Visiting San Diego - Summer 2014

UCLABrewN84 · Jul 26, 2014

wesbray said: ↑

Always non-existent or non-existent right now?
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I am sure you could set up some sort of trade for some, especially with the beer in your avatar.

Lostmango · Jul 27, 2014

Some kegs have been popping up around oc recently. Also, i have seen some on bottle lists and they will let you take em to go. But the price is steep.

KhakCane · Jul 28, 2014

I'm headed your way in a week and a half. What's the best place to grab lunch in North Park (preferably somewhere with an awesome beer list)? Is the food at Toronado, Tiger! Tiger!, or Waypoint worth doing? Or would you just drink at those spots and grab lunch somewhere else?

EDIT: Also, is the walk between Societe, Council, and Helm's a safe one?

HeavySpeedway · Jul 28, 2014

KhakCane said: ↑

I'm headed your way in a week and a half. What's the best place to grab lunch in North Park (preferably somewhere with an awesome beer list)? Is the food at Toronado, Tiger! Tiger!, or Waypoint worth doing? Or would you just drink at those spots and grab lunch somewhere else?

EDIT: Also, is the walk between Societe, Council, and Helm's a safe one?
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Waypoint is more known for food. I think you could get lunch at any of those places and be happy enough, though I'd probably opt for TigerTiger.

Why would you walk to Helm's?

KhakCane · Jul 28, 2014

Thank you for the feedback.

HeavySpeedway said: ↑

Why would you walk to Helm's?
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Do you ask that because Helm's is not worth going to? I was thinking of taking Uber from downtown to hit up Societe, Council, and Helm's (and walking between them).

HeavySpeedway · Jul 28, 2014

KhakCane said: ↑

Thank you for the feedback.

Do you ask that because Helm's is not worth going to? I was thinking of taking Uber from downtown to hit up Societe, Council, and Helm's (and walking between them).
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Indeed I am saying that Helm's is not worth your time unless you are really curious.

I'd do this - Uber to Council, walk down to Societe, then walk over the Helm's if you still have the urge. As far as the walk being safe, yes it is. Sidewalks all the way, mostly along a main street, during the middle of the day. That part of town does get little seedy at night, but I've never heard of it being any worse than anywhere else.

SpecialAgentDaleCooper · Jul 28, 2014

KhakCane said: ↑

I'm headed your way in a week and a half. What's the best place to grab lunch in North Park (preferably somewhere with an awesome beer list)? Is the food at Toronado, Tiger! Tiger!, or Waypoint worth doing? Or would you just drink at those spots and grab lunch somewhere else?

EDIT: Also, is the walk between Societe, Council, and Helm's a safe one?
Click to expand...

Food at all of those places is good. Tiger! Tiger! would be your best lunch option, however.

Rish907 · Jul 28, 2014

Xul said: ↑

Intro Notes - This guide is not intended to be an exhaustive list of everything about visiting San Diego from a beer standpoint, rather it's intended as a primer to hopefully answer the majority of the basic questions people ask such as "What breweries should I visit?", "Which bars are worth going to?", and "Is a drive to Alpine worth it?". If you're looking for something specific, skim through the bold headers for what you want. If you've read through this and still have questions, ask away, but please give us enough information to answer your question. The most helpful information you can give us when you're looking for recommendations:
1) What part of town you're staying in
2) Whether or not you have a car
3) How much time you have

On the question of recommended breweries, it's always a bit difficult to build a list without personal bias creeping in. I've tried to mostly stick to commonly held opinions rather than my own (sometimes curmudgenonly) views, but some people are likely to disagree with me. When in doubt, check the BA Places reviews, there are a lot of reviews on there that can provide depth that a short summary like this can't. On the two tiers of smaller breweries, the differentiation isn't one of quality or superiority as much as a feeling that the Tier 1 breweries get recommended more often than the Tier 2 breweries. Many of the Tier 2 breweries are churning out great beer, and I would recommend visiting if you have time. Additionally, there are plenty of other breweries making solid beer, but most people visiting only have a certain amount of time and I've tried to provide the best options.

The guide will be updated on a quarterly basis and if anyone has any advice on sections to add next time around, feel free to respond and/or PM me.

General Advice - San Diego is a very spread out city, especially in terms of brewery location, and our public transportation is mostly terrible for getting between different areas. If you're staying Downtown (or the Gaslamp, a subset of Downtown) without a car, you'll be in decent shape to hit a lot of good spots without much effort - the Route 2 bus runs from Downtown to 30th St and cabs from Downtown to North Park are relatively cheap. If you're staying almost anywhere else in the county, having a car will make it far easier to hit the breweries you really want to visit, rather than the geographically convenient ones. Even with a car, you're going to find it far easier to hit brewery clusters rather than try to hop through the county in a single day (see below for more on that).

Basic Resources:
San Diego Beer Map (courtesy of ex-BA nanobrew) - This map contains damn near every point of interest from a beer standpoint, and is both more current and easier to use than Beermapping.com. It will be your greatest tool in trying to plan how to maximize your time.
California Breweries' Growler Fill Policies (courtesy of BA SageO) - California's breweries have been slow to adapt to changes and reinterpretations in growler laws, but Sage has done a great job of compiling as much information as possible. If you're visiting from more liberal growler states (like Oregon for example), you'll be in for a bit of a culture shock and likely want to do some research on specific breweries' policies before you show up looking for fills.
West Coaster Event Calendar - Not a comprehensive calendar, but a good sampling of beer-related events. Keep checking as your trip draws closer, sometimes events will pop on at the last minute.

The Big/Well Distributed Breweries - Since you're into beer, you've probably had their beers before. If you're a fan, each brewery has its pros and cons that might make it worth visiting:
AleSmith - Well worth a stop in my opinion. Very little ambiance or scenery due to its traditional industrial park setting, but they usually have a handful of draft only/special edition beers on tap as well as a cask or two, and they very rarely miss the mark.
Ballast Point - They have three facilities now, each with different focuses and in different parts of the city:
* Ballast Point Production Facility (Old Grove) - Their main facility has a tasting room with both tasters and pints, as well as scheduled spirits tastings (check their website for details). Each Ballast Point facility will generally have a good selection of draft-only beers, and they maintain updated tap lists on their website.
* Ballast Point Tasting Room & Kitchen (Little Italy) - Their newest facility in Little Italy has both a tasting room as well as a restaurant. Parking in Little Italy can be a challenge in the evening or on weekends, but it's a great option for anyone who's staying Downtown to either walk or take public transit to.
* Home Brew Mart - Their original location, which is half tasting room/half home brew shop. There's no seating to be had and while there's nothing to recommend against, it's less relaxing than the other two locations. If you're strapped for time or stuck in the Mission Valley/Linda Vista area, it's convenient, but that's about the only reason to visit it over the the Old Grove or Little Italy locations.
Green Flash - They usually have a handful of special beers on tap, but they frequently seem to be revived old recipes or seasonals, with a few experimental batches mixed in. The tasting room is massive and they offer tours for a fee ($5 IIRC).
Lost Abbey/Port - Between the vintage bottle list and seasonals/draft only beers on tap, it's generally worth a stop for fans. It's fairly rare for them to have sours or BA beers on tap, aside from special events, so don't go in expecting an epic tap list.
Stone - They have several locations now when you include their company stores where you can do tasters and buy both beer and merchandise, but two primary locations:
* Stone Brewing Escondido - The mothership, it has their production facility, bottling facility, bistro gardens, and the only location that has tours. If you have the time, I highly recommend doing the tour, as it's one of the best you'll find in craft beer due to both Stone's size and the vibe around the brewery (and no, our resident Stone tour guide didn't pay me to say that). As far as the bistro, the menu is, to put it diplomatically, divisive - the food choices can be a bit on the esoteric side, the prices are on the higher end, and the portions are smaller. Some people like it, some people avoid it like the plague. Look at a menu before you go.
* Stone Brewing Liberty Station - Similar food and beer situation to Escondido, but without any tours, and bocce ball courts rather than gardens. The ambiance isn't at the level of Escondido, but it's far more centrally located (minutes from the airport and Downtown) and is a good option if you're a Stone fan but lack a car and/or the time to make it up to Escondido.

The Smaller Breweries You Should Visit - Tier 1:
Alpine - If you're reading this thread, you probably don't need to be told about Alpine. Go out there, drink the IPAs, eat some BBQ. The pub is closed on Sundays and the brewery is closed on both Sundays and Mondays. See below for a more complete on answer on visiting Alpine.
Pizza Port - There are four locations in San Diego County - Ocean Beach, Solana Beach, Bressi Ranch, and Carlsbad - and which one you visit is more or less based on preference and convenience. Solana Beach has the fewest taps out of the four if I recall correctly, and Carlsbad has the bottle shop next door, but those are the main differences. If you're from New York or Chicago, let me caution you right now - it's California style pizza, and you'll probably be deeply offended by what they do to pizza. If you can look past the sacrilege, it's enjoyable for what it is. If you can't, then drink the pain away. Either way, Pizza Port should be on your itinerary.
Rip Current - They're just over a year old and seem to fly under the radar, but damn near everything they brew is at least good, if not great or excellent. Their hours are a little bit smaller than the big boys, but they're not far from Stone's Escondido facility and Port/Lost Abbey. If you go up to North County and don't go to Rip Current, you're doing yourself a disservice.
Societe - One of the breakout breweries of the past couple years, they've been brewing great IPAs but their stouts and Belgians shouldn't be overlooked. Considering they don't bottle or can their beers, it's worth heading up to try them on tap. If you really want them to love you, ask when their sours will be ready or when they're going to start bottling their IPAs.

The Smaller Breweries You Should Visit - Tier 2:
Belching Beaver - Solid beers across the board, but their Peanut Butter Milk Stout tends to draw the best reviews. Along with the production facility in Vista, they have a tasting room in North Park that's a convenient stop if you're hitting beer spots on 30th Street.
Council Brewing - One of the newer breweries in the county and only a nano, but they're making damn good beer and Gavel Drop holds its own in the conversation of San Diego IPAs. Proximity to Societe should make it a no-brainer to stop and try their beers.
Latitude 33 - For whatever reason their beers haven't translated particularly well to bottles, as the reviews indicate, but their beer is enjoyable on tap and Breakfast with Wilford is a really nice coffee stout when it's available.
Modern Times - They'll be celebrating their one year anniversary in mid-July and their growth has been explosive, as they've spent most of their first year struggling to meet demand. Their core beers are all solid and some of the pilot batches and seasonals are damn good. As they add demand, one-offs and experimental batches should become more common, making a visit to the brewery even more essential. Along with the main brewery, they have a tasting room in North Park at 3000 Upas St #102.
Monkey Paw - A good option for people stuck Downtown, Monkey Paw has both solid house beers as well as guest taps and some damn good cheesesteaks.
New English Brewing Company - Focused on British styles, with some West Coast twists. They fly under the radar but have improved their output and are worth checking out or giving a second chance if you had some of their earlier bottled batches.
Saint Archer Brewing Co - They took a lot of flak for their marketing angle when they first opened, but since hiring Pizza Port alum Yiga Miyashiro, they've been churning out better beer than people give them credit for, and the coffee brown is one of the better local beers for its style. Not an essential stop, but their proximity to Alesmith makes it an easy one.

Good Bars and Beer-centric Restaurants:
Blind Lady Ale House
Cali Kebab/Amplified Ale Works
Churchill's Pub
Ciro's Pizzeria
Downtown Johnny Brown's
Hamilton's Tavern
Newport Pizza & Ale House
O'Briens
Regal Beagle
Ritual Tavern
Slater's 50/50
Small Bar
Tap Room
Tiger!Tiger!
Toronado
Urge Gastropub
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Really great summary and well done. Living in SD I agree with pretty much all your comments including visiting Alpine as a must. Cheers!

Eriktheipaman · Jul 29, 2014

JohnCassillo said: ↑

Will you have shirts and pants?

...

Shirts and pants.
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More like shorts

Eriktheipaman · Jul 29, 2014

KhakCane said: ↑

I'm headed your way in a week and a half. What's the best place to grab lunch in North Park (preferably somewhere with an awesome beer list)? Is the food at Toronado, Tiger! Tiger!, or Waypoint worth doing? Or would you just drink at those spots and grab lunch somewhere else?

EDIT: Also, is the walk between Societe, Council, and Helm's a safe one?
Click to expand...

Not sure if you'll be in North Park for a specific reason, but I always dig lunch at Small Bar in University Heights.

KhakCane · Jul 29, 2014

Eriktheipaman said: ↑

Not sure if you'll be in North Park for a specific reason, but I always dig lunch at Small Bar in University Heights.
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Nice... I will check it out. Thanks.

I am staying downtown. Given all of the awesome beer bars in North Park, I figured it was worth the short ride over to spend a day imbibing.

Eriktheipaman · Jul 29, 2014

KhakCane said: ↑

Nice... I will check it out. Thanks.

I am staying downtown. Given all of the awesome beer bars in North Park, I figured it was worth the short ride over to spend a day imbibing.
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If you're going to hit up a few places staying closer to 30th is the way to go for sure.

barflybastard · Aug 23, 2014

Anyone have any airbnb suggestions for San Diego, centrally located? Not requiring that someone have a personal testimony, but rather an address best suited to serve as a landing pad for a day of drinking, prior to a (walkable) night of drinking? On our list (from LA via rental car) is Lost Abbey, AleSmith, Ballast Point, Societe and Green Flash--Alpine is too far for our purposes and we would like to squeeze in Pizza Port again.

If we could find a cool pillow in North Park, near multiple accommodating taps, this could help to fill in gaps. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Cheers.

PatKorn · Aug 23, 2014

barflybastard said: ↑

Anyone have any airbnb suggestions for San Diego, centrally located? Not requiring that someone have a personal testimony, but rather an address best suited to serve as a landing pad for a day of drinking, prior to a (walkable) night of drinking? On our list (from LA via rental car) is Lost Abbey, AleSmith, Ballast Point, Societe and Green Flash--Alpine is too far for our purposes and we would like to squeeze in Pizza Port again.

If we could find a cool pillow in North Park, near multiple accommodating taps, this could help to fill in gaps. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Cheers.
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Lafayette hotel is not to expensive and walking distance to Toro,Tiger Tiger,Livewire.

barflybastard · Aug 28, 2014

2_Beardz said: ↑

i'm coming out to SD for a wedding in about two weeks and i've done some research of the area on my own, but i just have to say thanks for making this list. This is a great resource and will help me tremendously. Awesome job, @Xul
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How'd the tip go? Stick to a tentative itinerary or deviate for any reason--misses or regrets?

thewaterispoison · Aug 28, 2014

Sorry to thread jack but I don't want to make a new San Diego thread. Coming from Sacramento and will be in Mira Mesa on Sunday. Hours are limited at most places (about noon - 6 or 7pm) this day so I don't want to drive too much. Going to Societe and O' Briens to start. Council is closed. Is Benchmark worth the drive? We are driving back up the 15 and going to Ballast Point to end the evening. I've done Alesmith before. Love the beer, dislike the tasting room. Was thinking of doing Hess and Intergalactic. What are the locals opinions? Is Saint Archer better? What's the vibe at Green Flash? I've never been. Thanks in advance.

SDReaper · Aug 28, 2014

Green Flash vibe is good, I have never been a fan of their beers though.
Saint Archer can get crowded (smaller tasting area), decent beer.
Rough Draft is not listed which I would recommend (larger tasting area than Alesmith and Saint Archer), I enjoy it there, beer..board game...and when the hot dog stand is up and running...Mmmmm....

Hess is meh
Intergalactic I can't say I have been.

HopHead84 · Aug 30, 2014

thewaterispoison said: ↑

Sorry to thread jack but I don't want to make a new San Diego thread. Coming from Sacramento and will be in Mira Mesa on Sunday. Hours are limited at most places (about noon - 6 or 7pm) this day so I don't want to drive too much. Going to Societe and O' Briens to start. Council is closed. Is Benchmark worth the drive? We are driving back up the 15 and going to Ballast Point to end the evening. I've done Alesmith before. Love the beer, dislike the tasting room. Was thinking of doing Hess and Intergalactic. What are the locals opinions? Is Saint Archer better? What's the vibe at Green Flash? I've never been. Thanks in advance.
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I went to Hess last week and was extremely disappointed. I haven't heard much about Intergalactic. I don't really like much of what Green Flash does these days. I think Saint Archer is making the best beer out of the ones I've mentioned.

maxcoinage · Aug 30, 2014

This is awesome, thanks for putting this together and for everyone else giving their two cents. Heading out to SD with the wife for 5 days in mid-Sept for our 5th anniversary.

clayfu · Aug 30, 2014

HopHead84 said: ↑

I went to Hess last week and was extremely disappointed. I haven't heard much about Intergalactic. I don't really like much of what Green Flash does these days. I think Saint Archer is making the best beer out of the ones I've mentioned.
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went to intergalactic cause a friend was a big star wars fan. I thought everything was too heavy :X.

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