What’s Tapping (1/18)

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 staffers’ 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): Currently Trending Cold IPA, 7.4%
• Arcana Brewing (Carlsbad): Sol Mosaic West Coast IPA, 7%
• Athletic Brewing (Miramar): Non-alcoholic Marionberry Sour Ale w/ Lactose, < 0.5%
• Barrel & Stave Brewing (Vista): Original Beast German-style Sticke Altbier
• BattleMage Brewing (Vista): Shar with Friends Hazy IPA, 
• Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista): Caramel Mocha Latte Golden Coffee Stout, 6%
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido, North Park): Medusa Imperial Milk Stout, 8.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido, North Park): Stay Chill Gluten-reduced Blonde Ale, 4.8% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido, North Park): Tony Hawps West Coast IPA, 6.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Escondido, Little Italy): Nature Calls! IPA, 6.9%
• Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Escondido, Little Italy): Seven Wonders Extra Pale Ale, 5.1%
• California Wild Ales (Point Loma, Ocean Beach): 3rd Block from the Sun Hazy IPA, 6.7%
• California Wild Ales (Point Loma, Ocean Beach): Bike Lane Lager, 5.4%
• California Wild Ales (Point Loma, Ocean Beach): Dry Hopped Golden Barrel-aged Sour Ale, 5%
• California Wild Ales (Point Loma, Ocean Beach): Rainbow Weather Hazy Double IPA, 8.3%
• California Wild Ales (Point Loma, Ocean Beach): Warzone West Coast IPA, 7.2%
• California Wild Ales (Point Loma, Ocean Beach): Watermelon Hard Seltzer, 5%
• Coronado Brewing (Bay Park, Coronado): Fresh Hopportunity Fresh-hop Pale Ale, 6%
• Creative Creature Brewing (San Marcos, El Cajon): Guava Have It! Sour Ale, 5%
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Pale Ale, 5.8%

• Deft Brewing (Morena): DoubleDeft Secret DoppelSticke Altbier, 9.2%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Half-a-Weizen Hefeweizen, 5.4%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Kirschbier Gose w/ Cherry, 4.3%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Tourmaline Tan English-style Brown Ale, 5.5%
• Division 23 Brewing (Miramar): Prickly Pear Hard Seltzer
• Dogleg Brewing (Vista): Denali West Coast IPA, 6%
• Fall Brewing (Miramar, North Park, South Park): All Systems Go Vol. 4 Dry-hopped Lager, 4.7%
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Kampeon Philippine-style Rice Lager, 5%
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Rollin’ on Hundred Spokes West Coast IPA, 6.7% (collaboration w/ Ism Brewing)
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, South Park, Bay Park, Carmel Valley): Booze Berries Smoothie Sour Ale, 8%
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, South Park, Bay Park, Carmel Valley): Fortune Teller Triple IPA, 10%
• Helix Brewing (La Mesa): Surveza Mexican-style Lager, 4.5%
• Jacked Up Brewery (Escondido): El Gato Mexican-style Lager, 5%
• Jacked Up Brewery (Escondido): Honey Pale Ale, 5%
• Jacked Up Brewery (Escondido): Monday IPA, 5.3%
• Julian Beer Co. (Julian): Solstice Sunrise Golden Milk Stout w/ Coffee & Cacao, 5.8%
• Julian Beer Co. (Julian): Thirsty Thurston Tropical Doppelbock, 9%
• Karl Strauss Brewing (Downtown, Sorrento Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, San Marcos, Carlsbad): Smooth Operator Milk Stout, 4.7%
• Mujeres Brew House (Barrio Logan): Buenas Vibras Blonde Ale, 5.3%
• Night Parade Brewing (Scripps Ranch): Fortunes Fool Imperial Stout
• Night Parade Brewing (Scripps Ranch): Mystic Citrus West Coast IPA w/ Tangerine

• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Axes of Fu!: Vol. 2 Triple Dry-hopped Hazy Double IPA, 8.2% (collaboration w/ Fidens Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Hop-Fu! Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Party Cup Mosaic Lager, 5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Rice & Beans Triple Dry-hopped Hazy Triple IPA, 10% (collaboration w/ Fidens Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Pizza Port Bressi Ranch (Carlsbad): Amoeba International-style Amber Lager, 5.8%
• Pizza Port (Solana Beach): Single Origin American Stout w/ Guatemala Coffee, 7.3%
• Prey Brewing (Vista): Coffee Stout *
• Prey Brewing (Vista): Dark Mexican-style Lager *
• Prey Brewing (Vista): Fruited Brett Saison (collaboration w/ Derive Brewing) *
• Prey Brewing (Vista): Golden Sour Ale w/ Riesling Grapes *
• Prey Brewing (Vista): Gose w/ Salt & Lime *
• Prey Brewing (Vista): Hazy IPA (collaboration w/ TapRoom Beer Co.) *
• Prey Brewing (Vista): Mexican-style Lager *
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Obsidian Cliff Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ Cacao, Marshmallow & Graham Cracker, 13.2% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Tao Oak Barrel-aged Sour Ale w/ Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc Grapes, 7.5% (collaboration w/ Black Sears Winery) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Resident Brewing (Downtown): Cup o’ Za Helles-style Lager w/ Black Tea, 5.3%
• Rouleur Brewing (Carlsbad): Sprinteur Hoppy Red Ale on Nitro, 5.3%
• Stone Brewing (Escondido, Oceanside, Downtown, Point Loma, Harbor Island): Delicious Hazy IPA, 7.2%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): Jet Black New Year Cold Stout, 5.8%
• WestBrew (Vista, Del Mar, East Village): Seal Cove Milk Stout, 7.5% 

* opening-day tap list

Gene Fielden | North Park Bottlecraft Manager

Beachwood / Firestone Walker West Coast Way | West Coast IPA (7.1%): The indefatigable Beachwood Brewing keeps up their extraordinary output of invariably dry, bitter and filtered hoppy beers. This collaboration with Central California brewing methuselah, Firestone Walker Brewing, piles Simcoe, Citra and Columbus hops together alongside Mosaic in both Cryo and Incognito form. Amusingly, the can’s label shows that the bear on the Firestone crest has dropped his fists and dueling stance in favor of a surfboard. The lion is nowhere to be seen. Perhaps it prefers hang-gliding? Just one of those mysteries to ponder over a pint of this brightly aromatic West Coast IPA.

Humble Sea Helles | Helles-style Lager (4.9%): Though hazies, punning titles and cartoony iconography define their style, the brewers at Humble Sea in Santa Cruz clearly have a soft spot for bottom-fermented beers, as well. Recurring core lager Humble Sea Helles proudly states that it is “double decocted” on the label, a wink towards those in the know. In brief, double decoction is a method in lager production common in traditional Czech and Bavarian brewing traditions, which imparts a rounded cooked-cereal malt character. Devotees insist that it makes for a more flavorful and texturally pleasing beer. Readers will have to decide for themselves!

Alvarado Street Daiquiri Island Strawberry Banana | Imperial Sour Ale (8%): In case there was any doubt that we are living through another golden age of the daiquiri, please note the profusion of beers inspired by this immortal cocktail. The early adopters at Alvarado Street Brewery have been exploring the contours through their Daiquiri Island line of kettle-sour ales for years now. (This one also leans on their well-documented love of banana beers.) Tempered by a zing of lime to up the acidity, this is one of those transportive beers that will temporarily remove you from the gray gloom that besets us at this time of year.

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