One would think that after a quarter-century of putting on a festival celebrating the brawniest of beer styles, the team at Pizza Port Brewing would have seen and done everything. But in preparation for the 26th edition of the company’s end-of-year Strong Ale Festival, Pizza Port’s event planners and brew crew decided to push the envelope and put in some extra work to give attendees a little – and resultantly a lot – more to look forward to.
“Every year, when we’re planning our events, we look back at what worked and what didn’t from the previous years. It’s our way of building off the good stuff and improving where we can,” says Pizza Port Senior Marketing Manager Joe Arguello. He has been with the company for the past 11 years and seen his fair share of festivals, as has his counterpart, Events Manager Jessie McGingley-Kase. “We also like to explore new ideas and try things we haven’t done before to keep the experience fresh and exciting for our attendees while staying true to what makes our events special.”
This year’s Strong Ale Festival will take place over a two-day span from Friday, December 6 to Saturday, December 7 at Pizza Port’s Carlsbad Village brewpub. As in previous years, it will feature a vast lineup of more than 60 imperial-strength (defined as 8% alcohol-by-volume or higher) beers from a multitude of breweries with which Pizza Port has fond relationships. Many of those operations include former employees who have moved on to make a name for themselves at other brewing companies or their own businesses.
What’s different this year are the offerings which have been brewed up by current members of the Pizza Port team. Brewers from each of the company’s seven brewpubs and its pair of production breweries have crafted specialty beers specifically for this weekend’s event. Several of those high-gravity ales and lagers were produced in collaboration with breweries ranging in location from Orange County to Reno, Nevada.
“Having our pub brewers craft beers specifically for the event, including collaborative brews with attending breweries, allowed us to offer something new and exciting for our guests while pushing the boundaries of what we typically brew,” says Arguello.
The following are the Pizza Port beers that will be on tap at this event:
- 37 Pieces of Flair, Black Double IPA (8.3%) – Pizza Port Bressi Ranch (collaboration with Smog City Brewing)
- Ambient Pairing, Pastry Stout brewed with Maple Syrup & Vanilla (10%) – Pizza Port Solana Beach
- Backside Rodeo, Double IPA (8.5%) – Pizza Port San Marcos (collaboration with Schussboom Brewing)
- Dusk Til Dawn, Imperial Coffee Porter (10%) – Pizza Port San Clemente
- Gate Crasher, Imperial Red IPA (8.7%) – Pizza Port San Clemente (collaboration with Docent Brewing)
- Hanging with the Gnomies, Belgian-style Quadrupel, 9.3% – Pizza Port Carlsbad (collaboration with Lake Arrowhead Brewing)
- Indie Roo, Imperial Coffee Porter (10%) – Pizza Port Imperial Beach
- Riggity Riggity, Triple IPA (10%) – Pizza Port Solana Beach
- Snow White Tripel, Belgian-style Tripel (10%) – Pizza Port Imperial Beach
- Tidal Fools, Imperial West Coast Pilsner (8%) – Pizza Port Ocean Beach (collaboration with Berryessa Brewing)
Attendees will also be able to get their palates around a tradition within a tradition, the 26th Strong Ale Blend. That concoction consists of Green Eggs & Ham Coffee Porter from Pizza Port Ocean Beach and Pine Park Porter from the event’s host brewpub, all aged for six months in rum barrels from Cutwater Spirits. A full beer list for the event can be downloaded here.
Tickets for the Strong Ale Festival are available online. General admission sessions will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday. VIP sessions will be held the hour preceding each of the aforementioned sessions and feature rare bottles and food that won’t be available during general-admission hours.
Looking beyond this week’s high-octane activities, Pizza Port has another notable initiative going on over the next few weeks. Dubbed the Toys for Tots – Tater Tots’ Drive, it’s a campaign rewarding patrons for their generosity this holiday season. From now through December 19, customers who donate a new, unopened toy at any of Pizza Port’s locations (excluding the company’s San Marcos tasting room, Mission Beach venue at Belmont Park and storefronts inside Petco Park) will receive a complimentary order of Beer Buddies or tater tots.
Pizza Port’s Carlsbad Village brewpub is located at 571 Carlsbad Village Drive in Carlsbad