Beer of the Week: Operation Overlord

From the Beer Writer: The Chargers may have severed their ties with San Diego, but former Bolt Donnie Edwards‘ local roots stretch beyond Mission Valley (RIP, Qualcomm) and remain fully intact. Edwards grew up in Chula Vista, graduated from Castle Park High School and is involved in numerous local charity organizations and efforts. One of them is a non-profit called the Best Defense Foundation, which aims to improve quality of life for U.S. military veterans. Part of that involves flying war vets to the sites of the battles they participated in as a way to help them gain closure and cope with PTSD. Edwards has accompanied veterans to Normandy and numerous other European locales and chartered multiple flights to Pearl Harbor. It’s praiseworthy work the team at his hometown beer company (and U.S. veteran-owned business), Chula Vista Brewery, are getting behind in a big way care of this week’s featured beer, Operation Overlord. A German-style pilsner hopped with modern varietals, it’s comes across with untraditional citrusy aromatics that are a welcomed addition in hop-loving San Diego, while maintaining the style’s trademark refreshing nature. This combo of attributes combines to make for a beer perfectly suited for combating the heat of the oncoming sunny season while brightening the lives of some brave individuals to whom our nation is indebted,

From the Brewer: “Operation Overlord gets its moniker from the codename from the Battle of Normandy, AKA: D-Day. We brewed it with Chula Vista native and former Chargers linebacker Donnie Edwards. We teamed together to bring more awareness to his Best Defense Foundation, which is dedicated to serving veterans of foreign wars and their families. We wanted to do a pilsner that blended a little Old World with a little new school. So, after a couple of stories about our grandfathers who served in World War II…and several pints, of course…we decided to go with a traditional German pils recipe while adding New World hops in the form of New Zealand Pacifica and Citra. The result is a 5.5% (alcohol-by-volume) summertime crusher with zesty citrus aromas with mild floral flavors and a crisp finish. With this brew, we join Donnie in his never-ending mission to take care of the ones who took care of us. For more info on the Best Defense Foundation, please visit their website!”—James Hodges, Head Brewer, Chula Vista Brewery