The San Diego Brewers Guild is preparing for San Diego Beer Week Nov. 4-13 and local pubs, tasting rooms and restaurants are brewing up something special.
San Diego Beer Week is a 10-day celebration inspiring people to drink local, craft beer and promoting San Diego’s thriving brewing culture with multiple events happening countywide. San Diego is home now to more than 120 breweries, and has gained an international reputation for brewing award-winning beers. Here’s a snapshot of what some local pubs will be doing to toast the town. OB Brewery, 5051 Newport Ave.
Scott Watkins of OB Brewery said the pub will host an event on the first Sunday of Beer Week called the BeachTown ThrowDown.
“We will be having an IPA competition with four other breweries including Modern Times, Coronado, Bay City and Pizza Port,” he said.
“The winner gets bragging rights for the year. It will be an all-day event, open-house style, so guests come in whenever they want to to place their votes. Guests can come in and get the five, 5-ounce tasters of these IPAs for $10. To make it even better, we are offering an awesome $20 T-shirt option as well. If you buy a shirt and a flight, it is only $25 for all.” Mike Hess Brewing, 4893 Voltaire St.
Drew Lopez, representing the tasting room, said beer week specials kick-off Nov. 4 with a special cask tapping and Frost Me cupcake giveaway.
“Over the first weekend of beer week Nov. 4-7 Mike Hess Brewing has organized an OB Brew Crawl in celebration of Mike Hess Brewing Ocean Beach’s one-year anniversary,” Lopez said. “Crawl cards can be obtained at any of Ocean Beach’s six different tasting rooms and checks can be earned through purchases at participating locations. Upon completing all six stops, cards can be turned in at Mike Hess Brewing Ocean Beach and guests will receive our Year One (OB specific) Anniversary shirt.
“On Saturday, Nov. 5 from 10 a.m.-noon, members of MHB will be joining local OBecians to help cleanup the North OB corridor and unwinding at the tasting room afterward with participants,” said Lopez, noting RSVPs can be made via Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association.
On Monday, Nov. 7 MHB will host an art and beer party featuring typography group San Diego Letters. Tuesday, Nov. 8 is Pints for Pitties aiding P4P, a local non-profit raising awareness to the pitbull breed. On Friday, Nov. 11, MBH is hosting a cask tapping and local artist, Craft Beerd, who will hold an in-house, pop-up shop slinging SD-themed beer swag. Newport Pizza and Ale House, 5050 Newport Ave.
Megan Schuster said the establishment’s beer week schedule is: Nov. 4 Cascade Brewing Night; Nov. 5 Artifex Pint Night; Nov. 9 Bear Republic Tap Take Over Pouring Cafe Racer 15 and Racer X; Nov. 10 Benchmark Keep the Pint Night; Nov. 11 Annual Sours Extravaganza featuring Consecration, Red Poppy, Oude Tart, and more; and Nov. 12 Barrel-aged Night, Silva Stout, Agave Maria, Track No. 10, Old Rasputn XIX.
“We’ve been part of the brew guild’s beer week since it started in ’07,” said Schuster, who added she’s been collecting rare beers “for two or three years,” to be released especially for beer week. She pointed out beer week “is a great time to go out there and drink some beer.” Sunshine Company Saloon, 5028 Newport Ave.
“It’s beer week every week at the Sunshine Company Saloon,” said Pam Komo on behalf of this bustling beach hangout offering cocktails, pool and sports on TVs. “We feature 28 beers on draft that include many of the finest local breweries. Our award-winning happy hour serves up half price, 60-ounce pitchers of most brews every day from 5 to 6 p.m. We also offer more than 60 different beers in bottles and cans. Come in and help us celebrate our 42nd anniversary that kicks off on Oct. 31 with our annual costume contest. We will be featuring a different local brew every week for November.” Belching Beaver, 4836 Newport Ave.
Karye Wallace, speaking on behalf of the brewery, said “each one of our tasting rooms will have a separate Keep the Pint Night” in addition to: Nov. 4 Hops on the Harbor with Flagship Cruises – 7 to 10 p.m. – Beer Dinner Harbor Cruise $64.50 per person; Nov. 6 Barrel Republic Pacific Beach – all day – anniversary party and SDBW Commemorative Pint Night; Nov. 12 Iron Pig Ale House in PB – noon – Tap Takeover.