The Brewery Project: The Beer Co.

The first time I went to The Beer Co., shortly after it opened, I wasn't overly impressed.  The food was fine, and the beer they had was just fine as well.  What they had, that is.  Several of the selections, the "bigger" beers, were out.  My taster set was filled with Pale, Blonde, and Brown ales, styles I usually allocate to the back seat in favor of more aggressive IPAs and IIPAs, or richer barleywines and quadruples.  Perhaps, being fairly new, they just needed to work out some kinks.  After my most recent visit, I would say the kinks have been mostly worked out.  The food was much better than I remembered it, and the beer was fantastic.  I was able to fill my taster set this time around with some nice selections, including their Abbey Normal Dubbel, Elimination IPA, Dark Pint of the Conchords IPA, and The Dude, an Imperial Red.  I thoroughly enjoyed each of the selections and found them a wonderful representation of their individual styles.  Each one felt like it had heart behind it, more than just a brewer following a recipe.  I always like to see special releases come from small breweries such as this one, because it shows that they are truly dedicated to the craft and not just filling out a tap list.  My only complaint with the visit was the amount of time it took to get the taster set.  The brewery restaurant wasn't very busy, yet an entree had arrived before I finally asked the whereabouts of my beer, which showed up shortly after.  Had the set gotten to me sooner I would have ordered a pint after finishing the tasters, however, time didn't allow it by the time I finished the tardy brews.  That aside, I was quite pleased with this stop on my tour, and look forward to visiting again.

Ales vs. Lagers

Poor economy

Well, the economy has officially taken its toll on my friend.  Once known for his good taste and affinity for craft beer, a recent pay cut has left him buying forty-packs of Natural Ice.  Which is the lesser of two evils when money is low, cheap beer or no beer?  I'll choose no beer!  What about you?

What ever happened to "The Hops Project"?

You may remember this post from a year ago promising a "pictorial trip" of my first year growing hops.  The hops were grown, harvested, and were used to dry hop a small batch of homebrew.  What didn't happen was the lovely "pictorial trip" that I promised.  I hope to still provide a homage to that journey, but wanted to share a current view of my bines along with my first harvest of the year.  I will get one more small batch of hops before the season ends, but not nearly this volume.  I'll know the true quality of these hops in November.  Once again I say, stay tuned!

Presidential Beer

If beer is brewed in the White House, can it still be called "homebrew"?  Read about what's brewing in Washington here.  I can just see Obama giving a tour of the facility followed by a taster flight, akin to the Peter Zien led AleSmith excursions.  Priceless.

Vote!

No, I'm not campaigning for the presidential race, there's something much more pressing!  San Diego A-List is trying to find out who has the best beer selection in San Diego, and needs your help.  Sign up and vote here.  Will your favorite spot win?  Vote and see!

Relax, it's Sunday!