Beer of the Week: Knifehand

From the Beer Writer: I grew up in a military family. My stepfather was in the Navy where he rose to the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer working jointly with the Marines at Camp Pendleton. As many who grew up with parents in the Armed Forces will tell you, it’s more than a job. It’s a lifestyle, one that often touches and influences an enlistee’s spouse and children. I grew up spending significant time visiting Naval and Marine bases and facilities, interacting with Sailors and Marines, and learning what it took to become a Chief. I’m glad I understand what it means to be part of that order, but without my upbringing I wouldn’t. So, it was great to see Eric Bridges, a retired Senior Chief and award-winning homebrewer, take over the former home of much beloved North Park institution Home Brewing Co. to install El Cid Brewing, a small but hearty beer company celebrating the history, culture and brotherhood of Naval Chiefs. Everything from El Cid’s name and logo to its interior-design and beer names conveys part of a story Bridges is eager to tell. That includes Knifehand, the handle of a best-selling house IPA that won a prestigious homebrew award right before Bridges turned pro. It’s orange-ish hue is appropriate given its predominant navel-orange character, which is joined in this fruit basket of a beer by grapefruit, mango and papaya. Crystal malt adds in a hint of caramelization that matches up with some woodiness to give a nod to the West Coast IPAs of yesteryear, another culture Bridges obviously relishes in celebrating.

From the Brewer: “Knifehand IPA is a classic West Coast IPA recipe that was developed from my homebrewing days around the time I was transitioning towards a professional brewing career. Before going pro, the recipe won a bronze medal at the 2022 National Homebrew Competition in the American IPA category. The recipe has simple ingredients: clean, filtered RO water, Simcoe, Mosaic and Citra hops, 2-row with a dash of light crystal malt, and basic US-05 yeast. These ingredients combine into a timeless, classic West Coast IPA that is meant to be a mainstay at our brewery. This particular beer is for customers that want to have a good beer that is familiar yet complex in flavor. This flavor profile ties into our brand name Knifehand, for which anyone who has served in the Armed Forces knows that when giving or receiving a ‘knifehand’, its appearance, albeit very familiar is highly complex in execution. Knifehand IPA has grown significantly in popularity since we opened, and currently it’s on shelves at Total Wine & More locations throughout San Diego County, Holiday House Liquor in Bonita and 3N1 Sports Bar in Chula Vista.”—Eric Bridges, CEO & Head Brewer, El Cid Brewing