About 6 or so years back, I was big into stouts. I took some old ones out of the closet to share during the boil yesterday and it just isn't my thing anymore. I'm always drinking Central European lagers now.
For the first time in seven years, my kegerator is dispensing homebrewed beer again. And it's all entirely decent. Including a hoppy pale ale, a Munich Helles (my first lager), and a sichuan peppercorn Belgian Wit. My pipeline is a 7.61% abv Festbier that is kegged and waiting, and a Czech Pils that is done fermenting and ready to be transferred to serving keg for a couple weeks of lagering.
Ok, gave it a shot. Unfortunately, I have no words to describe it. It's definitely not a woody smoky flavor like you would expect out of a smoky beer. It's just it's own thing. Absolutely no chance I could drink a pint of it but it was solid. 7.5/10.
The fact that you are there, and it's "The beer that put Right Brain on the map" you kinda are obligated to.
They didn't say which map it put them on tbf. Could be the map of bad beer for all we know! Spoiler But this place is cool
Where are the best places to go to in San Diego considering that I am traveling with wife and kids so either a place they can go or I am sneaking away for an hour while they chill. Staying in Pacific Beach.
Stone Liberty Station is like five miles away and it has a large outdoor area with a koi pond. Bottle Craft is in the same building and has a bunch of options on draft + bottles/cans. Can walk across the green to the putt putt course once you’ve caught a nice buzz.
Little Italy is very walkable and has a few. Ballast Point the main attraction. Bolt brewery is nothing special. Bottle craft location. And a small spot called 3 Punk Ales. It’s pretty new I believe. Never been. 5 minute drive from there is Pure Project. They do some quality stuff. Couple blocks north of that is North park beer company. SD Taproom in PB is probably your best bet if you want a decent selection of crafts and don’t want to leave PB.
I was very impressed with North Park Brewing Co when I was in SD last month. North Park in general is a cool area. Bottle Craft is close and they had Pliny the Elder on draft. Modern Times Flavorsome is a short walk too while seeing the sights of NP. San Diego is an outrageously good craft brewery city where you're never more than a few minutes from a good spot.
I wish we would've stayed near North Park (or Little Italy) instead of Gaslamp. Tons of breweries and restaurants all within walking distance.
It's well connected with buses though so even if you are in Gaslamp, you can take a short bus ride up to North Park. Or take an Uber. I usually stay at the Manchester Grand Hyatt and just move around as required.
Gotta check out Lafayette hotel if you’re gonna do north park. It opened up last year. Some cool restaurant and bar concepts at the property. Owned by a group that has a ton of bars and restaurants in the city. https://lafayettehotelsd.com/
drinking a Wernesgruner pils (or "Vern" in my house) - which is one of the main reasons I go to Aldi on the regular. it's a delicious German pilsner that sells for like $5 for a 4-pack of tall boys.
Right now I am booked at Catamaran Resort but am considering switching to the Manchester Grand Hyatt.
Catamaran is good for walking to the beach/bay and taking advantage of what PB has to offer + easy access to La Jolla. The actual hotel is average. The grand Hyatt is a nicer hotel. Massive. However, not sure I would suggest walking around gaslamp with kids. It is easier to walk the Embarcadero, USS midway, and get to the zoo though.
the off flavors on my homebrewed Helles have faded. too bad I probably only have around 2 gallons left... guess I need to brew again. Planning on a doppelbock for around Christmas using the Augustiner yeast. Maybe a porter and/or red IPA?
I'm gonna need more people to contribute to the thread, or else it turns into me getting drunk off of my homebrews and coming around to the point that they're "not that bad, actually..." that said, my zombie dust clone from a couple months back is more like a classic (almost English) pale ale. not nearly as much fresh/dry hop flavor or aroma, but solid bitterness.
I'm hoping to get my homebrew stuff out next month. It's mostly packed away in storage but that's going to change. With that said, I still bottle and I don't drink nearly as much beer now a days so even a half case of homebrew is going to take forever to go through.
Picked up a bunch of fresh hop IPA’s from Arizona’s best brewery, Wren House, yesterday. Started the day with a fresh hop west coast.
I know they released a fresh hop Spellbinder but I didn’t look for any. I’m pretty over hazies at this point.
my 7.6% Festbier is drinking very easy. I kegged my (triple-decocted, pressure-fermented) Czech Pils yesterday and tried a sample. it was delicious. it had that perfect level of sulfur that lots of Central European lagers have. Very much so looking forward to when this one goes on tap. I'm brewing a Doppelbock for Christmastime this weekend. Going to keep on with the pressure-fermenting, since it seems to work well.
I ended up at Bottlecraft, played mini golf, had a Pliny. I see why it is said that Moon Man is styled after it.
have you been to Wren’s new place focusing on European styles? My wife’s uncle is in Gilbert and seems to like it
A couple times, it’s a nice spot. Wish it was closer to me. They are opening a British pub concept in Paradise Valley next.
Had a huge haul at total wine yesterday. Stumbled across a 6 pack of hopslam haphazardly thrown on a shelf by itself. Had to snag it. Still remember tasting it for the first time at a world of beer in Tampa in 2013.
Also snagged a stone 12 pack hazy mixer, bells 12 pack ipa mixer, sixer of bells breakfast stout, and one kbs double oaked. Then some seasonal singles.
bad news. my Czech Pilsner is almost gone. good news. my German Pilsner is nearly done fermenting I think I need to get back to 10 gallon batches for these lagers. time to buy a 15 gallon keg with a corny keg lid so I can do big batches of pressure fermented beers.