Recipe: Surveza

As part of our third-annual Homebrew Summer program, several San Diego County breweries are generously allowing us to share homebrew-scaled versions of recipes for some of their most popular beers with our readers. Today, as we close out Homebrew Summer 2023, we are publishing the recipe for Surveza, a Mexican-style lager from Helix Brewing. As that La Mesa operation’s owner and Head Brewer Cameron Ball can attest from personal experience, it’s an optimal post-run or -hike refresher that’s perfectly suited for sunny weather during the summer or pretty much any time of the year in San Diego. Download the recipe here so you can brew it yourself then have it on-hand and on-tap at your casa!

Cameron Ball

Owner & Head Brewer, Helix Brewing

We all know hoppy beers are here to stay in San Diego, but brewers are crafting lighter options to offset the robust hop concoctions of these hoppy mainstays. Surveza has been a game-changing beer at Helix and we want to share it with everyone. It is based on a simple recipe that lets fermentation be the star. Pilsner malt, carafoam and flaked maize pair with SafLager S-23 yeast to create a crushable Mexican-style lager. Homebrewers should test their brewing process and patience by integrating lagers into their home tap lists. Surveza fits that script, and with flavors and aromas of light maize, lime and orange blossoms, it will leave you on a sunny beach in Baja reaching for another pint.