What’s Tapping (1/16)

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, including links where you can find additional info or purchase the beers online. 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!

• Barrel & Stave Brewing (Vista): Sessions West Coast Session IPA, 5.8%
• Barrel & Stave Brewing (Vista): Sun Diego Sour Series: Orange Creamsicle Sour Ale w/ Orange & Vanilla, 5.6%
• Barrel & Stave Brewing (Vista): Sun Diego Sour Series: What the Huck?? Sour Ale w/ Huckleberry, 5.5%
• Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista, North Park): Caramel Mocha Latte Blonde Stout, 6%
• Brewery X (Harbor Island): Big Iron IPA, 7%
• Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido, Downtown): Birthday Suit Light Lager, 4% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido, Downtown): Trailgate Double Dry-hopped IPA, 6.7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Deft Brewing (Bay Park): Eternal Hoptimist Fresh-hopped IPA, 6.1%
• Fox Point Brewing (Encinitas): Full Send Imperial Stout, 9%
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Burgeon to the BLVD West Coast IPA, 6.8% (collaboration w/ Burgeon Beer Co.)
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Hard Nectar MIA Cuvee Smoothie Sour Ale w/ Dragon Fruit, Guava, Passionfruit & Mango, 7% (collaboration w/ J. Wakefield Brewing)
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Hard Nectar PGM Smoothie Sour Ale w/ Peach, Guava & Marshmallow, 7%
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Kampeon Rice Lager, 5%
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): DDH Radiant’r Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 6.8% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Delighting Us California IPA, 6.2% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): LA Fire Relief California Fundraising-style IPA, 6.2% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Safety Jacket Non-alcoholic West Coast IPA, < 0.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): What Good Curves Can You Throw? West Coast Pilsner, 5.4% – PURCHASE ONLINE

• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, Carmel Valley, Bay Park, South Park): Citra! Citra! West Coast IPA, 7%
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, Carmel Valley, Bay Park, South Park): Magic Window West Coast IPA, 6.8% (collaboration w/ Burgeon Beer Co.)
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, Carmel Valley, Bay Park, South Park): SD Pale Ale, 5.3%
• Heritage Brewing & Barbecue (Oceanside): So Special for You Rice Lager, 4.8%
• Karl Strauss Brewing (Downtown, Sorrento Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, Carlsbad): Quantum Fizz-ics Non-alcoholic Hibiscus Hop Water w/ B12
• Karl Strauss Brewing (Downtown, Sorrento Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, Carlsbad): Quantum Fizz-ics Non-alcoholic Sweet Citrus Hop Water w/ Electrolytes
• Ketch Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Blanton’s Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Milk Stout, 10%
• Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine): Rad Habits Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7% (collaboration w/ Burgeon Beer Co.)
• Mother Earth Brew Co. (Vista): Project X: Cosmic Dissonance Hazy IPA, 7.2%
• New English Brewing (Sorrento Valley): Barrel-aged Zumbar Chocolate Coffee Imperial Stout, 10%
• New English Brewing (Sorrento Valley): Blueberry Blonde Ale, 6%
• New English Brewing (Sorrento Valley): Non-alcoholic Beer, < 0.5%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): HBCs & 123s West Coast Pilsner, 5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Hop Time Continuum Triple Dry-hopped Hazy IPA, 6.6% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Loza-Fu! Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Ultraspice Triple Dry-hopped Hazy Double IPA, 8.5% (collaboration w/ Human People Beer) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Northern Pine Brewing (Oceanside, Carmel Valley): Graffiti on a Bus Extra Pale Ale (collaboration w/ Tarantula Hill Brewing)

• Pizza Port (Ocean Beach): Guillaume Belgian-style Blonde Ale, 4.2%
• Pizza Port (Ocean Beach): Jetty IPA, 7.2%
• Pizza Port (Solana Beach): Retro Future Cream Ale, 4.9%
• Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach): Johnny Brewtah West Coast IPA, 6.5% (collaboration w/ Tarantula Hill Brewing)
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Harvest of Riches Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout / Raspberry & Vanilla, 12.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Sonora by Mornin’ Barrel-aged Saison w/ Prickly Pear & Nebbiolo, 8.6% (collaboration w/ Roses by the Stairs Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• The Roadies Brewing (Vista): Future Jamz Sour Ale w/ Raspberry, Blackberry, Black Currant & Boysenberry, 5.7%
• San Diego Brewing Co. (Mission Valley): Pyles Peak Double IPA, 7.9%
• San Diego Brewing Co. (Mission Valley): Triumphant Union IPA, 7.2%
• Second Chance Beer Co. (Vista): Tabula Rasa Toasted Porter, 6.2%
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Awaiting Daybreak Milk Stout w/ Banana, Caramel, Toffee & Vanilla, 6.9%
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Non-alcoholic Hop Water
• Sunny Grove Brewing (Santee): Magic Sands Hazy IPA, 6.9%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): Ethereal Gaze Double Dry-hopped West Coast Saison, 6.1%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): In Search of Lost Time V Double Dry-hopped Hazy Double IPA, 8% (collaboration w/ Root + Branch Brewing)
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): Pine Box Extra Pale Ale, 6.2%
• Weir Beer Co. (Vista): Drop It Like It’s Hot Lemondrop Hard Seltzer, 10%
• Weir Beer Co. (Vista): Lemon-Limewire Lemon-Lime Gatorade-flavored Hard Seltzer, 5%

Gene Fielden | Bottlecraft North Park Manager

Beachwood / North Park Beer Co. Beach-Fu! | West Coast IPA (7.1%): When two of the most talented breweries in southern California join forces to make a West Coast IPA…well, you can see where this is going. Referencing beloved North Park Beer Co. flagship Hop-Fu!, the title of this beer gives clues to those attuned to contemporary craft beer around here. With Mosaic in three forms as well as Columbus and Simcoe in the mix, expect blueberries and pine resin on the nose. As with many West Coast IPAs emanating from Beachwood Brewing, the malt is lean and austere, letting the hops shine forth. Cheers!

Lowercase French-style Pilsner | French-style Pilsner (4.8%): The rooster emblazoned upon the label of this Pilsner struts purposefully, an emblem of how confident Lowercase Brewing is in their ability to brew lagers ‒ and entirely justifiably! This operation out of Seattle (not far from SeaTac airport) only produces bottom-fermented beers for our enjoyment, with precision of technique and gorgeous can-art. What differentiates this one as “French” is in the ingredients ‒ specifically the Strißelspalt hops varietal grown in the Alsace. Hugely floral (think clover and other wildflowers), with a pleasant grainy bitterness at the finish, this is an altogether refreshing change of pace from most pale lagers you may have tasted recently. À votre santé!

Enegren Maple Baltic Porter | Baltic-style Porter (9.1%): The delight of a Baltic porter is that it offers roast without concomitant bitterness, as befitting its lager character. Like its little sibling schwarzbier, it is also a cunning way to demonstrate that “dark” and “heavy” are not necessarily synonymous in beer. Enegren Brewing has introduced a further innovation to this regal style by adding maple syrup, not as a sweetener, but rather as a source of carbonating sugar. With a whiff of smoke to top it all off, this is one winter seasonal that is not to be missed.

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