New Jersey BA visiting San Diego

I would first go here:
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-san-diego-winter-2016.372021/

And then I would also provide the information that thread requests to better help (i.e. location you will be staying, access to a car, etc....san diego is a big place).

 

I just came back from my vacation in San Diego and I agree that the guide @Xul put together was very helpful (especially the clusters) and @SDReaper has also given me great tips. Thanks to both!

This was what I discovered on my trip.

I was fortunate enough to time my trip with a Pliny distribution day and brought a few bottles back to NY with me. From what I understand, Stone is the distributor of Russian River down in SD and Russian River deliveries occur sporadically and usually on a Friday. I know a guy who knows a guy who works at the Whole Foods beer dept in SD and that's what he told me during our communication. There was no Russian River delivery the week of 3/18 but they got a few cases on 3/25 so its really the luck of the draw and they sell out the same day. Fortunately he knew that I was coming in from afar and held a few back for me. My takeaway is, if your two day visit doesn't coincide with a Friday that Stone is distributing Russian River, you may be out of luck.

If you really want to try Russian River, Stone Brewery usually has Pliny the Elder on tap either in its Escondido location (1 hour drive) or if you don't have a car, the Liberty Station location may have some RR stuff. You can check its website and call ahead to see if its still available. According to this, a bottle of Redemption is there: http://www.stonelibertystation.com/beer-bottle-list/

Also near there is Modern Times which I recommend a stopover since they don't distribute to the east coast and their IPA (Booming Rollers) and sour offerings (Infinity Beach) are dare I say, almost on par with Grimm's stuff here on the east coast.

Toronado's website says they have RR bottles but when I stopped by last Saturday they said they were out. They also don't do any to-go bottles.

@chupacabrablanco if you can't find any, I may have some Pliny leftover (bottled 3/21) for an IP trade.

 

^^To add on, the RR deliveries will depend on the usual delivery day for those stores. Various stores get it throughout the week but it usually is bi-weekly.

If you want to-go bottles from a bar type establishment your best bet would be Bottlecraft locations. A new location just opened up down at Liberty Station. I have not visited yet but my friends are the ones behind the bar slinging the suds.

 

If you were inside Alesmith and heard Slayer or any other metal playing, odds are I was near. =P