Visiting San Diego - Winter 2016

Oscar's for the Fisherman's Torta FTW. Actually you can't go wrong ordering anything off their menu.

 

So we plan on getting to San Diego around 1-2pm Saturday. We have a reservation at Ironside at 6:30pm. My question is should we wait until after dinner to hit up all of those breweries and bars on 30th or should we try going before dinner? Sorry for the weird questions.

 

I don't see any problems getting back downtown. Parking might start to get full around your reservation in the Little Italy area but you may just have to walk a little bit further. It might be 20 minutes from the airport to 30th street area. Then getting back downtown shouldn't be an issue. Most of the breweries are open fairly early on Saturdays so most places should be open by the time you get there. I don't really like crowds so you might find less people at the breweries in the middle of the afternoon than if you wait until after dinner.

 

So, we are driving in from LA for the day and leaving the next morning back to LA so we would probably ditch the car at the hotel and uber over to 30th st. I just wanted to know if we could squeeze it all in or if we should maybe wait until after. It seems like it could be overwhelming with the amount of options over there. lol

 

Well doing all of 30th street would not really be possible in a single day either way, you would just want to pick your top places to hit. But ubering from the hotel would be the best way for sure.

 

Barn? Replace with Fall, Home Brew Co., or cocktails at Polite Provisions.

 

Not to mention Hess over Modern Times or Toronado. Plus ending at Bottlecraft to buy bottles seems like a recipe for disaster when likely already inebriated.

 

Home is a good stop for locals but for someone with limited time to explore SD Breweries, Modern Times, Fall, Rip Current, and North Park Brewing are my picks for the area. Especially if you like IPAs, there are lots of great choices and styles between them. Modern Times just put on their latest Juicy IPA and City of the Sun so they would rank higher because of those.

 

Yeah, skip Barn and Hess. Fall is a good stop.

Also, it's North Park Beer Company, not North Park Brewing. Just an FYI...

 

This is all great. i cant wait to be over there in a few weeks. Is there one beer bar that tends to favor local San Diego drafts over stuff that gets pretty good distro? I realize i won't be able to hit up 5 breweries in a day but this usually alleviates that situation.

 

The big guys Toro, Hamilton's and O'Brien's will usually cover the local stuff, unless you are visiting on the 2nd saturday of the month, then Hamilton's has their tap takeover.

 

Another SD visitor here. Coming in next week. We plan on making the Stone Bistro Wednesday evening and Toronado and Hamilton's Thursday evening. Not sure about Friday evening, probably more 30th st. Will Toronado and/or Hamilton's usually have Alpine IPAs/IIPAs on tap? Exponential Hoppiness, maybe?

 

Very unlikely that Expo will be on draft. Kegs usually don't leave Alpine (keyword being usually). You might be able to get the regularly brewed stuff like Duet/Nelson/PureHoppiness though. Maybe even a version of Singled Out.

 

I'd say O'Brien's is slightly more likely than Toronado or Hammy's too. Plus if that fails at least you're close to Societe.

 

Very true. And if you are really feeling the itch and somehow Societe isn't cutting it (hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahaha), Green Flash wouldn't be that far away and you can still get your Alpine fills.

And speaking of Societe, I really messed up by staying inside last night. Gotta hit up that nelson bachelor on friday.

 

Yep, I will be there Dec. 10th aka second saturday of the month....

 

Ha, looks like second saturday for December is Alesmith tap takeover down at Hamilton's.

"
ON CASK: Barrel Aged Speedway Stout


ON TAP
Nitro Nut Brown
Nitro Wee Heavy
BA Vietnamese Speedway
Reforged XXI
BA Nut Brown
Noble Empire
BA Olde Ale 2015
Port BA Wee Heavy
Noel (2015)
AleSmith Quad (2015)
Vietnamese Speedway
Oatmeal Raisin Speedway
Winning Speedway Stout Variant from 3 Day Speedway Grand Prix
X
Lil’ Devil
Anvil ESB
.394
IPA
Horny Devil
Grand Cru
Old Numbskull
Noel
Mokasida SS
Firkins
BASS (16)"

 

^Do they do this every year? I was in SD last year around that time, and BASS on cask and a lot of "similar" other stuff was on...and the buffet on was.

I'll be back the 3rd saturday...

 

Second Saturday every month is a tap takeover with food, but the brewery rotates. AleSmith could have been last December.

 

I've eaten Hamilton's food like 6 times...and I love it.

Do they have good food or am I always lit?