Recently I’ve been visiting San Diego Brewing Co. and I have to say I totally dig this brew pub! Featuring over 40 active taps with at least 8 in house beers there’s definitely great suds for every beer drinker. Add to that a full service bar, good food, friendly staff and plenty of big screens and you have a place I can spend a lot of time in.
My last visit was on Sunday, June 9th. We got there around 1pm and I have to say that Sundays are the perfect day to visit SD Brewing. No waiting, no crowds, nothing to stop you from walking right in, grabbing your favorite spot and enjoying your stay. I had sampled a few of their in house beers before but I went with the traditional 5 beer flight to start.
The first beer I tried was LaKshmi, a double red ale, it was alright, a bit heavy for me but enjoyable. Next up was Saxon Old Ale, delicious with a full body this beer needs to be tried by everyone. Coming third, my favorite of the day, Old Town Nut Brown. If you are a regular follower you know that I tout brown ales as possibly the best beer on earth and Old Town delivers a classic brown ale that I could drink pitchers of. My fourth sample was Welter Wit, a quality example of the style but I’m consistent in the style not being my favorite. I ended my tour with Silver Strand Stout, a very solid oatmeal stout, rich and very drinkable. I really have enjoyed all the in house beers but believe Infinitude is their silent killer. Not only nominated for the Sore Eye Cup, this IPA gives a solid nod to the west coast style and has a balance between the malt and hops I find lovely.
Here’s a fun fact about me; if your establishment has an alternative/exotic burger meat (i.e. buffalo, ostrich, pork, alligator, lamb, etc) it will be ordered and judged by me. At SD Brewing Co. they have a buffalo burger and that’s what I had. We ordered the hop infused humus to share and my wife went with the soup and veggie plate. The burger delivers what you’d expect from a brew pub, a solid, enjoyable sandwich. The hop infused humus was really good but I didn’t get a real hop flavor off of it. Being a giant hop head that eats raw hops I might not be the right person to judge this. My wife’s jalapeno beer cheese soup was superb and I see ordering it myself next time I’m there.
I ordered a pint of Pure Hoppiness from Alpine Beer Co. to bat clean up and of course that delivers a great and balanced IIPA. If you are an IPA fan and are not familiar with Alpine you are doing yourself a great disservice. Make a better life choice and visit their brewery or one of the fine bottle shops in San Diego that stock their great beers. My wife had a few glasses of lambic; this is one of the few places in town to enjoy them on tap!
Other reviews of this brew pub suggest you should also try the nachos and pizza, leaving me something on the list for future visits. San Diego Brewing Co. has made a fan out of me and I expect it will do the same for you. Pop in, have some great beer and see what makes SD Brewing tick; I think you’ll find it’s a great place to spend your time.