The Godfather honors Karl Strauss’ namesake

Karl Strauss, San Diego’s longest continuously operating post-Prohibition brewing company, has released The Godfather, an Italian-style Pilsner which was brewed in collaboration with Kearny Mesa’s Societe Brewing. The beer pays homage to the brewery’s namesake, Master Brewer Karl M. Strauss, whose cousin Chris Cramer co-founded the brewery in downtown San Diego in 1989.

The beer is 6% alcohol-by-volume, and was brewed with Saphir and Aramis hops. The traditional Italian Pilsner features malt, citrus and floral notes, finishing crisp with a light hop bitterness.

The Godfather is available on-draft and in four-packs of 16-ounce cans at Karl Strauss’ five San Diego County locations in 4S Ranch, Carlsbad, downtown San Diego, San Marcos and Sorrento Mesa. It is also available at restaurants, bars and retailers throughout California, Arizona and Nevada.

Karl Strauss left his native Germany in 1939 and settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he began his career working the bottling line at Pabst Brewing Company. He eventually became Vice President of Production for the company and retired in 1983 after 44 years with the organization. In 1986, he was approached by Cramer about starting a microbrewery in San Diego. Karl Strauss went on to serve as the brewery’s Master Brewer from its founding until 2006. It’s estimated Strauss brewed more than seven billion servings of beer in his lifetime.

“Any opportunity depends on the person pursuing it knowing what they’re doing,” Strauss once said. “The proof is in the glass.”