What’s Tapping (5/25/23)

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!

• Athletic Brewing (Miramar): Geralt’s Gold Non-alcoholic Helles-style Lager, < 0.5%
• Ataraxia Aleworks (Kearny Mesa): Anatomy Park Hazy Triple IPA, 10% (collaboration w/ Solaris Beer & Blending)
• Ataraxia Aleworks (Kearny Mesa): Deployment Mustache Berliner-style Weisse w/ Guava, 3.8% (collaboration w/ El Cid Brewing)
• Ataraxia Aleworks (Kearny Mesa): Jacke Checke Dunkelweizen, 4.8% (collaboration w/ Mission Brewing)
• Ataraxia Aleworks (Kearny Mesa): Schnuckiputzi Kölsch w/ Peach, 4.2% (collaboration w/ Eppig Brewing)
• Ataraxia Aleworks (Kearny Mesa): Siesta Cón Limon Mexican-style Lager w/ Lime, 3.9%
• Aztec Brewery (Vista): Kitchen Sink Triple IPA, 11%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Miramar, Morena, Little Italy): Bluegrassfire Smoked Kentucky Common, 5.9%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Miramar, Morena, Little Italy): Habanero Sculpin IPA, 7%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Miramar, Morena, Little Italy): Waiting for Vizzini Italian-style Pilsner, 5.6%
• BattleMage Brewing (Vista): One Hop to Rule Them All Single-hop IPA w/ Citra, 6%
• Bay City Brewing (Point Loma, East Village): Ziggy Sourdust Fruited Sour Ale w/ Passionfruit, 5.5%
• Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista, North Park): Beav Light American Light Lager, 4.3%
• Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista, North Park): Death by Blueberry Wheat Ale w/ Blueberry, 4.5%
• Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista, North Park): Tropical Terps IPA w/ Terpenes, 6.6%
• BLAH Brewing (Normal Heights): White Stripes Belgian-style Witbier w/ Tangerine, 5.5%
• Booze Brothers Brewing (Vista, Oceanside, Fallbrook): Earthless Cosmic Blonde Ale, 5%
• Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon): Dankness Visible IPA, 6.5%

• Craft Coast Beer & Tacos (Oceanside): Diesel Pusher West Coast IPA, 7.5%
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Rosé Lager w/ Hibiscus & Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes, 4.5%
• Division 23 Brewing (Miramar): Hazy IPA, 7.9%
• Duck Foot Brewing (Miramar, Leucadia): Purple Reign Beer Slushies, 5%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): The Villager v2 West Coast IPA, 7%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): Zeitgeist German-style Pilsner, 4.7%
• Gravity Heights (Sorrento Mesa): Cowboy Hippy Rye IPA, 6.2%
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, South Park, Bay Park, Carmel Valley): Baby Bella’s Belgian-style Table Bier, 3.8%
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, South Park, Bay Park, Carmel Valley): Harland Especial Dark & Toasty Mexican-style Lager, 5%
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, South Park, Bay Park, Carmel Valley): Highlighter Hazy India Pale Lager, 6%
• Helia Brewing (Vista): Helia Porter, 7.4%
• Helix Brewing (La Mesa): Cosmic Highways IPA, 7%
• Helix Brewing (La Mesa): Helix Pale Ale, 4.8%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Attitude Era West Coast Double IPA, 8.7%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Banana Boat Crew Kettle Sour Ale w/ Passionfruit, Banana & Guava, 7.1%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Slammin’ SD Hazy IPA, 7.1%
• InZane Brewing (Vista): Double Vista Double IPA, 8.4%
• Jacked Up Brewery (Escondido): Hazy Talk Hazy IPA, 6%
• Julian Beer Co. (Julian): Dolphin of the Desert Belgian-style Quadrupel, 12%
• Julian Beer Co. (Julian): Hillside Rendezvous Ale w/ Sage, Rosemary, Lupine & Apple Blossom, 4.7%

• Kairoa Brewing (University Heights): Back Paddock New Zealand-hopped Pilsner, 5.6%
• Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine): Higher Times Triple West Coast IPA, 11%
• Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine): Wild Child Double West Coast IPA, 8.4%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Birdie to Bogey California Pils, 5.4%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): Re-orchestrated Parking Triple Dry-hopped Hazy Double IPA, 8.5%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill): TDH Hop-Fu! – Gold Edition Triple Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7.5%
• The Original 40 Brewing (North Park): OG NZ Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 6.3%
• Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad): Flammabowl Smoked Brown Ale, 5.2% (collaboration w/ Colby Chandler)
• Poor House Brewing (North Park): Big Mango Glow Hazy IPA w/ Mango, 7%
• Poor House Brewing (North Park): Endless Mosa Imperial Hazy IPA, 8%
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Sunset Crush Cream Ale w/ Strawberry & Vanilla, 5.8%
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Disconcerting Signals Hazy IPA, 7.2%
• Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Old Town): Societe / Coronado Collab Double IPA, 8.5% (collaboration w/ Coronado Brewing)
• Stone Brewing (Escondido, Point Loma, Oceanside, Downtown): One Batch Dispatch Oside Oasis Cold Double IPA, 8.9%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park): MEEP! Double Dry-hopped IPA, 6.6%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park): Super Duper American Premium Lager, 4.8%
• WestBrew (Vista, East Village): Tropic Wonder Key Lime Kettle Sour Ale, 6%
• Wild Barrel Brewing (San Marcos, Temecula): Vice CranZu Berliner-style Weisse w/ Cranberry & Yuzu, 5.2%
• Wild Barrel Brewing (San Marcos, Temecula): White Rabbit Belgian-style Witbier, 5.5%

Gene Fielden | North Park Bottlecraft Manager

Everywhere / Tripping Animals Infinite Universe | Hazy IPA (6.8%): Among the latest crop of releases from Everywhere (the best new brewery in Orange County in quite some time) was an IPA whose keg kicked in no time flat at Bottlecraft North Park. Thankfully, cans are still available! In collaboration with the eye-catching Miami brewery, Tripping Animals, Infinite Universe nails everything that drinkers enjoy in a hazy. Oats in the grist impart a fluffier texture, while the combination of Citra and Motueka (a longtime favorite pairing of mine; see the bygone Booming Rollers from Modern Times) is boosted by New Zealand’s most famous varietal, Nelson. Enjoy now, as the supply of this universally appealing beer is sadly finite.

Schönramer Helles | Helles Lager (5%): While attending the Lagerville festival hosted by Figueroa Mountain Brewing at their Buellton location last April, I chanced upon a man at one of the booths pouring Bavarian beers while wearing lederhosen. Perhaps because it was not exactly the first hour of the fest or the general mood and tenor of the day (hot, exuberant), we addressed one another in German. It soon became evident that neither of us was a native speaker, yet we could nonetheless communicate fluidly. What was endlessly amusing about the whole scenario is that layered atop his faint North American accent was also a Bavarian one, implying many years of living and working in that large and beer-loving region. Thus, there are not a lot of people who sound quite like Mark Gerlach, who is responsible for importing Schönramer to California. I was mightily impressed by the Helles and began carrying it at Bottlecraft immediately thereafter. ow that the brewery has been picked up by a distributor, drinkers stateside can enjoy this delightfully rounded pale lager, brewed a stone’s throw from Salzburg. Prost!

Living Haus / Brujos Caterina | Imperial Stout (10%): The Portland-based contract-brewing project known as Brujos has not released very many beers, but every single one has attracted a high level of devotion among fans. Living Haus (profiled in these virtual pages just last week for its North Park Beer Co. collab Nate, as in Soroko) has done a long boil with Brujos to produce Caterina. She is a hefty imperial stout laden with vanilla from Madagascar and coffee from Puff, a self-described “itsy bitsy teeny weeny coffee company”, which is just adorably endearing. The can label art is suitably eldritch and would not look out of place at Kindred in South Park!

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