Next month Right On Productions LLC will unveil year two of the Winter Brew Fest. The event will take place at The Hall of Champions in Balboa Park Feb. 22 from 7-10 p.m. for general admission and from 6-10 p.m. for VIP guests.
The idea for the Fest started in Denver 10 years ago when a group of friends worked the beer tent for Flying Dog Brewery in Bonnaroo around 2004. The group’s wheels started to churn and the ideas began to flow. The opportunity to create an intimate craft beer festival was acted upon and the first Brew Fest was created. It took place in a parking lot near Coors Field.
Since then, there have been more than 14 summer and winter Brew Fests making the festival into an annual Denver tradition. Last year the group expanded the festivities to San Diego.
The list of sponsors/participants would fill a couple of pages at least, keeping attendees happily filled with a plethora of craft beers and savory treats for hours.
Most of you may not be too familiar with the world of craft beers. Chances are if your beer of choice is Schlitz or Budweiser, you may be a tad disappointed, but do yourself a favor, give it a shot. Craft beer connoisseurs are almost as common these days as connoisseurs of fine wines; choosing just the right beer to go along with that sharp cheddar or filet mignon.
A craft beer, defined by craftbeer.com, is a beer with a distinctive flavor, produced in small quantities and distributed in a particular region.
San Diego is now loaded with specialty craft beer breweries. Some of the most popular are Steve Wagner and Greg Koch’s Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, which was founded in 1996. Stone Brewing Co. is now one of the largest craft breweries in the United States and the guys aren’t stopping there. They are still expanding.
They specialize in many craft beers with nine year-round core beers, specials and collaborations with other breweries. They even have daily-guided tours that finish in the brewery for food and, of course, craft beers.
The Karl Strauss Brewing Company was the first company to reintroduce locally brewed handcrafted beers to San Diego. A distinction they’ve held since Prohibition hit and brewpubs were banned. They now have 10 of their own handcrafted beers on tap, including an Amber Lager they originated.
According to BeerAdvocate the AleSmith Brewing Company is one of the best breweries on the planet. Among their award winning brews is Horny Devil, a Belgian strong ale and their Speedway Stout that’s a pitch black brew, chock full of dark chocolate and strong coffee notes.
If hitting a brewery isn’t your style there are also a number of local bars and pubs that specialize in carrying craft beers from San Diego and around the globe.
The Yard House, found in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter has an amazing menu and is known for having the world’s largest selection of draft beers. They are also known for their obscure lagers and stouts that are served in authentic goblets, half yard glasses and pints.
Neighborhood located in downtown San Diego’s East Village offers a wide variety of local craft beers on tap and also has a menu that takes classic dishes and gives them an upscale twist.
If downtown isn’t your bag and you’d like to venture into the North Park area there is Toronado San Diego. This craft beer pub shares its name with San Francisco’s famous bar of the same name and offers its patrons more than 50, local, domestic and international craft beers on tap. They also have more than 230 bottled beers featuring many from Germany, France and Belgium.
Over in South Park is Hamilton’s Tavern, which holds the distinction of being the oldest beer and wine licensed tavern in San Diego – serving our fine city for more than 75 years. They also offer a number of craft beers, ales and many bottled beers from around the world.
San Diego has so many options for craft beers that going to the San Diego Winter Brew Fest would seem to be the logical choice. It will give you the chance to taste so many of the amazing craft beers all in one location.
Currently, the San Diego Brew Fest Web site is showing that both VIP and general admission tickets are still available. However, if you purchase them now online you will get a $10 discount off the price. You can also purchase them at the door on the night of the event.
For more information check out the Winter Brew Fest Web site at andiegobrewfest.com
