In between touring makeshift refugee camps and speaking at city council meetings, I have managed to have a little fun lately. With a friend out visiting from the Bronx for a long Veteran's Day weekend, we took several short trips around the area, and one particularly memorable one was a long-postponed drive up to the city of Escondido to visit the Stone Brewing Company.
Jane and I have never had much enthusiasm for beer, a dual reflection of the fact that the vast majority of beers available in the U.S. seem to be flat, fizzy, piss-yellow swill and that we largely reject the culture that goes along with it. But I've been steadily chipping away at this bias, and have come to respect the new generation of American brewers who have staked a claim for producing some of the most distinctive and intense beers in the world. I still have some East Coast regional favorites, like Brooklyn and Smuttynose, and I'll always try a draft of Chippewa Falls' own Leienkugel. But I have to give it up for West Coast brewers. And I'm especially fond of the emerging San Diego beer scene.
There's no arguing that San Diego still lags far behind Seattle and Portland, Oregon, who are undoubtedly the top two craft-beer makers in the world (yes, that's right, the world). And if you want to experience real beer culture - that is, brew pubs with local organic food, anticipated seasonal releases, and community-engaged alehouses (like the wonderful series of pubs run by McMenamins Brewery, the majority reclaimed urban or rural architectural spaces) - you still have to take a trip to the Pacific Northwest. But while San Diego beer culture is still clawing out of infancy, there's more and more available to counter the Bud-Lite-keg-at-Charger's-games image that's kept some of us from appreciating this ancient craft.
There are many excellent San Diego-county craft brews to sample, and while many have small distribution centers, others can be found throughout the West and even farther East (there's also a refreshing lack of competition among these smaller breweries - they all appreciate and boost the other's product). There's Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Alesmith, the unfortunately named Pizza Port (which is actually known as simply "Port" these days, and is one of the finest producers we have) and their sister production, The Lost Abbey (fantastic stuff), and Ballast Point Brewing. And the grandaddy, Stone.
Stone is not the oldest craft brewery in San Diego, but it has set the tone for the new movement. That tone is, at times, one of sheer attitude - they don't call their signature ale Arrogant Bastard Ale for nothing. But it's a reputation well-deserved. Stone is devoted to the notion that beer is a serious drink, and they craft brews that are often intensely bitter, flavorful and rich. They also worship at the altar of the hop, so those who enjoy particularly hoppy beers will want to seek out Stone's IPA and the aforementioned Arrogant Bastard. Jane and I are also partial to the chocolate-and-coffee decadence of their Smoked Porter.
Our friend has been trying his hand at home brewing over the summer and fall, and was interested to see the workings of a real brewery. What surprised us all the most was how fundamental and basic the procedures of beer making are - the only difference between the 55,000 square foot operation and our friend's Bronx apartment operation was the scale (and the fermentation time, of course). Afterwards, we enjoyed some samples from the tap room before heading home.
Stone Brewery also runs a world-class brew pup on the site, one I've heard many good things about. We didn't have the time to catch a meal there, but there's always next time for that. If you come across any Stone beers in your area, you may want to give them a try. And I'd be curious to hear your local microbrew / craft beer favorites.
Jane and I have never had much enthusiasm for beer, a dual reflection of the fact that the vast majority of beers available in the U.S. seem to be flat, fizzy, piss-yellow swill and that we largely reject the culture that goes along with it. But I've been steadily chipping away at this bias, and have come to respect the new generation of American brewers who have staked a claim for producing some of the most distinctive and intense beers in the world. I still have some East Coast regional favorites, like Brooklyn and Smuttynose, and I'll always try a draft of Chippewa Falls' own Leienkugel. But I have to give it up for West Coast brewers. And I'm especially fond of the emerging San Diego beer scene.
There's no arguing that San Diego still lags far behind Seattle and Portland, Oregon, who are undoubtedly the top two craft-beer makers in the world (yes, that's right, the world). And if you want to experience real beer culture - that is, brew pubs with local organic food, anticipated seasonal releases, and community-engaged alehouses (like the wonderful series of pubs run by McMenamins Brewery, the majority reclaimed urban or rural architectural spaces) - you still have to take a trip to the Pacific Northwest. But while San Diego beer culture is still clawing out of infancy, there's more and more available to counter the Bud-Lite-keg-at-Charger's-games image that's kept some of us from appreciating this ancient craft.
There are many excellent San Diego-county craft brews to sample, and while many have small distribution centers, others can be found throughout the West and even farther East (there's also a refreshing lack of competition among these smaller breweries - they all appreciate and boost the other's product). There's Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Alesmith, the unfortunately named Pizza Port (which is actually known as simply "Port" these days, and is one of the finest producers we have) and their sister production, The Lost Abbey (fantastic stuff), and Ballast Point Brewing. And the grandaddy, Stone.
Stone is not the oldest craft brewery in San Diego, but it has set the tone for the new movement. That tone is, at times, one of sheer attitude - they don't call their signature ale Arrogant Bastard Ale for nothing. But it's a reputation well-deserved. Stone is devoted to the notion that beer is a serious drink, and they craft brews that are often intensely bitter, flavorful and rich. They also worship at the altar of the hop, so those who enjoy particularly hoppy beers will want to seek out Stone's IPA and the aforementioned Arrogant Bastard. Jane and I are also partial to the chocolate-and-coffee decadence of their Smoked Porter.
Our friend has been trying his hand at home brewing over the summer and fall, and was interested to see the workings of a real brewery. What surprised us all the most was how fundamental and basic the procedures of beer making are - the only difference between the 55,000 square foot operation and our friend's Bronx apartment operation was the scale (and the fermentation time, of course). Afterwards, we enjoyed some samples from the tap room before heading home.
Stone Brewery also runs a world-class brew pup on the site, one I've heard many good things about. We didn't have the time to catch a meal there, but there's always next time for that. If you come across any Stone beers in your area, you may want to give them a try. And I'd be curious to hear your local microbrew / craft beer favorites.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment