Those who refer to San Diego Beer News’ weekly What’s Tapping list of new beers being released at breweries throughout the county know they are stocked with anywhere from 50 to more than 100 ales and lagers. So, a brewing company releasing a new beer isn’t exactly earthshaking news. But when a operation that has produced almost exclusively barrel-aged sour and wild ales not only wades into lager territory, but also makes that beer its first product to be packaged in cans, a little fanfare is in order. Enter California Wild Ales’ Bike Lane Lager, a clean, bottom-fermented departure from “San Diego’s sour house”.
California Wild Ales co-owners Bill DeWitt and Zack Brager first saw fit to deviate from their woody, wild ways after opening a satellite tasting room in Ocean Beach in 2021. Diversifying their portfolio to include more traditional, drinkable styles was a sensible move that’s allowed them to attract and service not only sour-beer connoisseurs but everyday passersby on bar-packed Newport Avenue. Named to honor a penny-farthing bike-riding neighborhood celeb named Ricky (pictured below), Bike Lane Lager was the first of the beer-flavored beers they tapped.
When looking to develop this German-style wheat ale, DeWitt and Brager called on Samantha Olson, the head brewer at Barrio Logan’s Mujeres Brew House. And when they were ready to scale production in order to can the beer, they got in touch with another local operation, Rouleur Brewing. That company (which added a North Park tasting room last year and recently took over the former Mason Ale Works brewery at San Marcos’ Draft Republic) has offered reliable contract-brewing services over its five-years in business, and handled brewing, cellaring and packaging of Bike Lane Lager from its Carlsbad headquarters.
“Bike Lane Lager features German pilsner malt, malted wheat and Noble hops, including Harllertau Blanc, Magnum and Saaz. Though relatively mild and delicate, the Saaz hops impart distinctly earthy and herbal flavors to the beer that have come to define lagers,” says DeWitt. “As a result of this blend of wheat and hops, the beer has a little extra body and takes on an herbaceous aroma and flavors that awakens the palate.”
Despite coming across as one of California Wild Ales’ most straightforward beers from a drinking and sensory perspective, it’s actually one of the most difficult to produce. “We need to ensure technical perfection from everyone on the team, from the brewhouse to the lab,” says Brager. “We’re working with a bright canvas, so any and every fault will be obvious.”
Bike Lane Lager debuted in four-packs of 16-ounce cans last month and will be brewed and packaged on a regular basis moving forward. The beer is available at both of California Wild Ales’ locations as well as a number of local retail outlets.
California Wild Ales’ headquarters is located at 4202 Sorrento Valley Boulevard in Sorrento Valley, and its satellite tasting room is located at 4896 Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach