What’s Tapping (12/12)

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!

• Athletic Brewing (Miramar): Host & Toast Non-alcoholic Belgian-style Witbier w/ Lemon, < 0.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista, North Park): The POG Father Double IPA w/ Passionfruit, Orange & Guava, 9%
• Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido, Downtown): Berry Blitz Fruited Sour Ale, 6% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido, Downtown): Swingin’ Pine West Coast IPA, 6.9% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Belgian-style Tripel
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, 5.6%
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Slow Pour Italian-style Pilsner, 5%
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Pine IPA w/ Spruce Tips, 7.5%
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Winter Warmer, 7.3%
• Deft Brewing (Bay Park): Patio Hops & Geysers Fresh-hop Pale Ale, 6%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): Brewer’s Cut Unfiltered Double IPA, 8.5%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): The Villager West Coast IPA w/ Kaffir Lime, 7%
• Embolden Beer Co. (Miramar, North Park): Shogun Honshu Ube IPA w/ Ube
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Takutai Pai New Zealand-style Pilsner, 5.2%
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Ube Coconut Shine Hard Seltzer w/ Coconut & Ube, 7.5%
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Wangan Midnight West Coast IPA, 6.7%
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): ‘Member Simcoe? West Coast IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE

• Heritage Brewing & Barbecue (Oceanside): Toe Head Blonde Ale, 4.8%
• Home Brew Mart (Morena): Dream Vacation in the Dells Cream Ales, 5.4%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Dancing Pines Double Dry-hopped New Zealand-style IPA, 7%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Log Jammin’ Maple Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ Vanilla, 12%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Radder Santa Bourbon Barrel-aged Winter Warmer, 10.5%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Sno Ball Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ Coconut, Cacao & Vanilla, 11%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Whip It Good Tropical Whip Sour Ale, 7%
• Kairoa Brewing (University Heights): Buffalo Tim Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ Orange & Bitter, 13%
• Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Ocean Beach, Oceanside): Bourbon Barrel-aged Christmas Ale, 10.6%
• Lightning Brewery (Poway): Jim’s Motor Oil Stout, 8.5%
• New English Brewing (Sorrento Valley): Whole Lotta Hazy IPA, 6.7%
• Nickel Beer Co. (Julian): Enter the Octagon Double IPA, 8%
• Nickel Beer Co. (Julian): Volcan IPA, 7%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Bract to Basics: NZH-109 New Zealand-style Pilsner – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Dankers Hill Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE

• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Danking Holiday Hazy Quintuple IPA, 15% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Beachside Chill Non-alcoholic IPA, < 0.5%
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Catch & Release Murky Double IPA, 8.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Lotus Sunset Hard Smoothie-style Ale w/ Mango & Guava, 6% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• San Diego Brewing Co. (Mission Valley): Cowles Mountain IPA, 7%
• Smoking Cannon Brewery (Ramona): Joslyn German Chocolate Cake Milk Stout, 5.8%
• Smoking Cannon Brewery (Ramona): Merrill Christmas Ale, 7%
• Smoking Cannon Brewery (Ramona): Pickle Me Dahlgren Golden Ale, 4.7%
• Smoking Cannon Brewery (Ramona): Sojourner Sunset Amber Lager, 4.6%
• Stone Brewing (Escondido, Oceanside, Point Loma, Downtown): Xocoveza Imperial Stout w/ Coffee, Vanilla, Cinnamon & Nutmeg, 8.1%
• Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (Point Loma): Spiced Unicorn Milk Imperial Milk Stout, 7.5%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): Jet Black New Year Cold Stout, 5.8%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): Night of Several Sleeps Bock-style Lager, 7%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): Positive Vibes Are Free Double Dry-hopped Hazy IPA, 7.6%

Gene Fielden | Bottlecraft North Park Manager

El Segundo Simcoe | West Coast IPA (6.8%): Perched up in the pocket underneath LAX, between Highway 1 and the ocean, El Segundo Brewing has made consistently excellent West Coast IPAs for the better part of a decade. Very few ever denote the hops used in their titles, however, preferring terminology taken from aviation or Americana. Returning release Simcoe is a notable exception, communicating precisely what to expect – a blast of Simcoe hops. This beer is piney, grapefruit-pithy, bitter and absolutely delicious.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale | Belgian Winter Ale (10%): With its signature cheerful monk cheekily sporting a Santa hat, the Christmas Ale from St. Bernardus instantly announces a festive demeanor. The (secular) brewery located in Western Flanders has real cachet, having worked for decades with the famed Westvleteren Trappist abbey the next town over. Based on their immensely popular Abt 12, a pitch-perfect Belgian quadrupel by style, the Christmas Ale has a touch of spicing from their expressive estery yeast. This one is my personal favorite of the Belgian winter warmer category, and an annual treat. Vrolijk Kerstfeest / Joyeaux Noël!

Pizza Port Santa’s Little Helper | Imperial Stout (10%): More than two decades after the first beer under this name was brewed at Pizza Port Solana Beach, it has undergone a full recursion to origin. Long under the aegis of Port Brewing, with variations (coffee, hazelnut) presenting themselves in the interim, Santa’s Little Helper is now a beloved seasonal in the familiar six-pack 16-ounce-can format that Pizza Port has popularized. An unabashed imperial stout with no additives, this little helper will assist you as well as Santa in having a delightful holiday season.

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