Release & Recipe: Spruce Willis

The goal of San Diego Beer News‘ Homebrew Summer program is to bring San Diego’s commercial brewers together with members of the local homebrewing community. Thanks to the generosity of the pros, our area’s amateurs are given the chance to brew their favorite recipes on a commercial level and have them tapped at local breweries, brewpubs and tasting rooms. This week, homebrewer Mike Page will see a spruce-tip pale ale he’s been brewing for years pour forth from the taps at North Park’s TapRoom Beer Co. Playfully dubbed Spruce Willis by Head Brewer Daniel Cady, not only will it be available to taste for the foreseeable future, but if you would like to make it yourself, you can download the recipe right here!

New pro-am beers will debut on a weekly basis throughout the summer, so be sure to check back with San Diego Beer News on a regular basis (or subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter and we’ll send all the recipes and release information straight to your inbox). Cheers and happy homebrewing!

Mike Page

Homebrewer

How long have you been homebrewing and why did you choose to brew a spruce-tip pale ale as part of Homebrew Summer?

I’ve been a member of QUAFF since 2015 and started homebrewing about the same time. I was at Skagway Brewing in Alaska a few years ago and their Spruce Tip Ale is their signature beer. I fell in love with that beer and wanted to brew my own. I had been reading Historical Brewing Techniques by Lars Garshol and wanted to brew a beer with Kveik yeast and spruce tips. I found a Colorado company called Spruce on Tap that ships fresh spruce tips and brewed my first Spruce Tip Ale in 2021. I’ve brewed it many times since then.

How did it feel to get to brew your recipe in a brewpub setting?

It’s always an honor to share your beer with a professional brewer, have them enjoy it and, in this case, have Dan think it was worthy of the Homebrew Summer series.

What are you most excited about with this collaboration?

I’m excited to have this beer included as part of Homebrew Summer and hope it is well received by the San Diego community. It will be nice not to have to drive to Skagway to enjoy a professional Spruce Tip Ale. I also believe TapRoom Beer Co. will submit this beer to the upcoming Great American Beer Festival as a pro-am entry.

Dan Cady

Head Brewer, TapRoom Beer Co.

What led you to work with Mike as part of Homebrew Summer?

Mike has blessed us with his patronage over the years and has brought in countless amazing homebrews for us to share. His spruce-tip pale ale always impressed us with its complex aromatics and fresh, Pacific Northwest-inspired experience.

How was the brew day and did you need to make any significant adjustments to the recipe when scaling it up to work with your system?

It was a blast! Mike is always a pleasure to have around and jumped at the opportunity to get even dirtier with us in the brewhouse. He kept the mash stirred, weighted out all the ingredients, added the spruce tips and even cleaned out the tanks when they were empty. The main adjustments we made were hop varietals, as we didn’t have access to the specific ones used in his original recipe, but we spent a good amount of time picking varietals to use in their stead.

What is the significance of San Diego’s homebrew community to the county’s brewing industry?

We wouldn’t be here without the homebrew community.