San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego steps it up in the brewing world

Courtesy of studioshulz.com

San Diego is known for a lot perks: sparkling beaches, good weather and a world-famous zoo. World-class craft beer, however, is a new addition to the list. Men’s Journal recently named San Diego as America’s best beer city, edging out the long-time champion Portland, Ore.

This November introduced the inaugural San Diego Beer Week, which showcased local craft brews from the county’s 33 breweries, with big names such as Stone Brewing Company, Pizza Port Brewing, Green Flash Brewing Company and Ballast Point Brewing Company taking part. No matter a person’s preference, San Diego has a beer for everyone from lagers to Imperial India Pale Ale.

Worldwide appeal
“San Diego has the best reputation in the world, IPAs especially,” Yuseff Cherney, head brewer and distiller at Ballast Point Brewing Company said.

Ballast Point, which has two locations and is known for its Yellowtail Pale Ale, Big Eye IPA, Calico Amber Ale and Black Marlin Porter, is not only moving to expand its production, but also its distillery of gin, whiskey and rum.

According to Cherney, San Diego’s beer culture wasn’t started to win medals, but began with a group of home brewers who wanted to make beer they wanted to drink. Ballast Point started out as Home Brew Mart before adding its brewing facilities. Now, these local beers are opening in places no one would expect.

According to Cherney, Ballast Point has its products shipped as far as Japan and the Philippines.

“They are taking the full gamut of beer in Japan,” he said.

According to the Web site for Japanese beverage distributor Nagano Trading Co. Ltd., Japan not only imports from Ballast Point, but also from the Stone, Green Flash and Coronado breweries.

“Japan has a love for beer,” Andrew Balmuth, president of Nagano Trading Co. said. “So, San Diego, West Coast styles of beers that have a lot of body and flavor are a big hit. Japanese beer drinkers love beers with aroma and flavor. It’s like a new world.”

Even though Japanese beer drinkers have grown an affinity for San Diego beers, for Ballast Point, bottled exports aren’t its only focus, as they only account for 30 percent of its total production. Focusing on a locally consumed product is the highlight of its work.
“For us to penetrate the other markets is a lot newer to us,” Cherney said.

The beer
Currently, San Diego is known for its robust, hoppy beers such as the Imperial India Pale Ale, which some people believe should be called the San Diego Pale Ale. But, not all San Diego beers will appeal to the average drinker.

“Beer will come full circle,” Cherney said. “People still want a lighter, drinkable craft beer when they are at the beach,” he said. “We can’t forget that we are sunny San Diego.”

Because of this home-brew mentality, the relationships among local breweries aren’t stilted such as the high-profile rivalry between Budweiser and MillerCoors.

“We’re pretty good friends, we have a pretty good working relationship,” Cherney said. “It isn’t an overly competitive working relationship.”

That relationship is why San Diego Beer Week’s string of events paid off in creating awareness for all of the breweries, according to Cherney. He said at places such as the Blind Lady Ale House in Normal Heights, fresh faces made their way to the various events to check out the burgeoning local beer culture. Organizations such as the San Diego Brewers Guild helped unify San Diego’s breweries to bring about public awareness.

“It’s nice to have the regionality,” Cherney said.

The next step

“We keep coming up with new styles. We still have the home-brew spirit,” Cherney said. “We are not confined by a hardcore brewing tradition like in Belgium and Germany.”
But after mastering craft beer, what is next?

For Ballast Point Brewing Company, that step is moving into distilling spirits.
In a corner of the Scripps Ranch location, a collection of aged oak barrels sit next to a custom-made distiller where San Diego’s first craft spirits are being produced.

“I think the spirits will follow a similar path as microbrews,” Cherney said. “Up until a few years ago people could only find spirits made en masse by giant factory like manufacturers, just like beer used to be.”

According to Cherney, Portland, which has been the mecca for craft beer for the past 15 years, now has a boom for distilling and San Diego will soon follow that next step.
With San Diego rising as the new hotbed for brewing, the possibilities for growth as a beer city are just beginning.

Activate Search
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
San Diego steps it up in the brewing world