Beer of the Week: Hazy Weekend

As many of you know, prior to becoming a full-time journalist, I was a marketing professional for more than 20 years, and spent the better part of a decade working in that capacity for local brewing companies. Like any craft-beer fan, I get excited about new ale and lager releases, while also getting amped about the aspects of those debuts having to do with marketing. I adore a clever beer name, eye-catching packaging design, inventive rollouts and launch events, all of which help not just generate, but maximize interest in a brewery’s new creation. And when a company has struck gold with a workhorse brand, boy oh boy do I love a brand extension! For those unfamiliar with that term, it refers to an entity leveraging the equity of and fandom for one of its proven, particularly successful brands by introducing new products referencing it, thus creating a family of offerings. We’ve seen multiple cases of this within the San Diego sudscape. Stone Brewing’s “Delicious” IPA begat a trio of IPAs brandished with that adjective, the .394 Pale Ale AleSmith Brewing crafted in collaboration with Tony Gwynn gave way to hazy and session versions, and North Park Beer Co.‘s portfolio continues to expand with a seemingly endless line of spinoffs based around house IPA, Hop-Fu! Similarly smart is Coronado Brewing’s embrace and extension of its award-winning Weekend Vibes IPA. In 2023, the savvy Bay Park operation introduced a double IPA dubbed BIG Weekend, and last week marked the debut of this week’s featured beer, Hazy Weekend Hazy IPA. A logical addition that makes for a holiday weekend (there are three of these weekend beers now, after all), Hazy Weekend leads with orange-candy aromas. Those citrus confectionery notes show up on the palate along with red currant, white peach and a bit of pineapple. It’s a solid beer, which is always key when a brewery is designing a year-rounder, and an intelligent brand extension from a company that’s among the county’s smartest beer businesses.

Hazy Weekend IPA is the newest addition to our Weekend lineup and a natural next step for the brand. Built on the momentum of Weekend Vibes and BIG Weekend, it helps round out what we like to call our 3-Day Weekend series. This one leans juicy and easy-drinking, with bright hop flavor that doesn’t overpower. Brewed with Simcoe, Centennial and Citra hops, it delivers that classic hazy IPA vibe with a smooth finish. At 6.5% alcohol-by-volume, it’s approachable but still full of flavor; think laid-back coastal energy, long afternoons and no rush to be anywhere.”

Chris Sartori, Head Brewer, Coronado Brewing

Coronado Brewing’s taprooms are located at 1205 Knoxville Street in Bay Park and 170 Orange Avenue in Coronado