What’s Tapping (2/15)

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!

• Abnormal Beer Co. (Rancho Bernardo): Kiwiland New Zealand-hopped IPA, 5.9%
• AleSmith Brewing (Miramar): Speedway Stout – New Orleans Café w/ Coffee & Chicory, 12%
• Ataraxia Aleworks (Kearny Mesa): Foul Roko Fruit Punch Hard Seltzer, 5.5%
• Athletic Brewing (Miramar): Spiced Hot Chocolate Non-alcoholic Dark Ale, < 0.5%
• BattleMage Brewing (Vista): Divine Light Blonde Ale w/ Plum, 4.8%
• BattleMage Brewing (Vista): One Hop to Rule Them All Single-hop IPA w/ Amarillo, 6%
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido, North Park): In My Darkest Sour Kettle Sour Ale w/ Raspberry, 4.6%
• Blue Fire Brewing (San Marcos): Burn Steady Lager, 4%
• Blue Fire Brewing (San Marcos): Greek Pale Ale Extra Pale Ale, 5.9% (collaboration w/ Lafkas Brewery)
• Chula Vista Brewery (Chula Vista, Eastlake): Pepino Perez Hazy Blonde Ale w/ Cucumber & Lime, 5%
• Creative Creature Brewing (San Marcos, El Cajon): Smacker’s Red Raspberry Gose, 5%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Deft de Garde Biere de Garde, 7.2%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Deft & Witty Belgian-style Witbier, 5.4%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): DeftCon 4 Belgian-style Quadrupel, 9.9%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): DubBelGique Belgian-style Dubbel, 6.2%
• Dogleg Brewing (Vista): Dragonfruit Birdie Juice Hard Seltzer, 5%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): Big Buddha IPA w/ Ginger & Buddha’s Hand, 6.5%
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Rollin’ on Longchamps West Coast Double IPA, 8%

• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, South Park, Bay Park, Carmel Valley): Lazy Afternoon Hazy Double IPA, 8%
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, South Park, Bay Park, Carmel Valley): Searching Framboise, 4%
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, South Park, Bay Park, Carmel Valley): Waimea Haze Hazy IPA, 7%
• Helix Brewing (La Mesa): Stoner Moment IPA, 7%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Big League Brew Double Dry-hopped Hazy Double IPA, 8.3%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Take Me Higher West Coast IPA, 7.1%
• Jacked Up Brewery (Escondido): Foam Ranger Double IPA, 8%
• Jacked Up Brewery (Escondido): Gallus Scottish-style Ale, 5%
• Jacked Up Brewery (Escondido): Hazy Talk Hazy IPA, 7%
• Mike Hess Brewing (North Park, Downtown, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, Alpine): Raspberry Umbrix Imperial Stout, 10.2%
• Modern Times Beer (Point Loma, North Park, Encinitas): Modern Oasis New Zealand-hopped Hoppy Lager, 5%
• My Yard Live Beer Co. (San Marcos): Lawn Darts West Coast Double IPA, 8.5%
• Nickel Beer Co. (Julian): Larry’s Place IPA, 7%
• Night Parade Brewing (Scripps Ranch): The Big Easy King Cake Golden Stout, 6%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Art is Hard Double Dry-hopped Hazy IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Just Claggin’ Around Triple Dry-hopped Hazy Triple IPA, 10% (collaboration w/ CLAG Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): McNair’s Scottish-style Amber Ale, 5.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Triple-Fu! Triple Dry-hopped West Coast Triple IPA, 10.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE

• The Original 40 Brewing (North Park): Hibiscus Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale, 9.5%
• Pizza Port (Solana Beach): Boundless Shore West Coast IPA, 6.3%
• Pizza Port (Ocean Beach): Paloma Sour Berliner-style Weisse w/ Grapefruit, Orange & Lime Zest, 5%
• Pizza Port (Imperial Beach): PPIB Cream Ale, 4.5%
• Protector Brewery (Miramar): Wits End Organic Belgian-style Witbier, 5.3%
• Resident Brewing (Downtown): Beauty Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ Raspberry, Cacao & Vanilla, 12%
• Resident Brewing (Downtown): Chasing Mosaic Hazy IPA, 6.4%
• Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Old Town): Bulbous Flowers Hazy IPA, 7.2%
• South O Brewing (Oceanside): Kölsch, 4%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): Double PB Haze Double Dry-hopped Hazy Double IPA, 8%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): POSITIVE VIBES 4EVR Triple Dry-hopped Hazy IPA, 7.2%
• White Labs Brewing (Miramar): Imperial IPA fermented w/ WLP001 California Ale Yeast, 10.2%
• White Labs Brewing (Miramar): Imperial IPA fermented w/ WLP029 Kölsch Ale Yeast, 10%
• White Labs Brewing (Miramar): Pasteur Porter fermented w/ WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast, 5.8%
• White Labs Brewing (Miramar): Pasteur Porter fermented w/ WLP810 San Francisco Lager Yeast, 5.9%
• White Labs Brewing (Miramar): SMaTH IPA w/ Nelson & Simcoe fermented w/ WLP001 California Ale Yeast, 7.1%
• White Labs Brewing (Miramar): SMaTH IPA w/ Nelson & Simcoe fermented w/ WLP066 London Fog Ale Yeast, 6%

Gene Fielden | North Park Bottlecraft Manager

A hops-oriented column this week, and not merely in the realm of the IPA:

Other Half Motueka + Galaxy | Hazy Double IPA (8.5%): It is no secret that Motueka is one of my all-time favorite hops. This New Zealand varietal is descended from Saaz (the classic Bohemian varietal crucial for pilsners) but transplanted to the South Island to benefit from the Sauvignon Blanc-friendly terroir. With glinting cut-grass key lime aromas, it works equally well in lagers and IPAs. In this opaque double IPA from Brooklyn hazy heavyweights Other Half, Motueka is joined by fellow Antipodean varietal Galaxy for an altogether tropical getaway.

Enegren 1134 Pilsner | German-style Pilsner (4.8%): Bent on exploring the outer reaches of single-hop pilsners, the brewers at Enegren out of Moor Park have a core recipe to which the newest or most obscure varietals come to the fore. Step forward, HBC 1134! This is a new creation by Hop Breeding Company (note the acronym at work here), within the orbit of Yakima Chief Ranches. These are the folks who brought us Citra and Mosaic, so it is usually worth sitting up and taking notice. 1134 is a take on an American-bred Noble hop for use in lagers, and imparts a woodsy, herbal and haylike impression. Prost!

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2024 | American Barleywine (9.6%): With the possible exception of Old Foghorn by Anchor Brewing (RIP), no beer defines the style of American Barleywine than Bigfoot. A brooding bruiser of a beer, Bigfoot combines piles of caramel malts with massive amounts of piney whole-cone hops from the Pacific Northwest. When consumed young, it is shockingly hoppy and bitter – suddenly one recognizes the inspiration for the imperial red IPAs of the 1990s and 2000s that seem to have largely gone extinct. Yet this beer is one of the few that can be aged for years and years, onwards of a decade. I once took part in a 10-year vertical of Bigfoot, wherein we tasted through every vintage going backwards from the current release to that of a full decade beforehand. It was fascinating to see how much the beer had softened and soothed under proper cellaring conditions. Grab a six-pack, drink a couple and lay the rest down to sleep – it may emerge a different sort of creature.

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