What’s Tapping (3/23/23)

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!

• Abnormal Beer Co. (Rancho Bernardo): Frosty Frames Double Dry-hopped Cold IPA, 6.7% (collaboration w/ Bike Dog Brewing)
• Athletic Brewing (Miramar): Personal Record Non-alcoholic IPA, < 0.5%
• Attitude Brewing (Barrio Logan, Chula Vista): Bases Loaded Hazy IPA, 6.5%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Miramar, Little Italy, Morena): 10 Browning Street English-style Brown Lager, 5.4%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Miramar, Little Italy, Morena): Barometer Drop Baltic-style Porter, 8.1%
• BattleMage Brewing (Vista): Divine Light Ale w/ Blueberry, 4.9%
• BattleMage Brewing (Vista): White Wolf IPA, 6.2%
• Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista, North Park): Fall of Troy Orange Vanilla Imperial IPA, 8.8%
• Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista, North Park): Rediculous Irish-style Red Ale
• BLAH Brewing (Normal Heights): Sippin’ Into Darkness American Stout, 7.2%
• Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Escondido, Little Italy): Quirks & Character IPA, 6%
• Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Escondido, Little Italy): Reverb Bohemian-style Pilsner, 4.7% (collaboration w/ Ruse Brewing)
• Creative Creature Brewing (El Cajon): Flava Flow Slushy Hard Seltzer w/ Apple, Strawberry, Coconut, Nerds & Terpenes, 8%
• Dos Desperados Brewery (San Marcos): Hazy Daisy Hazy IPA, 6.5%
• Duck Foot Brewing (Miramar): Wine Barrel-aged Sour Ale, 6.9%
• Duck Foot Brewing (Miramar): Horchata Beer Slushies, 5%
• Duck Foot Brewing (Miramar): La Mirada Mexican-style Vienna Lager, 4.9%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): Never Too Hoppy Hazy Session IPA, 5%

• Fall Brewing (North Park, South Park): Tora Japanese-style Lager, 5.2%
• Five Suits Brewing (Vista): Double Dry-hopped Double-On Nectaron Hazy Imperial IPA, 8.9%
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, South Park, Bay Park, Carmel Valley): Japanese Lager w/ Yuzu, 5%
• Helix Brewing (La Mesa): King Rufus Chocolate Rye Porter, 6%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Juice Box Fruited Hard Seltzer, 8%
• Julian Beer Co. (Julian): Rooster & the Warlock Irish-style Red Ale, 5.9%
• Kairoa Brewing (University Heights): Dublin Fog Hazy IPA, 7.1%
• Modern Times Beer (Point Loma, North Park, Encinitas): Infinite Patience Hazy IPA, 6.8%
• Mother Earth Brew Co. (Vista): Head Case Hazy IPA, 7.2%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Double-Fu! Triple Dry-hopped West Coast Double IPA, 8.7%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Hop-Fu! Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7.5%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): NZ-Fu! Triple Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7.4%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): X-Raying Citra Triple Dry-hopped Hazy IPA, 8.5%
• Northern Pine Brewing (Oceanside, Carmel Valley): Roam Series v1 Hazy IPA, 6.2%
• Northern Pine Brewing (Oceanside, Carmel Valley): Tmavé Pivo Dark Czech-style Lager, 5.4%
• Plan 9 Alehouse (Escondido): Day Walker Irish-style Red Ale, 5.5%
• Poor House Brewing (North Park): Lil’ Dubliner Dry Irish-style Stout on Nitro, 4.5%
• Port Brewing (San Marcos, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, East Village): Javaland Coffee IPA, 6.7%

• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Diamond Dust Murky IPA, 6.7%
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Legends Never Die West Coast Pale Ale, 5.6%
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Worlds Away Murky Triple IPA, 10.2%
• Resident Brewing (Downtown): No-No Joe Double IPA, 8.2%
• Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos, North Park): Four Roses Barrel-aged No Hope for Rescue Double Stout, 18.3%
• Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos, North Park): Single Barrel Heaven Hill Barrel-aged End of the World Double Imperial Stout, 15.4%
• Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos, North Park): Single Barrel Templeton Rye Barrel-aged Rescue Buoy Imperial Stout
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Back of the Box Hazy IPA, 6.9%
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Elusive Outsider Hazy IPA, 7%
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Fortune Pilsner, 4.8%
• Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Old Town): The Jackeroo Southern Hemisphere IPA, 6.5%
• South O Brewing (Oceanside): Be My Neighbour Single-hop West Coast IPA, 6.2% (collaboration w/ Artifex Brewing)
• South O Brewing (Oceanside): R&D #3 Blueberry Lager, 5.2%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park): Lush Imperial Fruited Sour w/ Raspberry, Marionberry & Coffee, 6%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park): Illusion of Light Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ Vanilla, Coconut & Cinnamon, 12%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park): Illusion of Reality Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ Vanilla, 12%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park): Zen Scientist New Zealand-hopped Japanese-style Rice Lager, 4.2%
• Thorn Brewing (Barrio Logan, Mission Hills, North Park): Treading Lightly IPA, 5.2%
• Wild Barrel Brewing (San Marcos): 5th Anniversary DH² West Coast IPA, 7.2%

Gene Fielden | North Park Bottlecraft Manager

Russian River Blind Pig | West Coast IPA (6.3%): Before Russian River Brewing opened its Windsor facility, Blind Pig was not to be found in bottles around San Diego. Locating it on draft in my neighborhood―whether at the now-shuttered Toronado, Tiger! Tiger! or eternal survivor Live Wire―was reason for jubilation and usually caused me to stop reading the draft list any further. Carrying on the name of Russian River co-founder Vinnie Cilurzo’s first brewery, a Temecula operation that was active in the mid-to-late 1990s, Blind Pig is a marvelous expression of classic Pacific Northwest hops, with that ineffable citrus-pine dichotomy that forms deep memories. The lower ABV (alcohol-by-volume), especially compared to bigger brother Pliny the Elder, means that Pigs often come in multiples. Cheers!

Stiegl Grapefruit Radler | Radler (3.2%): Fun Fact: The German word for bicycle is farhrrad, literally meaning “drive-wheel”. This is often shortened to simply rad, especially when stating by which mode of transportation one traveled. For instance, mit dem rad (with the wheel) means “by bike”. A radler is, therefore, a bicyclist! Originally a Bavarian combination of pale lager and lemonade dispensed in equal parts on draft (so as to be thirst-quenching but not intoxicating, ensuring the ability to bike in a straight line), the style has evolved to encompass all manner of soft drinks. The best one ever created, however, is that of Stiegl in neighboring Salzburg just over the Austrian border, which incorporates grapefruit soda in place of the lemonade. Spritzy, citric, light-bodied and refreshing, this is also a requirement in my household when sipping mezcal. ¡Salud / Prost! 

Brasserie d’Orval Orval | Brett Pale Ale (6.9%): Orval Day 2023 approaches! Falling this Saturday, the 25th, this latest of beer holidays celebrates the most singular of Trappist beers. Is there any beer like Orval? Fermented with Saccharomyces (i.e., brewer’s yeast) but bottle-conditioned with Brettanomyces (a famed wild strain imparting rustic barnyard aromas), the final beer is hugely carbonated and bracingly dry. The associated iconic bowl-shaped chalice is a treasured piece of glassware in our collection and will be gladly broken out for the occasion. À votre santé!

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