What are you drinking?

[Polaris]

Isn't that super malty?

Very. It's not for everyone, and if you're a hophead it won't be your thing at all.

Yeah....I, like most San Diegan beer drinkers, love my hops...I had a beer with 80 IBUs today actually and it could have been hoppier.

[SteelCurtain]

Got a sixer of Blackstone's APA. I am a hophead, and the American Pale Ale is just stupid.

[rexbeccarox]

Very. It's not for everyone, and if you're a hophead it won't be your thing at all.

Yeah....I, like most San Diegan beer drinkers, love my hops...I had a beer with 80 IBUs today actually and it could have been hoppier.

Yup. That's me!

I'm drinking another Sculpin with grapefruit. Yummmmmm! I have a Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Stout bomber I might have to consume in a bit. Very few hops are needed, but it's like dessert.

[rexbeccarox]

Got a sixer of Blackstone's APA. I am a hophead, and the American Pale Ale is just stupid.

Yick. Tennessee should leave the PAs to the west coast breweries. Seriously. It's like no breweries other than ours know how to work with hops.

[/snobbery]

[Polaris]

Yeah....I, like most San Diegan beer drinkers, love my hops...I had a beer with 80 IBUs today actually and it could have been hoppier.

Yup. That's me!

I'm drinking another Sculpin with grapefruit. Yummmmmm! I have a Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Stout bomber I might have to consume in a bit. Very few hops are needed, but it's like dessert.

The Habenero Sculpin is one of my favorite IPAs and Belching Beaver is one of my top San Diego breweries....I'm picky, so I have yet to have a top 5 despite trying the beers of at least three dozen.

[SteelCurtain]

Got a sixer of Blackstone's APA. I am a hophead, and the American Pale Ale is just stupid.

Yick. Tennessee should leave the PAs to the west coast breweries. Seriously. It's like no breweries other than ours know how to work with hops.

[/snobbery]

There are some good breweries here. Blackstone's IPA is actually really good. But my point is that the APA style is just overhopped garbage. Typical American bastardization of a great thing.

[rexbeccarox]

Yup. That's me!

I'm drinking another Sculpin with grapefruit. Yummmmmm! I have a Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Stout bomber I might have to consume in a bit. Very few hops are needed, but it's like dessert.

The Habenero Sculpin is one of my favorite IPAs and Belching Beaver is one of my top San Diego breweries....I'm picky, so I have yet to have a top 5 despite trying the beers of at least three dozen.

Oh yes... the habanero. It's like somebody dropped a burlap sack of peppers into a barrel and nobody noticed until they had a pepper beer. It's ridiculously yummy. I can only have one, though, or else my mouth feels like its erupting! Have you had the grapefruit? Great summer IPA; refreshing, but at 70 IBUs, still hoptastic.

My top five in the area are:

5. Aztec in Vista: solid beers. Their Chipotle IPA is top-notch.

4. Stone: Stone would go in the top one or two, but they're on a different level, monetarily, from anyone else on the list.

3. Green Flash: their West Coast IPA was my first IPA love. I think they have a lot of fun with their beers.

2. Mother Earth: I know these guys; I have hung out with these guys. They know beer; they love beer; and it shows in their extensive, and always beautiful, tap list.

1. Ballast Point: Sculpin, Big Eye, Yellowtail Pale, Black Marlin, to name a few. Perfect beers, every time. Not to mention they are now also a distillery.



*Special mentions go to Iron Fist, where I love the owners/employees AND the people who go there; for me, very few of their beers are my favorite styles. What they do (mostly Belgians) is perfect.

Firestone Walker, whose beer is amazing, but their brewery is in Paso Robles, very far from San Diego.

[SteelCurtain]

Oooh, I'm in on this, as a 5 year resident of SD.

5. The Lost Abbey in San Marcos. Wow. The Mark of the Beast Quadrupel is amazing.

4. Green Flash. 'Nuff said. I agree with Becca. Their West Coast IPA is a perfect example of hops and spices. Try the Road Warrior RyePA for a good twist.

3. Monkey Paw - Best in downtown. I used to drop by on the way to the spaghetteria in Little Italy after work. Memories.

2. Stone - Price aside, Stone's Cherrywood Smoked Saison is one of my favorite brews ever.

1. Ballast Point - Hard to get any better than ballast. Dorado Double Oak Cask=perfection. Their Geuze is the shiggles.

I miss San Diego.

[Jackalope]

Very. It's not for everyone, and if you're a hophead it won't be your thing at all.

Yeah....I, like most San Diegan beer drinkers, love my hops...I had a beer with 80 IBUs today actually and it could have been hoppier.

Us Portland beer drinkers do as well, I just often go against the crowd.

[naimless]

blood

edit...

i just found a really good drink

fill like 10% of the glass with really cheap standard lemonade and 10% really cheap standard apple juice

then fill 80% with alcohol if you want to get smashed

or 80% with water if you want to get healthy

tastes like canada dry mixed with appletiser mixed with melted ice