What’s Tapping (1/5/23)

Welcome to San Diego Beer News‘ weekly list of beers tapping for the first time or returning to beer lists at breweries throughout San Diego County. For more details regarding release/tapping dates, times and locations, consult the official website or social-media accounts of the brewing companies listed.

And keep scrolling for Bottlecraft staffers’ recommendations about beers they are excited about that can be found at their bottle shop locations in North Park, Little Italy, Point Loma and Oceanside!

• 13 Point Brewing (Lemon Grove): Padre Steve’s Haze New England-style IPA, 7.7%
• Arcana Brewing (Carlsbad): Rosinante IPA, 7.8%
• Athletic Brewing (Miramar): Jumbo Juicy IPA Non-alcoholic Milkshake IPA, < 0.5%
• BattleMage Brewing (Vista): Shroud of Mist Hazy IPA, 6.9%
• Blue Fire Brewing (San Marcos): Paradise New Zealand-hopped Pilsner, 6%
• Blue Fire Brewing (San Marcos): White Sage Herbal American IPA, 7.5%
• Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Escondido, Little Italy): Benevolent Rooster IPA, 7.2%
• Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Escondido, Little Italy): Rolling Oats Oatmeal Stout, 5.9%
• Coronado Brewing (Bay Park, Coronado, Imperial Beach): NADO Japanese-style Lager, 4.5%
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Cold IPA, 6.5%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Deft & Witty Belgian-style Witbier, 4.9%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): DeftHopt Black IPA, 6.4%
• Dos Desperados Brewery (San Marcos): Apple Ginger Hard Seltzer, 5%
• Dos Desperados Brewery (San Marcos): Palomino Pilsner, 5.9%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): Very Cherry Fruited Strong Ale, 8%

• Embolden Beer Co. (Miramar): Adventures Unknown West Coast Double IPA, 8.4%
• Fall Brewing (North Park, South Park): Kick in the Head Imperial Smoothie Sour Ale w/ Banana, Blueberry, Maple, Coconut & Vanilla, 8.5%
• Five Suits Brewing (Vista): Al Toque Peruvian-style Lager, 5.6%
• Five Suits Brewing (Vista): Pit BOS Hefeweizen, 5.5%
• Five Suits Brewing (Vista): Planet Nectaron Hazy IPA, 7%
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, Bay Park, South Park, Carmel Valley): Foeder Fermented Baltic Porter, 6.5% (collaboration w/ Embolden Beer Co.)
• The Hop Concept (San Marcos, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, East Village): QR Series – Gold/Silver West Coast IPA, 7%
• Mike Hess Brewing (North Park, Ocean Beach, Marina District, Imperial Beach, Alpine): Lager del Sur Mexican-style Lager, 5%
• Mother Earth Brew Co. (Vista): Idol Worship Hazy IPA, 7.7%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Art is Hard Double Dry-hopped Hazy IPA, 7%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Hakosuka Japanese-style Lager, 5%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Larp Lager, 5%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Stratacadabra Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7.4%
• Plan 9 Alehouse (Escondido): Astro Zombies Hazy IPA, 6.7%
• Plan 9 Alehouse (Escondido): Foo’s Gold American Lager, 4.5%

• Plan 9 Alehouse (Escondido): Lowriders from Mars IPA, 6.5%
• Plan 9 Alehouse (Escondido): Zombies of the Strata-sphere Hazy IPA, 7.7%
• Port Brewing (San Marcos, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, East Village): Midnight Expression Dark Lager, 4.5%
• Protector Brewery (Miramar): Operation Hat Trick Baltic-style Porter, 6.7% (collaboration w/ The Bold Mainer Brewing & East Regiment Beer Co.)
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Deja Fruit Farmhouse Saison w/ Peaches, 6%
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Resplendent Quetzal Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ Pecan & Vanilla, 14.1%
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Tao Oak Barrel-aged Sour Ale w/ Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc Grapes, 7.1%
• Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos, North Park): High Surf Helles, 5.2%
• Second Chance Beer Co. (Carmel Mountain Ranch, North Park): Tomorrow IPA, 7.7%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park): It’s Just Malk Double Milk Stout w/ Vanilla & Cacao, 7.4%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park): Time Warp West Coast IPA, 6.5%
• WestBrew (Vista, Del Mar, East Village): Salute AWOL San Diego IPA
• Wild Barrel Brewing (San Marcos): Catch You on the Hazy Side Hazy IPA, 7.5%
• Wild Barrel Brewing (San Marcos): PB & Jam Imperial Pastry Sour Ale, 8.5%

Gene Fielden | North Park Bottlecraft Manager

Happy New Year, everyone! In recognition of the common practice of dry January (whether for financial or health-related reasons) all three of this week’s picks are for non-alcoholic beers. Please believe me when I state that the quality of this category has risen dramatically of late!

Boulevard Flying Start | Non-alcoholic IPA (< 0.5%): Athletic Brewing has quickly become a goliath of the new wave of non-alcoholic beer options, however, early on during their meteoric rise they brewed a one-off collaboration with veteran Kansas City operation, Boulevard Brewing. Aptly named Flying Start, this sans-alcohol West Coast IPA was one of the most popular of Boulevard’s releases that entire year. Through a series of twists and turns, it’s now a core beer for the Midwesterners featuring paper planes flitting about in all directions on its label. Enjoy while listening to M.I.A.

Best Day Kölsch | Non-alcoholic Kölsch (< 0.5%): Capturing the essence of a pale lager without alcohol is a tall order. Many have attempted it and failed in years past. Yet the newcomer Best Day has done it, by gum. With both pilsner and Cologne malts in the grain-bill and Hallertau hops, the recipe is befitting of the original top-fermented lagers of Köln. Crisp and light yet not watery, it’s an achievement by any stretch.

Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic Watermelon Gose | Non-alcoholic Fruited Gose (< 0.5%): Sensing the explosion of interest in N/A beer, Untitled Art has swung their prodigious output squarely into the zeitgeist. While the Wisconsin operation reliably producers lagers and hoppy beers without a trace of alcohol, they have also cannily recognized the sizable gap in the market for dealcoholized sours. This example is for those who crave salted watermelon agua fresca!

Click here to explore the quality beers at Bottlecraft’s four San Diego locations.