Beer of the Week: Luke, I Am Your Padre

If you’ve run into me in person, it’s rather likely you found me clad in a San Diego Padres jersey. From the classic brown, orange and gold kits of the ‘80s to blue-and-orange, the far-too-lengthy navy blue era and the brown-and-yellow scheme shared by my small business, I bleed the colors of my hometown. It doesn’t even matter that they’ve never won a World Series or are currently struggling to collectively hit above the Mendoza line. They are my team, this is my town and I will be a fan for life (unless they up and move like the Chargers, who are dead to me)! The only thing I’m as steadfastly devout about is San Diego beer, so when a local brewery releases an ale or a lager referencing or paying tribute to the team, I’m all in. Even if the beer is only OK, I appreciate clever names and collaborations with Padres players. But when the beer also happens to be outstanding, it’s time to shout it from the upper rows of the 300 section at Petco Park…even if the beer also celebrates a subculture of which I am not a member like this week’s featured beer, Luke, I Am Your Padre. A clever creation from North Park brewpub TapRoom Beer Co., this dual-interest creation for the Friar Faithful and lovers of the Star Wars franchise was released on the unofficial holiday celebrating the latter, May the Fourth. With an outstanding name and cans featuring a retro team color scheme with imagery of Darth Vader wielding a light-saber bat, Manny Machado, the Death Star and Western Metal Supply building, it was an instant hit (no pun intended), enough that TapRoom has decided to keep the beer around through the entirety of the 2026 Major League Baseball season. That’s a win for San Diegans and JedHeads alike, because it also happens to be a fantastic beer. One of the most fruit-forward West Coast IPAs I’ve ever tasted, it comes on strong with hop-born flavors of passionfruit, peach and tangerine, all of which are allowed to shine thanks to a low level of bitterness on par with a hazy IPA. Good for nine innings or a six-film binge session, Luke, I Am Your Padre is more than a collectible can, it’s an IPA worth seeking out. I hope to see it on tap from May to September (or, please or please, October) for many seasons to come!

This beer was an incredibly fun and difficult project that was pushed into fruition by our sales director, Grant Shulkin. He had talked about this idea for a while, toying with names until it finally hit him. We all agreed this could be a massive hit in this county, and we went from there. We made this with Amarillo, Mosaic and Simcoe hops, some of our favorites here at TapRoom. We hope this beer finds as many Star Wars fans as Padres fans out there, and are so excited for what it brings.”

Justin Pribbenow, Head Brewer, TapRoom Beer Co.

TapRoom Beer Co. is located at 2000 El Cajon Boulevard in North Park