GUEST BLOG—By
Westcoastersd.com--Last year, Mikkel Borg Bjergse, a brewer with ten years
experience in Denmark arrived in San Diego, where he transformed someone else’s
outgrown beer making facility to create his own brand. Called Mikkeller Brewing, the former AleSmith
Brewing Company’s original site in Miramar, is set to debut TODAY a trio of new
offerings:
--bourbon
barrel-aged Beer Geek Brunch imperial oatmeal coffee stout,
--Fruit
Face raspberry-coffee Berliner Weisse and
--Uklar
IPA.
Mikkel’s brewing team spent most of 2016 getting the feel of
the facility. Now that group feels ready to be more aggressive in its
fermentation activities. Bjergsø has vowed his brick-and-mortar will debut one
new small-batch beer on a weekly basis beginning January 12 (today) at its
tasting room: 9368 Cabot Drive, San Diego.
Future “San Diego Beer Release Series” debuts will take
place every Saturday starting January 21. Keeping up with such a rapid rate of
innovation and execution is no easy task. Curious about this and what it’s been
like for this world-famous brewer to find his feet in San Diego, West Coaster
craft beer magazine and website sat down with him to learn more about Mikkeller
Brewing and its gypsy owner.
West Coaster:
What are some surprises you’ve encountered in San Diego?
Mikkel Borg Bjergsø:
It’s been surprising how different the beer scene is in the U.S. compared to
Europe. There are so many great players—especially in San Diego—and so many
great beers. You really have to make an effort to stand out. I think with the
new special-release series we will.
WC: What drove the
decision to release a new beer every week?
MBB: Brewing a
lot of different beers and beer-styles is in our DNA, and it was only a matter
of time before we set out to launch a similar release schedule in San Diego. At
this point we have an amazing crew in place, the brewing equipment is all
dialed in, and our management setup is so in tune with our vision that we are
confident now is the time. Most people will associate us with a hectic output
of beers in all styles, shapes and formats, which is exactly what they should
expect. That, and the totally unexpected, of course. Having your own brewery
opens up a world of possibilities that are not usually doable when working in
someone else’s brewery, whether it’s contract brewing or on a collaboration
basis.
WC: What is your
day-to-day involvement like regarding brewing at Mikkeller SD?
MBB: We’ve had to
adjust to both the physical distance and time difference, but I am fortunate in
the sense that I have to rely on the very capable hands of our head brewer Bill
Batten and his team of skilled assistant brewers. It’s still my recipes and
vision, which we will discuss through our daily email chains and our weekly
conference-call.
WC: What other
interesting or exciting developments are on the horizon for Mikkeller San
Diego?
MBB: There are a
lot of super-exciting things under development, but the sour and barrel-aged
beer programs are two projects we are putting a lot of effort into. We have
such a creative team over there, and it seems that no matter how crazy the idea
and/or recipe I throw at them, they enthusiastically turn those into great
beer. We are also working on new collaborations with other breweries, and
non-brewers as well.
WC: You’ve spent
more time than ever in San Diego. What are some of your favorite local
breweries?
MBB: I hate to
name favorite breweries as it pushes the rest to the side. In the San Diego
area there are obviously a ton of amazing brewers, from the old guys like Stone
Brewing, Green Flash Brewing Co. and Ballast Point Brewing, to the young guns
like Abnormal Beer Co., Toolbox Brewing Co., Modern Times Beer Co. and many
others. I still have a big heart for our friends at AleSmith, so if I have to
name one it is AleSmith.
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Source: West Coaster Magazine is a media partner
with PillartoPost.org daily online
magazine and San Diego’s North Park News.
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