I made another trip down to San Diego for the Belching Beaver rebranding. We hit up 7 breweries and a bar. Not bad for 2 days. We started with Mikkeller in LA then Abnormal Wine Co, Alesmith, Duckfoot, Stone, Belching Beaver, Mother Earth, and Pizza Port. . Our first stop was at Abnormal Wine Co. From there we went to Alesmith and then Duckfoot. Wefinished off with dinner at Stone. Sunday morning we grabbed breakfast at pub in Vista then walked across the street for the Beelching Beaver event. After that we walked over to Mother Earth. Then we headed home stopping at Pizza Port on the way for dinner.
Mikkeller (Downtown LA) - Started off by meeting my cousin at Mikkeller in Downtown LA then we headed out to SD. Saturday was the first time they had ever been open for brunch and i was the only person there. It gave me a good chance to talk beer with the server since the place was empty. This place is too upscale for my taste, but the beer was good and the server was knowledgable although her home brewing practices raised a few eyebrows. I would recommend trying it out after a Kings game.
Abnormal Wine Co. - This was our first stop in SD. Another place that was a little pricey for my tastes (seems to be a trend). Beer was very good here but nothing that really stood out to me. The short rib poutine tater tots were really good.
Alesmith - I think most people are familiar with these guys. A big tour bus full of college kids pulled up just after we got there so we didnt stay long.
Duckfoot - This place is a bit smaller than the others but i really liked the atmosphere. They had a creme brulee beer that was amazing. Their Slow Burn chile IPA packs a punch. I dont normally care for chiles in my beer but when you spend two days doing nothing but drinking its nice to have something different. The food truck that was there was excellent as well.
Stone - Im sure you have all been there done that.
Belching Beaver - My cousin picked up tickets to their private rebranding event. $35 bucks got you a few food and beer pairings, a few beers and a t-shirt. While we were there my sister managed to get us a private tour with the head of their R&D which was really cool and one of the owners popped his head in as well. Now that my cousin and I have started brewing it was great to pick the brain of a professional. I think these guys have one of the best milk stouts out there.