THE BREWSPAPER /BEER WEEK EVENTS NOT TO MISS

WEST COASTER MAGAZINE’S ANNUAL BEST OF BEER WEEK PICKS

GUEST BLOG--By Mike Shess, Publisher, West Coaster craft beer magazine and website--Each year, San Diego Beer Week arrives and rains down a myriad of events. Like a Vegas buffet, planning and strategy are key.

This annual list is subjective. I focused on events that have uncommon beers and especially beers from out of San Diego. I also really want to check out some of the newest beers/breweries/spots in town.

In other words, I’m fixing to learn what’s up on the cutting edge of San Diego beer and tasting the best that America’s Finest Beer City/County can produce.

My sources: our West Coaster magazine online beer event calendar at westcoastersd.com; Beer Week’s official website SDBW.org and our generous advertisers (make sure to check out the ads in this issue, for there are plenty of amazing happenings printed there).

San Diego’s finest are also avid local beer fans and well aware of San Diego

Beer Week. Don’t be a drunk driving dickhead, use your phone to talk to

space and summon a Lyft or Uber. Uber lets you split fares now so you can

break up the fare with the squad.

And, in the words of somebody locally famous: “...I only regret that I have but one liver to lose for my county...”                             --Jerry Sanders

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH

VIP GUILDFEST

Verily, this event’s grown a bit since it’s cozy inception in 2013.

That said, I’m expecting a state-of-the-union for how SD beer is

tasting while enjoying a sunset on the water. Details are slim as

to who is pouring what exactly, but there will be unlimited food,

beer and access to local brewing community folks. If you’re attending both days, I recommend hunting the whales during the VIP. See below for my tip on the 2nd day.

AMPLIFIED ALE WORKS 3-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

There’s a growing number of adults in Pacific Beach who choose

local beer over vodka slushies and our resident brewery is Amplified.

Cy Henley makes amazing beers out of his seaside brewhouse,

the biergarten patio overlooks the ocean and the food

is amazing. When people ask me why I moved from North/South

Park to PB, I take them here (then Crushed, TapRoom and Iron

Pig afterwards if it’s one of those nights).

RARE BEER BREAKFAST, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, Escondido.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH

SAN DIEGO BREWERS GUILD FESTIVAL

I will most likely be slightly woozy from the previous evening,

but nothing will keep me from this festival. That's because this

festival is awesome. While there won’t be unlimited food, there

will be even more beer and friends present, and I can get a

better view of the boats floating around the bay during the day.

West Coaster will have a booth with cool SDBW 2015 t-shirts,

too. You can say hi to myself and Co-Founder Ryan. If you do,

bring treats.

The general Saturday Guildfest session is a great time to check

out just-opened breweries, as this is their first-ever Guild Fest and they’re going to want to impress. As of late October, brand

new breweries that opened this year are: Abnormal, Bay City,

Division 23, Duck Foot, Guadalupe, Half Door, Helix, Home,

Kilowatt, Magnetic, Novo Brazil, Pacific Islander, Prodigy, Second

Chance and South Park. Be gentle with your Untappd ratings;

remember all breweries were once baby breweries :).

BARREL AGED RARE BEER NIGHT @ PIZZA PORT O.B.

I’ve never been to Pizza Port Ocean Beach and left disappointed

with the offerings brewed on site. Nacho & the brewing team create

awesome beer that won’t stop winning awards, so I’m going

to hunt some barrel aged whales from OB and the rest of the

Pizza Port empire this evening. If I’m able, I hope to sample some

of the other beers from other breweries that they’ll have on tap

as well. I fully expect to make some lame Captain Ahab / Moby

Dick / whalezbro jokes while doing this. Did you know Pizza Port

makes tasty pizza, too?

BARREL NIGHT, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

BAJA BEERS @ BOTTLECRAFT LITTLE ITALY

I was going to type some remark bemoaning the old Bottlecraft,

but then I remembered the old location sucked compared to the

new one. This will be the first Beer Week for Bottlecraft Little Italy

2.0, and Baja breweries are ON FIRE right now. While I couldn’t

get a hold of the tap list for this event, based on the above facts I

know Bottlecraft will put on a good event. Ballast Point Little Italy

is a catty-corner away, and of course, they have terrific beer, too.

EPICUREAN BEER GEEK TOURS @ WHITE LABS, BROTHERS

PROVISIONS, STONE FARMS AND SOCIETE

A new face launching for SDBW, Epicurean San Diego is an

outfit that promises beer, food and education while ferrying you

to White Labs, Brothers Provisions, Stone Farms and Societe. I

don’t get to visit White Labs, Brothers and Societe enough, and

I’ve never actually had a beer at Stone Farms. The cost is $115,

and if there’s food and beer involved that’s a pretty good price

especially since it includes transportation and a meal. Great event

for out-of-towners and if Sunday doesn’t work the same tour runs

daily November 5th-8th & 12th-15th from 10:30 am-3:45 pm.

NOMAD DONUTS BEER PAIRING, Thorn Street Brewery, North Park.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH

BREWS, VIEWS & CHEWS @ TOM HAM’S LIGHTHOUSE

It’s not just about beer, folks. Beer Week brings a lot of stellar

foodie events, and this is one of them. Tom Ham’s Lighthouse

is an iconic San Diego landmark that underwent a significant remodel

and has stepped up their beer program in 2015. This event

features six breweries such as Ballast Point, New English and

Belching Beaver paired with six plates from the chefs of Soda &

Swine, Carnitas Snack Shack and The Little Lion Cafe. Live music

and a killer view of my lovely hometown’s downtown seal the deal

for me.

ABNORMAL BEER CO. / CORK & CRAFT BEER PAIRING

DINNER FEATURING MODERN TIMES & ALMANAC

Another equally killer option is up north at Abnormal Beer Company

/ Cork & Craft. A proper sit-down beer dinner, this multicourse

meal will have beers paired from Modern Times, Almanac

and Abnormal paired with the skilled Cork & Craft Kitchen. While

I don’t know the particulars of this event, I was lucky enough to

attend an outstanding AleSmith beer dinner early in 2015. It’s

a safe bet that with months worth of practice this will be worth

every penny

RIP CURRENT BEER DINNER @ Slater's 50/50, San Marcos.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH

THE FULL TABLE @ BENCHMARK BEER

Like most San Diegans, I dig my badass hoppy Single/Double/

Triple/Quadruple IPAs. That said, as my palate evolves (and my

liver ages), I find myself appreciating gentler, more subtle beers.

Benchmark Brewing Company’s Table Beer is a fine example of

what I’m talking about, and this night will feature 12 different

variations of the slightly roasty Belgian style ale. This event is a

great way to tune your tastebuds. Grab a pint of regular Table for

a control beer, and then taste the versions that have been barrelaged

or Brettanomyces-innoculated. Check out how changes in

ingredients or processes can create such dramatic differences.

Within walking distance is the rest of the developing Grantville

neighborhood beer cluster which includes Groundswell and San

Diego Brewing Co.

PIZZA PORT FAMILY TAP TAKEOVER, Pizza Port, Ocean Beach.

GREEN FLASH CELLAR DINNER, Churchill's Pub, San Marcos.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH

SOUR TAP TAKEOVER @ RIP CURRENT NORTH PARK

Unlike most non-brewing satellite tasting rooms, 2015 Great

American Beer Festival Very Small Brewery of the Year Rip Current’s

North Park location serves guest taps in addition to the

beer brewed in the San Marcos production facility. Rip Current

has deep connections with local homebrewing club QUAFF

(Quality Ale and Fermentation Fraternity). Thus, the staff is pretty

enthusiastic about quality brews - even if they don’t brew it themselves.

Guest taps will be pouring a tart selection from Almanac,

Toolbox, Council, Dogfish Head & more starting at 3PM

SPEEDWAY STOUT GRAND PRIX, Alesmith, Miramar.

WAYPOINT PUBLIC'S FALL BREWING DINNER, North Park.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH

7TH FLING W/ GREEN FLASH @ HAMILTON’S

Like the Hajj, all San Diego beer faithful should attend this event

once in their lifetime. The morning starts at Morley Field with a

brunch. While you munch, Hamilton’s proprietor Scot Blair and

his staff are busy matching up players to create even teams of

four. After a brief talk regarding rules, the shotgun disc golf tournament

starts. Disc golf is the de-facto sport of San Diego Beer,

and expect several brewers to be in attendance. While all skill

levels are welcome and the fun level is high, there is stiff competition.

Camaraderie and silliness are expected by all attending.

Winners get to tap the cask at the afterparty which takes place at

Hamilton’s. The afterparty is closed to non-Flingers, boasts lunch

and a hosted bar until 3PM (when Hamilton’s normally opens).

CRAFT BEER + BITES @ SILO

Maker’s Quarter is a slick venue located right off where the 94

freeway ends. $35-$40 ticket gets you unlimited tastings of beer

and they’re going to want to impress. As of late October, brand

new breweries that opened this year are: Abnormal, Bay City,

Division 23, Duck Foot, Guadalupe, Half Door, Helix, Home,

Kilowatt, Magnetic, Novo Brazil, Pacific Islander, Prodigy, Second

Chance and South Park. Be gentle with your Untappd ratings;

remember all breweries were once baby breweries :)

a control beer, and then taste the versions that have been barrelaged

or Brettanomyces-innoculated. Check out how changes in

ingredients or processes can create such dramatic differences.

Within walking distance is the rest of the developing Grantville

neighborhood beer cluster which includes Groundswell and San

Diego Brewing Co.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH

BEER WITHOUT BORDERS @ MACHETE BEER HOUSE

As I mentioned, the Mexican craft brewers are doing some

great stuff. It’s much easier to get to National City than Tijuana,

and Machete is one of the bright stars of the growing South

Bay beer scene. All 30 taps will be taken over by breweries

such as Insurgente, Agua Mala, Border Psycho and Wendlandt.

For those lucky enough to have a designated driver,

don’t forget to check out La Bella Pizza, Manhattan Bar and

Third Street Ale House while you’re in the area to understand

#SouthBayUprising.

BATTLE OF THE GUILDS @ TORONADO

This event ruled last year. Try beer from the greater Los Angeles

and San Francisco first. Breweries that will be included from

LA: Three Weavers, Beachwood, Ladyface, Monkish, Phantom

Carriage + more. From the Bay Area: Magnolia, Cellarmaker,

Thirsty Bear + more. Last year had lots of brewers in attendance

from San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco; this is

a good event to mingle! Stop in early if you’re looking for the

rarer beers, or pop in while roaming 30th. Don’t forget to cast

your vote for San Diego!

BEER TO THE RESCUE Swell Coffee Pale Ale Collaboration Release, Bay City Brewing, Point Loma.

BEER WITHOUT BORDERS, Machete Beer House, National City.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH

THREE AMIGOS @ O’BRIEN’S PUB

Former Pizza Port brewers Tom Nickel, Jeff Bagby and Tomme

Arthur have each staked their own claims at Nickel Brewing

Co., Bagby Beer Co., and Lost Abbey, respectively. An event

with these three dudes present is a treat. If you wanted a

chance to hang out with the best of the business while tasting

some insane beer, this is it. Early afternoon is probably the

best time to hit this event up. O’Brien’s is within the Kearny

Mesa brewery cluster, which means Societe, Council, Kilowatt

and Helm’s are all within striking distance. For food, across

the street are two cool new beer pubs Common Theory and

Dumpling Inn.

CHEESE & BEER FESTIVAL, Stone Brewing, Liberty Station.

STOUT SATURDAY RELEASE PARTY, Alesmith, Miramar.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH

THE BEER GARDEN AT THE LODGE AT TORREY PINES

Located on the grounds of the 5-star Lodge at Torrey Pines,

the endpiece event of San Diego Beer Week is not to be

missed. Gaze upon the majesty of the Torrey Pines golf course

and the Pacific Ocean while stuffing your unmajestic, BeerWeek

weary maw with unlimited, expertly matched food & beer

pairings. This last official San Diego Brewers Guild event of the

year explains to all senses why San Diego is awesome.

BALLAST POINT VICTORY @ Sea Bonanza, Hamilton's Tavern, South Park.

LOST ABBEY TASTING with Gwen Conley, O'Brien's Pub, Kearny Mesa. •