What’s Tapping (9/5)

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!

• Arcana Brewing (Carlsbad): Serenity Haze Hazy IPA, 6.5%
• Athletic Brewing (Miramar): Oktoberfest Non-alcoholic Festbier, < 0.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Barley & Sword Brewing (North Park): Thirst for Knowledge Festbier
• BattleMage Brewing (Vista): Shroud of Mist Hazy IPA, 6.9%
• Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista, North Park): West Bestern West Coast IPA, 7% (collaboration w/ Craft Coast Beer & Tacos and Westbound & Down Brewing)
• Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido, North Park): Purgatory IPA, 6% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Blue Fire Brewing (San Marcos): Padre San Diego Pilsner, 5%
• Blue Fire Brewing (San Marcos): Ray of White Belgian-style Witbier, 5%
• California Wild Ales (Point Loma, Ocean Beach): War Zone West Coast IPA, 7.2%
• Carlsbad Brewing (Carlsbad): Now You See Me Now You Don’t New Zealand-hopped Pilsner, 4.8%
• Creative Creature Brewing (San Marcos): Strawberry Banana Smoothie Sour Ale 
• Culture Brewing (Solana Beach, Encinitas): Green Tea IPA, 7.7%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): DeftHopt Amber American-ish IPA, 5.5%
• Deft Brewing (Morena): ManGose Into a Bar Gose w/ Mango, 4.7%
• Duck Foot Brewing (Miramar, Leucadia): Orange Creamsicle Beer Slushie, 5%
• Duck Foot Brewing (Miramar, Leucadia): Strawberry Beergarita Beer Slushie, 5%
• East Village Brewing (East Village): The Villager San Diego IPA, 7%
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Chance Favors the Prepared Mind Double Dry-hopped West Coast Double IPA, 8.6% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): False Memories West Coast IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): The Internet Said 11° Czech-style Pilsner, 4.6%

• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): It Just Works Cold IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Radiant Beauty West Coast IPA, 6.7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Wherever You Go Double Dry-hopped Hazy IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Zombi Shark Fight Italian-style Pilsner, 5.2 – PURCHASE ONLINE
• InZane Brewing (Vista): Foolish Thread Irish-style Red Ale, 5.3%
• Ketch Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Downtown, Point Loma): Neptune’s Nectar Tropical Thiolized Helles-style Lager, 5%
• Ketch Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Downtown, Point Loma): Oktoberfest Märzen, 6%
• Latchkey Brewing (Bay Ho): Buzzed Lite Year American Light Lager, 4.2%
• Mason Ale Works (Vista, Downtown): Talons of Fury Hazy Double IPA, 7.7% (collaboration w/ Eppig Brewing)
• Mission Brewing (East Village, Kensington, La Jolla, Carmel Valley): Enlightenment Blonde Ale w/ Buddha’s Hand (San Diego Beer News Homebrew Summer collaboration)
• Mother Earth Brew Co. (Vista): Cali Screamin’ Pumpkin Vanilla Ale, 5%
• Nickel Beer Co. (Julian): Danke Schoen Oktoberfest Lager, 5.5%
• Nickel Beer Co. (Julian): High Country Wet-hop IPA, 6.8%
• Nickel Beer Co. (Julian): Standing Eagle Wet-hop IPA, 6.7%
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): NPBC8 Triple Dry-hopped Hazy Double IPA, 8.4% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): NPBC8 Triple Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): West Coast Pilsner – PURCHASE ONLINE

• Northern Pine Brewing (Oceanside, Carmel Valley): Lodge Beer American Lager, 5%
• The Original 40 Brewing (North Park): Tropical Funky Fusion Wine Barrel-aged Sour Ale, 5.5%
• Prey Brewing (Vista): Berry Yard Seltzer
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Lavender Daze Belgian-style Witbier w/ Lavender, Ube & Orange, 5%
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Mystery Veils the Desert Murky IPA, 6.6% (collaboration w/ Wren House Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
• Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Year of the Guava Dragon Sour Ale w/ Guava & Dragon Fruit, 5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
• San Diego Brewing (Mission Valley): Ohana Mana Wet-hop IPA, 6%
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Fest Bier, 5.3%
• Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Oak-aged Fest Bier, 5.3%
• Shoots Fish & Beer (Carlsbad, Oceanside): PSSC Salty Blonde Ale, 5%
• South O Brewing (Oceanside): Star Chaser West Coast IPA, 6.5%
• Stone Brewing (Escondido, Point Loma, Oceanside, Downtown): Enjoy By 10.31.24 Hazy Double IPA, 9.4%
• Sunny Grove Beer Co. (Santee): La BAMBA Mexican-style Lager, 5%
• TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park, Pacific Beach): Bread Van English-style Bitter, 4.2%
• Tarantula Hill Brewing (San Marcos): Tasman Sunrise West Coast IPA, 6.8%

Gene Fielden | Bottlecraft North Park Manager

Cerebral Rare Trait | Hazy IPA (6.4%): It has been a year almost to the day since any Cerebral Brewing cans materialized in San Diego ‒ and prior to then, they only appeared as part and parcel of a hoppy beer festival in the pre-COVID times. This celebrated brewery has been a favorite of visitors to Colorado since it opened in 2015, but availability in southern California has hitherto never really been part of the conversation. Cerebral’s flagship hazy IPA is liberally dosed with Citra, El Dorado and Mosaic ‒ fans of fellow Colorado brewery Weldwerks will recognize the same hops-signature as found in Juicy Bits. It bears mentioning that we also received a special edition of the same beer, double dry-hopped with HBC 586. Join me in welcoming Cerebral back to town!

Burgeon / Cellarmaker Kia Ora | New Zealand Pilsner (4.9%): Both local stalwart Burgeon Beer Co. and Cellarmaker Brewing from the Bay Area delight in New Zealand hops as well as said applications in lagers ‒ this collaboration between them is hence entirely on brand! Liberally dosed with Nectaron, Superdelic and Rakau ‒ the lattermost in the form of “SubZero Hop Kief”, a patented product from Freestyle Hops on the South Island. While it is late winter down there in the southern hemisphere, we are experiencing a heat wave as I type these words. So grab a cold Pilsner as a remedy!

Pure Project Year f the Guava Dragon | Fruited Sour Ale (5%): Pure Project has been known for a certain predilection towards dragon fruit, also known as pitaya ‒ it seems to crop up repeatedly in their beers, and not only those of the sour persuasion! Regular readers of this column may recall #ISO, a hazy triple IPA utilizing it for both color and flavor. This new recipe combines the selfsame vibrant pink fruit with guava during fermentation for a zingy and visually stunning sour ale. Contrary to its name, I somehow doubt this beer will last all year!

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