Beer of the Week: Daybreak

When asked what the primary advantage of the brewpub model is, most would answer, “food!” And while that is the most obvious and fulfilling aspect of a restaurant with on-site brewing capabilities from a consumer standpoint, the craftspeople churning out those establishments’ beers would give you a much different answer (even though the staff lunches at brewpubs blow doors on the brown-bag and microwave midday fare of production-brewery staffers). For brewers, the ability to produce beer in small batches and fill out their tap list with staples as well as one-offs and experimental offerings speaks to their creative, artisanal yens. But beyond that, the brewpub model allows fermentationists to fine-tune, tweak and, in some cases, simply play around with core-beer recipes that would be staid and untouchable in a production-brewery environment. Take, for instance, this week’s featured beer, Daybreak from Gravity Heights. A traditional West Coast IPA, it’s been a best-seller on the Sorrento Valley brewpub’s menu from the jump and even brought home some awards. Even so, Gravity Heights’ brew crew considers it a work-in-progress and has made small adjustments that, over time, have changed it from a more classic, citrusy IPA with a sturdy, bitter finish to a modern hoppy tantalizer with aromas of tangerine, guava and Muscat grapes leading to a flavor profile that leads with tropical (passion fruit, papaya) and stone fruit (peach, apricot) flavors, finishing with faint bitterness and even a hint of strawberry. Much of that sensorial shift comes from the introduction of a newer, multifaceted hop varietal called Strata, which had just barely made it to market when Gravity Heights opened in January of 2019. Without the flexibility provided by the brewpub model, an update as flavorful and successful as Daybreak’s would be quite difficult to achieve…and there also wouldn’t be any food.

Daybreak has been a staple at Gravity Heights since we opened five years ago, but it has gone through slow evolution to its current – and my favorite – form. It’s always been a Simcoe- and Citra-driven West Coast IPA, but some tweaks to the malt bill and the subtraction of some other hops to allow for the addition of Strata have it tasting better than ever. Being a brewpub, we turn over our small batches quickly, so it is fun to be able to routinely fine-tune a core beer. As much as I enjoy brewing new and one-off beers, the quest for perfecting a beer is the best part of the job and the part that’ll never quite be finished.”

Tommy Kreamer, Head Brewer, Gravity Heights