Beer of the Week: Nothin’ But Trouble

From the Beer Writer: Those within the brewing industry share a passion for well-constructed ales and lagers, but relationships transcend those liquid assets and form the real foundation of the scene. Just ask Greg Garrity and Rebecca Saldivar, who met years ago while working behind the bar at The Cork and Craft in Rancho Bernardo. Garrity had recently resigned from a wine bar where he was “killin’ it” money-wise but wanted to do something he was passionate about. The Cork and Craft’s on-site brewery (Abnormal Beer Co.) led him to apply, and once hired, it was the shared affinity for beer he saw in Saldivar and her extensive knowledge on the subject which made it the dream job he’d hoped for. During their time together, Saldivar held down the bar, making it a fun place for connoisseurs and newcomers alike to enjoy and learn about quality beer, while Garrity eventually transitioned to the brewery. The duo made for a formidable one-two punch that served The Cork and Craft well, but as is common in the hospitality industry, both eventually moved on, in this case to bigger—Garrity is now the head brewer for Saint Archer Brewing—and better—Saldivar and her husband Mark opened a craft-beer bar in Poway last year—things. The latter operation, The Hop Stop, is celebrating its first year in business tomorrow at an event that will double as a reunion for Saldivar and Garrity, with the latter guest-bartending and serving up a beer he created specifically for the occasion, Nothin’ But Trouble. A veritable hop salad of an IPA combining piney old-school varietals with fruity Citra and the multi-faceted duo of Mosaic and Strata, the beer has a lot to offer, with flavors and aromas of orange, mango, peach, guava and a resinous back-end bitterness. Yet, even with all that going for it, the best part of the beer is the enduring friendship that birthed it.

From the Brewer: “So technically my first job in craft beer was a busser and bar-back, and that’s where I met the Saldivars. Rebecca was a seasoned beertender and lover of all things craft beer. She was slingin’ suds for Abnormal and I was doing her dirty work, making sure she had everything she needed to be successful. I eventually worked my way up in the company, going from busser to beertender to cellarperson to assistant brewer to brewer, but I learned a lot from Rebecca along that journey. She has an infectious personality and quickly gained her own set of regulars. I was always jealous of her ability to be so personable. She was one of my first mentors in craft beer and I’ll be eternally grateful for that experience. I hounded she and Mark for their entire first year, asking them to let me brew them a beer for their anniversary. Eventually, they joined me for a meeting at Saint Archer, where I sampled them on some of the innovation projects we’d been working on and earned their trust. Since they’re both hop-heads at heart, we wrote out a recipe for a classic, 7.5% (alcohol-by-volume) San Diego-style IPA hopped with Columbus, Centennial, Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic and some Strata, which has gained tremendous popularity in the past few years. All of these hops, backed by a solid malt profile that allows the beer to remain dry and crisp, provides that dank, bitter, piney, citrusy goodness we all love in our IPAs. I hope it encompasses everything that not only San Diego craft beer stands for but what The Hop Stop team loves and what represents them as a brand!”—Greg Garrity, Head Brewer, Saint Archer Brewing

“Greg and I had a meaningful connection from the start. There was a mutual shared work ethic and passion for quality brews, but beyond all of that, I saw a creative, dedicated streak in Greg and knew he would be one to watch in the beer industry. While he and I both grew and evolved into different positions within different companies, we shared communication and camaraderie within the San Diego beer scene. I have always been impressed by Greg’s wonderful sense of integrity and passion for the craft. What an honor it has been to see that integrity and passion translate from a boutique operation like Abnormal to an industry standard-setting brand like Saint Archer. It has been an incredible personal ad professional opportunity to work and learn alongside Greg; amidst all the insanity of opening a new establishment, it’s people like him, whose unwavering commitment to quality continues to inspire us on the other end of those faucets.”—Rebecca Saldivar, Co-owner, The Hop Stop