Beer of the Week: We Love L.A.

San Diego has no shortage of trend-setting breweries. Of that sect, one of the businesses many in and outside our county limits look up to is North Park Beer Co. A veritable Fort Knox when it comes to their stash of gold medals from major competitions, with droves of fans – including professional brewers – pelting owner Kelsey McNair and his crew with compliments and rave reviews, there’s no denying the stellar quality of NPBC’s beers. But another key reason the company has risen to role-model status is its fostering of the craft-beer community. From offering guest beers and tap takeovers featuring other breweries’ wares at their trio of locations, to anniversary festivals stocked with friends’ and neighbors’ brews, they leverage their lofty place in the local beer stratosphere to elevate others by providing their fans the opportunity to taste awesome beers that go beyond their own creations. Then there are the collaboration beers. NPBC produces an astounding 30 to 50 unique, cooperatively crafted releases per year. Needless to say, they have lots of friends in the industry. So when their beer buds from an L.A. brewing company developed an initiative allowing breweries to produce beers to raise funds in support of individuals negatively impacted by the devastating fires that ravaged the L.A. area last month, McNair and company wasted no time getting involved. Enter this week’s featured beer, We Love L.A. As part of the charity effort of the same name, participants were able to brew any type of ale or lager they wanted. NPBC went with a regionally appropriate style, the West Coast Pilsner. Light on the palate yet packed with hop flavors and aromas, it’s a fitting difference-maker and further evidence of how NPBC does things the right way. And they’re not alone. A number of local craft-beer concerns brewed their own We Love L.A. beers. Those humanitarian quaffs are popping up all over the county at spots that include (but are not limited to): Fox Point Brewing, Harland Brewing, Pizza Port Brewing, The Roadies Brewing, Stone Brewing and Weir Beer Co. Positive trendsetters, one and all!

When our friends at Common Space Brewery launched the ‘We Love LA’ campaign benefitting the United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ Wildfire Response Fund, we jumped on board without hesitation. We deeply care about supporting the community, and we’re honored to be a part of the effort. We decided to brew a West Coast Pilsner, one of our favorite styles, featuring Idaho 7 DynaBoost, Citra, Amarillo and Mosaic. All the profits from both draft and can sales will be donated to United Way, so we hope everyone will grab a pour or two and help us show L.A. some love!”

Kelsey McNair, Co-owner & Head Brewer, North Park Beer Co.

North Park Beer Co.’s venues are located at 3038 University Avenue in North Park, 3095 Fifth Avenue in Bankers Hill, and 3801 Ingraham Street in Pacific Beach’s Crown Point neighborhood