May, 2018
In May 2018, we decided to venture to San Diego. I had been several times previously and was excited to share one of my favourite places with D. He was mostly excited to learn that this is known as the Craft Brewery Capital of America. With that, I didn’t need to convince him further.
We stayed outside of San Diego in Mira Mesa, a neighboured located a bit north of the city of San Diego. We stayed in a SpringHill Suites on points which was perfect for us! Not too far outside of downtown San Diego and the perfect location for day trips to Temecula Wine Country and Palm Springs for a day or two! Now make no mistake, the real reason we stayed in this vicinity is because D chose the location based on the sheer number of craft breweries within a dense area! Otherwise, most of San Diego’s beer scene is relatively spread out making it difficult to visit many within a single day – he was thinking ahead.
With some legendary brew pubs such as Stone Brewing, Green Flash, Ballast Point, AleSmith and Coronado – you have arrived at what is commonly known now as the “Napa of Beer”. No trip to San Diego is complete unless you add a pint-stop or two at a local brewery or gastropub. Like fine wines, gastropubs are pairing creative dishes made with local ingredients, with local craft beer. Some of our favourites are below:
Green Flash Brewing – Literally located down the street from our hotel you will find this warehouse tasting room offering a wide selection of beers on tap! There is a large tasting room, a beer garden and it’s dog friendly! They also have a food truck outside so you can pair your pints with sausage platters, gourmet grill cheese, or tacos! Just based on the proximity, we came here every night for a night cap before bed! D’s favourite, hands down, was the West Coast IPA. Fitting don’t you think?
Longship Brewing – Located around the corner from Green Flash you will also find this brew pub. Another dog friendly venue – I love the vibe of California! We really need to adopt that in Canada. Anyway, onto the beers. The Shieldwall for D; a traditional West Coast IPA with a crisp taste of citrus and grapefruit, with a balanced with hoppy bitterness on the finish. The Sif’s Hefe for me; a traditional wheat beer with notes of banana! Onsite menu offering simple quesadillas and tacos!
Rough Draft Brewing Company – The traditional industrial vibe and a nice option for a smaller intimate venue. Rough Draft is known for their IPAs, but also have some other beers on tap to sample, offering up 18 taps along with a tasting room-only, serving pilot batches. They also have a kitchen so you can enjoy pairing. We recommend the roasted red pepper hummus with fresh veggies and pita and the build your own board. The boards come with fresh bread, candied or roasted nuts and fresh seasonal fruit. Our recommendations would be the black truffle aged salumi, 24 month old Prosciutto, the prairie breeze, and the Saint Andre cheeses. Gone are the days where you only pair boards with vino!