New York Times San Diego for Beer

If you’re reading this blog it’s not news to you that San Diego is known for beer, but it’s nice to get some national recognition.

In the recent The 45 Places to Go in 2012 list in the New York Times Travel section San Diego gets a mention at spot number fourteen, but not for our near perfect weather, sunny beaches or delicious Mexican food. Instead they point out what makes San Diego really great: our brewers and beer culture.

Even in times of tight budgets, finely crafted beer remains a relatively approachable luxury, and few American regions have more brewing momentum than San Diego County. Maybe it’s time, then, to think about building a beer safari in the land of sunshine, fish tacos and hopped-up American IPAs.

On the brewery side Karl Strauss, Stone Brewing Co. and Hess Brewing get shoutouts. On the retail/bar side our friends at Bottlecraft along with the Pizza Port Bottleshop get mentiioned with Hamilton’s Tavern, O’Brien’s Pub and Local Habit.

And no talk of San Diego beer would be complete without mentioning San Diego Beer Week.

It’s worth noting that San Diego is one of only four US cities to make the worldly list. I don’t know how many people follow the recommendations of the NY Times Travel section when planning their vacations, but I’d be willing to be beer tourism is still on the upswing in this fine town of ours.

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The Mixed Six Pack

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I don’t buy many six packs. In talking with other friends that I would consider beer nerds most of them don’t buy six packs much either. I realize we’re in the minority among the general beer drinking public. Six packs of 12oz are a great bargain compared to buying individual bombers, but personally I like to try a variety of beers, not the same six beers in a row. Because of this the ‘mixed six pack’ is something I really enjoy. It’s a simple concept: instead of buying a six of the same beer, you can mix and match buying singles of different beers.

The term ‘mixed six pack’ is a bit of a misnomer, most shops that sell beer this way don’t actually require you to buy six beers, they’ll gladly sell you singles as well. Locally Best Damn Beer Shop and Bottlecraft are the only two shops that have really embraced this model that I know of. Olive Tree Market offers a few 12oz bottles as singles, but not many.

Bottlecraft doesn’t really market a mixed six pack, rather they just break up their six packs and sell them individually. They have empty six pack holders handy if you need one to help carry things but there isn’t really the suggestion of mixed six packs. That’s fine, it all works out the same in the end. The individual bottle prices I’ve looked at are generally 1/6th of the price you’d pay for a six pack of that beer at other stores so there isn’t much of a premium for building your own six pack.

Best Damn Beer Shop does market their individual bottles as a mixed six pack, but they won’t turn you down if you don’t want to buy six. Bottles are individually priced and from a quick look they appear to be just a bit more than 1/6th of the cost of a six pack of that beer. Many of the beers I looked at were $2 each (which would make a $12 six pack) but if you were to buy a sixer off the shelf of that beer the price would probably be a buck or two lower. To make up for this BDBS offers a ten percent discount for those buying a full mixed six pack instead of just one or two singles.

Whether you’re like me, and don’t want the same six beers in your fridge, or just want to try different beers you’ve never had without having to committing to a full six pack, the mixed six pack is a good way to sample various beers at a reasonable price.

Know of any other shops in San Diego that offer mixed six packs? If so leave a comment below.

Update: It was pointed out in the comments below that Pizza Port Bottle Shop up in Carlsbad offers mixed six packs as well.

Chris Bauweraerts, founder of Chouffe brewery in Belgium to visit San Diego

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UPDATE: Bauweraerts will also be stopping by Pizza Port Carlsbad on Monday from 5-8:30pm. They’ll have bottle and glassware specials in the Bottle Shop and draft specials in the restaurant. And as for the lineup at O’Brien’s Pub, in addition to the beers listed below, they’ve also been saving a keg of 2009 N’ice Chouffe, the annual Christmas beer, a 10% dark beer spiced with thyme and curacao.

Chris Bauweraerts, founder of Brasserie d’Achouffe (the Achouffe Brewery in English) and often referred to as just La Chouffe (which means gnome in the Walloon dialect) is paying a visit to San Diego, and based on all the events he’ll be attending it looks as if he has a pretty busy schedule. Which means you shouldn’t have a difficult time finding a time that works if you want to meet this Belgian brewer.

Friday, September 3rd Bauweraerts will pay a visit to Small Bar. They’ll have La Chouffe (Belgian Stong Pale Ale), Houblon Chouffe (Belgian IPA) and McChouffe (Belgian Strong Dark Ale) on tap. Buy any La Chouffe beer and keep the glass for $7, with $6 refills all night. They’ll also have a flight of all three (4 oz pours) for $7.75. Or food pairings with a six ounce pour, $10 each or $25 for all three:

• McChouffe with Idiazabal cheese plated with fresh fruit, artisan meat & crostinis
• Houblon Chouffe with spicy mussels, shrimp, corn, potatoes, & hop sausage in a Houblon Chouffe/garlic/shallots bath & crusty baguette for dipping
• La Chouffe paired with warm toffee apple crisp a la mode

Saturday, September 4th Blind Lady Ale House will host a ‘Meet the Brewer’, 3 course lunch paired with La Chouffe beers. Bauweraerts will be on hand to discuss the beers. The three course lunch (with vegan and vegetarian options) with beer pairings is $48 and space is very limited. Email Clea@BlindLadyAleHouse.com to secure a spot. Looks like they’ll be serving La Chouffe, Houblon Chouffe and McChouffe. Check out the Blind Lady blog for the full menu and pairings.

Later that afternoon Bauweraerts will be stopping into O’Brien’s Pub from 3-5pm where they’ll have La Chouffe beers on tap and La Chouffe inspired food specials including the delicious sounding Houblon IPA Mac n’ Cheese. It looks as if Small Bar and Blind Lady will be featuring the same beers, so it will be interesting to see if O’Brien’s will be serving any additional La Chouffe beers.