award academic scholarships to local youths and do other forms of “good in the ‘hood”. It’s inspiring, as is the fact both the foundation and the brewery are Hispanic-owned and operated. Recently, Thr3e Punk Ales teamed up with another such business, online sensation, Foos Gone Wild, to rebrew this week’s featured beer, Pisto. A straightforward, daily-crusher of a Mexican lager, it was first produced last year, but was such a hit that this time around they brewed 180 barrels of the beer, a colossal amount for a relatively small brewery like Thr3e Punk Ales. And even with such a vast supply, it’s selling quick. Looks like it may be time for another trip down memory lane, AKA: Third Avenue!

From the Brewery: “The official beer of Fooville… Pisto. Brought to you by Foos Gone Wild and Thr3e Punk Ales. The idea to create Pisto was birthed by the mastermind behind Foos Gone Wild, Lil Mr. E. The premise was to have two Brown-owned companies collab to create an alternative to Modelo… Pisto. This pale golden liquid gem is refreshingly crushable at a crisp 5% ABV (alcohol-by-volume). Brewed to be enjoyed with friends at the neighborhood carne asada, Pisto is your official summertime beer, but it won’t last long, so grab your 12-pack today! Catch the Fade… Pisto.”—Steve Garcia, Co-founder, Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing