Looking back through my draft posts, I realized that I never completed the beer post from last year’s trip to San Diego. So! To keep better records, here is what we tried in 2016 and a list with brief comments from 2015.

January 2016

Ballast Point — I met friends here for a few samples while Eric was at his conference. I liked that you could get tasters of SO MANY beers. Beers sampled: Abyssal Dive (strong ale w/ currants) and Mr. No Show (brown ale w/ cinnamon and cardamom) – both were R&D options (limited runs), the strong ale was better.

2 Kids Brewing —We hung out here for a few hours, fueled by Cards Against Humanity and the tasty sushi roll place next door. Beers sampled: Winning! (chocolate stout), Asterix (Belgian golden), 2nd Anniversary (‘Old Fashioned’ strong ale), Apple Pie (spiced amber), Rebel Alliance (Imperial Stout collaboration w/ Intergalactic Brewing), and Satellite of Love (porter) – all the dark beers were good and Eric liked the Asterix best.

Legacy Brewing — Beers sampled: Sleighwreck, Old Smokey, Clan Ross Scotch Ale, Czarface Russian Imperial Stout – Sleighwreck was the favorite.

Lost Abbey — A favorite of ours and all the usual suspects were on draft. Beers sampled: Avant Garde (farmhouse), Red Barn (saison), Lost & Found (Abbey dubbel), Serpent’s Stout, and Santa’s Little Helper (winter warmer) – always excellent and the food cart with NY-style pretzels and beer cheese added to the experience.

Toolbox Brewing — Specializing in sours, Spencer (the owner) was friendly and the space was inviting. Beers sampled: Apropos (Berlinerweiss w/ apricots), Bramble on Rose (barrel aged wild ale w/ blackberries), Life Gose On, and Bog Sauce (Berlinerweiss w/ cranberries and raspberries) – our favorite was the Bramble on Rose.

Iron Fist Brewing — Beers sampled: Hired Hand (Saison), Spice of Life (Biere de Garde), For Whom the Bagpipes (Scotch Ale), and Velvet Glove on Nitro (Imperial Oatmeal Stout) – good beers but not very memorable.

Societe Brewing Company — Another revisit from last year! Beers sampled: The Madam (Belgian Golden), the Bellowsman (Smoked stout), and the The Debutante (Belgian Amber)

Council Brewing — If we lived nearby we would be here every week. No lie. Beers sampled: St. Nick’s Punch, Belgian Tripel, Pirate’s Breakfast (Imperial Oatmeal Stout), Not-Your-Normal Pumpkin Beer (sour!), Beatitude Citra Dry-hopped Tart Saison, Beatitude Mango Tart Saison (and a bottle of the Apricot Beatitude Tart Saison).

January 2015

Draft — A large place in Mission Beach with nice views and many local beers on draft. Also tasty food and a good brunch menu.

Amplified Ale Works — Mission Beach location with a good variety of options and nice sunset views from the patio.

Modern Times Bar — I really liked the Devil’s Teeth (baltic porter) but the other ones I tried were just so-so.

AleSmith — We visited right before they moved into their new tasting room. Beer selection was good but we can get most choices easily in NC.

Legacy Brewing — Beers are pretty good. Food was solid and they have a lot of games available.

Blind Lady Ale House — Dive bar vibe with a nice selection of craft beers.

Stone Beer Garden @ Liberty Station — Huge restaurant and beer garden. Lot of draft choices and delicious food.

Barrel Republic — This tap room allows you to pour samples based on how much you want to try and you pay per ounce. You start a tab and they hand you a wristband. Lots of options to choose from.

Societe — Creative names and delicious beer. The pizza from a food truck during our visit was also tasty.

The Tap Room — We came here for their Sour Beer Fest menu and discovered Almanac and a few other delicious CA sours.