What’s Tapping (9/19)

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): Chur Bro New Zealand-hopped IPA, 6.7%
• Abnormal Beer Co. (Rancho Bernardo): Dank’s Not Dead! Quadruple Dry-hopped Double IPA, 8.7%
• Abnormal Beer Co. (Rancho Bernardo): Eddie’s Redux West Coast IPA, 6.7%
• Artifex Brewing (Oceanside): Stack Me Greens 2024 Fresh-hop IPA, 7%
• Athletic Brewing (Miramar): Chelada Amada Non-alcoholic Michelada, < 0.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy, Miramar): Banana Boat Hefeweizen, 5.4%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy, Miramar): Dead Ringer Märzen, 6%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy, Miramar): Oktoberfest Festbier, 5.5%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy, Miramar): Sculpin IPA on Cask w/ Passionfruit, Mango & Habanero, 7%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy, Miramar): Smack the Lip Hazy IPA, 6%
• Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy, Miramar): To the Bitter End American Bitter rested on Oak, 5%
• BattleMage Brewing (Vista): Chaos Grid Sour Ale w/ Tangerine, Huckleberry & Peach, 5%
• Bay City Brewing (Point Loma, East Village): Cherry Hustle Amber Ale w/ Cherry & Almond, 5.5%
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido, North Park): Olde Ways American Light Lager, 4.2% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido, North Park): Open Mind Hazy IPA, 6.8% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido, North Park): Tropicus Blood Orange Pale Ale, 5.3% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• BLAH Brewing (Normal Heights): Do You Like Tacos? Mexican-style Amber Lager (San Diego Beer News Homebrew Summer collaboration)
• Blue Fire Brewing (San Marcos): Fresh Hop IPA, 7.7%
• Blue Fire Brewing (San Marcos): The Fun Dunkel Dunkelweizen, 6.5%
• Breakwater Brewing (Vista): Bandidos Mexican-style Lager, 5.5%
• Breakwater Brewing (Vista): Railslide Red Ale, 6.6%
• Brewjeria Cerveceria (Chula Vista): Tomo La Flor Hibiscus Pale Ale, 6.2%
• Coronado Brewing (Bay Park, Coronado): Mermaid’s Red Ale, 5.7%
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Cerveza Mexican-style Lager, 4.7%
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Mosaic IPA, 7.1%

• Deft Brewing (Morena): Black Forest Summer Schwarzbier, 5.7% 
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Deft Leicht Leichtes Helles-style Lager, 3.1%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Deftoberfest Märzen, 5.5%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Deftoberfest Pils German-style Pilsner, 5%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Grateful Deft Kellerbier, 6.1%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): Make Mai Day Maibock, 7%
• Division 23 Brewing (Miramar): Raspberry DIY Hard Seltzer, 5.9%
• Dogleg Brewing (Vista): Chasing Daylight Dark Lager, 5%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): Forever Chai Festbier w/ Cinnamon, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Clove & Allspice, 6%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): Gnarly Dragon Triple IPA w/ Dragon Fruit & Mango, 10%
• El Cid Brewing (North Park): Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 9.3%
• GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Shadow Ones Hazy IPA, 6.7%
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): ASAP As Possible Wet-hop West Coast IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Citra!!! (It’s What We Like Here) Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7.2% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Double Fidens Double Dry-hopped Hazy Double IPA, 8.5% (collaboration w/ Fidens Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Sentimental Heart Nitro Robust Porter, 5.6% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Single Fidens Hazy IPA, 6.8% (collaboration w/ Fidens Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Triple Fidens Triple Dry-hopped Hazy Triple IPA, 10.2% (collaboration w/ Fidens Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, Carmel Valley, Bay Park, South Park): Varsity Freshman Hoppy Pilsner, 5.4% (collaboration w/ Fall Brewing)
• Heritage Brewing & Barbecue (Oceanside): Saddle Bum Session IPA, 5%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Got Tegridy San Diego IPA, 7%
• Hopnonymous Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Stein O Mite German-style Oktoberfest Lager, 5.5%
• Jacked Up Brewery (Escondido): Beach Bones West Coast IPA (San Diego Beer News Homebrew Summer collaboration)
• Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine): Brite Lites Helles-style Lager, 4.6%
• Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine): Parallel Paradise Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 6.9%
• Mike Hess Brewing (North Park, Downtown, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, Alpine): Oktoberhess Märzen, 5.6%
• New English Brewing (Sorrento Valley): Vienna Lager, 5.5%

• Nickel Beer Co. (Julian): Highway 79 Wet-hop IPA, 6.7%
• Nickel Beer Co. (Julian): My Way Wet-hop IPA, 6.8%
• Nickel Beer Co. (Julian): Valley of the Sun Wet-hop Pale Ale, 5.5%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Older Than Bones Double Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 6.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Parktoberfest German-style Festbier, 5.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): The Spell of the Sorcerer’s Skull: Part 2 Triple Dry-hopped Hazy Quadruple IPA, 12% (collaboration w/ Brujos Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• The Original 40 Brewing (North Park): Pärte Märzen German-style Amber Lager, 5.6%
• Pizza Port (Solana Beach): Cloudy Coastline Double Dry-hopped Hazy Pale Ale, 5.6%
• Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach): Bacon & Eggs Imperial Coffee Porter, 8%
• Prohibition Brewing (Vista): Asgard Ale, 5.4%
• Protector Brewery (Miramar, Downtown): Aloha Warrior American IPA, 7.2%
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Esoteric Knowledge Murky Double IPA, 8.4% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Prismatic Charm Smoothie Beer w/ Dragon Fruit & Banana, 6% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Resident Brewing (Chula Vista): Everybodies Juicin! Hazy IPA, 7.3% (collaboration w/ Hopnonymous Brewing)
• The Roadies Brewing (Vista): Festbier, 5.5%
• The Roadies Brewing (Vista): German-style Pilsner, 4.7%
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Better Daze Hazy IPA, 5.6%
• South O Brewing (Oceanside): Hopzaza Fresh-hop IPA, 7% (collaboration w/ Bay 13 Brewing, Pearl & Pine Brewing, Validation Ales & Viewpoint Brewing)
• Stone Brewing (Escondido, Point Loma, Downtown, Oceanside): 28th Anniversary Hazy Double IPA, 8.5%
• Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (Point Loma): Wave Wash Wheat American Pale Wheat Ale, 5.5%
• Sunny Grove Brewing (Santee): Jandals New Zealand-hopped IPA, 6.1%
• Sunny Grove Brewing (Santee): Sun Kissed Blonde Ale, 5.2%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): Clever Fish Name: Does Not Contain Fish German-style Kölsch, 4.8%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): Figures in the Fog Fresh-hop Hazy IPA, 6.5%
• WestBrew (Vista, East Village): Oktoberfest Märzen, 5.5%

Gene Fielden | Bottlecraft North Park Manager

Living Häus Fresh Hop Cole | Wet-hopped West Coast IPA (7%): Young operation, Living Häus Beer Co., has its origins in Modern Times Portland, once renowned as the site of the (sadly extinct) brewery, The Commons. Many layers to excavate here! Owners Conrad Andrus and Mat Sandoval both brewed on that system under the aegis of Modern Times, and now have complete creative control to forge their own identity. This edition of Cole is a revelatory West Coast IPA, wet-hopped with Centennial. This classic varietal imparts an ineffable woodsy grapefruit tone, but the fresh and unkilned nature of the hops addition preserves the essential oils, making for a delightfully slick texture. Mark my words, fans of Two Hearted by Bell’s Brewery will absolutely adore this beer!

Augustiner Lagerbier Hell | Helles Lager (5.3%): Few beers have given me more pleasure to profile in the (virtual) pages of this publication than this one. Augustiner has been brewing for nearly seven centuries (!) in Munich and is arguably the best of the “big six” breweries that have their own tents at Oktoberfest. Hitherto only their Edelstoff (a heftier pale lager) and Maximator (a sturdy doppelbock) have been exported to the United States. Whenever I am in Germany visiting family or friends, however, it is the Lagerbier Hell that animates me. An absolutely pitch-perfect Helles, this beer has endless sparkle and brightness. I typically pack a pile of bottles in my return luggage and can scarcely believe this beer is on our shelves now. Prost!

Shameless Plug: We will be showcasing this beer at our Oktoberfest beer and cheese class in conjunction with Venissimo North Park on Tuesday, September 24. Tickets can be acquired here. Hope to see you then and there!

Humble Sea Taste Güd | Märzen (5.5%): Though known for irreverent naming conventions, cartoony labels and hazy foggy IPAs, Humble Sea Brewing makes excellent lagers as well. Utilizing the process of double-decoction, wherein a portion of the mash is removed and boiled separately before returning to the main batch, the Santa Cruz operation has created a toothsome malt-driven autumnal beer. The can-art combines the checkered blue-and-white Bavarian flag motif with surfing, so deliberately incongruous as to be delightfully absurd.

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