What’s Tapping (4/2/26)
Our weekly list of new and fresh beers debuting at breweries throughout San Diego County plus recommendations from Bottlecraft
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 staff recommendations about beers they are excited about that can be found at their bottle shop locations in North Park, Little Italy and Point Loma!
Arcana Brewing (Carlsbad): Mystic Vale Pale Ale, 5.5%
Athletic Brewing (Miramar): Two for the Trails Non-alcoholic IPA, < 0.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy): Knight Shift English-style Ale w/ Apricot & Dates, 6.2%
Bay City Brewing (Point Loma, East Village): Getaway Day Anytime IPA, 3%
Bay City Brewing (Point Loma, East Village): Tea Wolf Hard Sparkling Tea, 5.5%
Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido, Downtown): Courage to Grow Double Dry-hopped IPA, 6.2% – PURCHASE ONLINE
Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido, Downtown): Twin Fin West Coast Pilsner, 5.7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
Chula Vista Brewery (Chula Vista): Coastal Hello West Coast IPA, 6.9%
Chula Vista Brewery (Chula Vista): Coyote Canyons West Coast Double IPA, 8%
Chula Vista Brewery (Chula Vista): Life of Layers Hazy IPA, 6.3%
Chula Vista Brewery (Chula Vista): Mittelfrüh German-style Pilsner, 5%
Deft Brewing (Bay Park): Savvy & Deft FC Extra Special Bitter, 5.8%
Deft Brewing (Bay Park): Tourmaline Tan English-style Brown Ale, 5.8%
Dogleg Brewing (Vista): Compadre Mexican-style Lager, 4.8%
Good Pressure Brewing (Allied Gardens): Allied Haze Hazy IPA, 7.8% (collaboration w/ Burning Beard Brewing)
Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Listen to My Eyes Double Dry-hopped Hazy Double IPA, 8.7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): The Mystifier Cold IPA, 7.2% – PURCHASE ONLINE
Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Planting in Pencil West Coast IPA, 7.2% – PURCHASE ONLINE
Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Relax Double Dry-hopped Hazy Pale Ale, 5.5% (collaboration w/ Uchu Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Safety Jacket Non-alcoholic West Coast IPA w/ Terpenes, 0.4% – PURCHASE ONLINE
Green Cheek Beer Co. (Oceanside): Wishflower Double Dry-hopped Hazy IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
Julian Beer Co. (Julian): Anatomical Blonde American Lager, 5.3%
Julian Beer Co. (Julian): Quick Draw Light Lager, 4.2%
Karl Strauss Brewing (Downtown, Sorrento Mesa, 4S Ranch, Carlsbad): Soarin’ to Tower Hazy IPA
Mason Ale Works (Barrio Logan): Chosen One Double Hazy IPA, 9.9%
Mike Hess Brewing (North Park, Ocean Beach, Downtown, Imperial Beach, Alpine): 8 West Tropical Wheat Ale, 5%
Mike Hess Brewing (North Park, Ocean Beach, Downtown, Imperial Beach, Alpine): Carbonated Milk Hard Seltzer, 5%
Mike Hess Brewing (North Park, Ocean Beach, Downtown, Imperial Beach, Alpine): Grapefruit Solis IPA, 7.5%
North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Hoppy Jr. Triple Dry-hopped West Coast Pale Ale, 5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Hoppy Pup Triple Dry-hopped Hazy Double IPA, 8.5% – PURCHASE ONLINE
North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Mr. Hoppy Triple Dry-hopped West Coast IPA, 7.1% – PURCHASE ONLINE
North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Ms. Hoppy Triple Dry-hopped Hazy IPA, 7% – PURCHASE ONLINE
Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach): Queen Coast IPA, 6.5% (collaboration w/ MadeWest Brewing)
Pizza Port Carlsbad Village (Carlsbad): Squiggles West Coast IPA, 7%
Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Animal Instincts West Coast IPA, 7.1% (collaboration w/ Tarantula Hill Brewing) – PURCHASE ONLINE
Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Collective Illusion Murky Double IPA, 8.4% – PURCHASE ONLINE
Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Coping Skills West Coast Pilsner, 5.6%
Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Domino Theory Hazy IPA, 6.2%
South O Brewing (Oceanside): Krush-A-Lot West Coast Pilsner, 5.4% (collaboration w/ Around the Horn Brewing)
Stone Brewing (Escondido, Oceanside, Point Loma, Downtown): Live Current West Coast IPA, 7%
Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (Point Loma): Down the Rabbit Hole Golden Stout w/ Lactose, Coffee, Chocolate, Mushrooms & Strawberry, 9%
TapRoom Beer Co.: Erratic Sparks West Coast Pilsner, (6%)
Gene Fielden | Bottlecraft North Park Manager
The theme this week is the color green!
Societe / Burgeon Forest Friends | West Coast IPA (7.2%): We in San Diego love our hoppy beers, our local craft breweries and the collaborations that they keep dreaming up together. Forest Friends checks all three boxes! Brewed and canned off at Societe Brewing in Kearny Mesa in conjunction with beloved Carlsbad operation Burgeon Beer Co., this West Coast IPA has a veritable treeline of Citra, Nectaron and Tangier. With a deliberately cartoony image of two woodland critters clinking (clunking?) cans together around a campfire in the style of Hanna-Barbera, this is a beer for harmless hijinks and camaraderie.
Enegren Maibock | Helles Bock (7%): This is the only time of year when strong pale lagers are fashionable, so let’s drink with the seasons! A portmanteau of Mai (= the month of May) and bock (= an indicator of a higher-ABV lager), these beers are a springtime tradition in the German lands. Sweeter and heftier than a Pilsner, Enegren’s offering gives off notes of white grapes, honeycomb and pan dulce. The ectoplasm-green can with the familiar Bavarian-flag pattern tells us at a glance that this is a beer of regrowth and renewal. Prost!
Blaugies / Hill Farmstead La Vermontoise | Spelt Saison (6%): The mercurial Shaun Hill of Vermont’s Hill Farmstead is on record as stating that Saison d’Epeautre, the flagship creation of Brasserie Blaugies, is one of his favorite beers of all time. Located in the eponymous village in far southern Wallonia (pressed up against the French border), Blaugies specializes in rustic farmhouse ales in green bottles, which gives off a light-striking element upon uncorking. La Vermontoise is a variation on that selfsame theme, being brewed with spelt (= “Epeautre”) and given a dry-hopping charge of Amarillo hops for a subtle citric orange tinge to boot.
Click here to explore the quality beers at Bottlecraft’s three San Diego locations