I know, it really is a privilege for most people to be given the opportunity to travel to southern California for work. But for me, it's not. Actually, it's a sublime beer experience better than most! There are so many great breweries in San Diego, and I've already gotten to visit 3 on this trip, so far...
Today, when my training day was over at 5pm, I paid a visit to the Pizza Port in Solana Beach. They are well known for making some tasty pizza. And, oh yeah, they brew some tasty award-winning beers, too! I had the opportunity to sample a few of their brews in the midst of their busy dinner rush. They were all tasty, but my favorite was the Draft Punk, a tasty Biere de Garde. I wanted to take some pictures, but my camera's battery was on it's last leg, so I didn't get the opportunity to record any of that experience.
At least I was able to take some pics yesterday! Check out this photo:
I signed up for a tour at Green Flash Brewing. I previously tried 2 of their beers I had purchased while I was in Florida. Based upon that past flavor experience, I knew I had to visit the brewery. The tour guide was one of the most knowledgeable and fun brewery guides I've ever had. If it wasn't for that great tour, I don't think I would have enjoyed myself as much. For some reason, the atmosphere in Green Flash made me feel like I was in some pop music driven night club with a bunch of people just looking to get drunk.
Don't get me wrong; the beer was delicious, there were definitely some fellow beer geeks there, and I was able to chat with some friendly folks towards the end of my time there. It's hard to describe why I felt the way I did, unless you are able to experience it for yourself. Still, I'm very happy I paid a visit to the brewery and sampled their selection. My favorite was their Le Freak, which is a cross between a Trippel and an IPA. Mmmmm...
I'm kind of working backwards here, but only chronologically. These moments are in an order that reflects my favorite experience. Which leads us to the first brewery I visited yesterday:
Before visiting Alesmith, I had only tried one of their beers. However, it was one heck of a tasty brew called Horny Devil that engrained itself into my brain. That beer, along with the many wonderful things I had read, led me to the decision to visit this brewery. Boy, am I glad I did. First of all, almost all of the beers were all absolutely amazing! Take a look at this lovely list:
Where oh where, where do I begin? Hmmm, let's see. X was an amazing pale ale. The Nut Brown Ale is one of the best versions of the style I've ever had. The IPA is so good. The Wee Heavy brought a huge smile to my face. Old Numbskull was a beautifully balanced American barleywine. Speedway Stout was rich and roasty and inspired me to buy a 750ml. And then, there was the Decadence; I'm not sure if I've had a tastier American-brewed quadrupel...
On top of the beer, there were two awesome employees behind the counter that made the whole experience even better. Cheers to them both! Thanks, Shaun and Brian, for the best San Diego brewery experience I've had so far!
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