Author: Nick Heid
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Stone Founders Taking Back the Escondido Bistro: What We Know
The Escondido landmark is not going dark after all. Stone Brewing co-founders Greg Koch and Steve Wagner are taking over Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido and will reopen it as an independent restaurant under a new name. What happened The bistro’s future went sideways earlier this year. Sapporo, which bought Stone in… Read more
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Full Contact – Beer Review
Full Contact is Elysian’s bigger, bolder take on the hazy IPA, and the name fits. At 8.8% it is firmly in imperial territory, but it drinks with a sneaky smoothness that makes the alcohol easy to underestimate. Respect it, and enjoy it. The basics What to expect Full Contact pours a medium straw gold with… Read more
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La Fin du Monde – Beer Review
La Fin du Monde means “the end of the world,” and it might just be the end of your search for the perfect Belgian tripel. Brewed by Unibroue in Chambly, Quebec, this is one of the most decorated beers in North America, including a gold medal at the 2024 World Beer Cup. It earns every… Read more
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Pliny the Elder – Beer Review
Some beers are famous. Pliny the Elder is the reason an entire style exists. Russian River’s double IPA, first brewed in 1999, basically wrote the blueprint for the American double IPA, and it is still the benchmark everything else gets measured against. The basics What to expect Pliny pours a brilliant, clear gold with a… Read more
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Victory at Sea – Beer Review
Surprisingly not a stout, this imperial porter is truly a taste of victory. Ballast Point’s Victory at Sea has been a San Diego icon since 2007, and it remains the beer we point people to when they say they do not like dark beer. Then they try it, and the conversation changes. The basics What… Read more
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Cali Creamin’ – Beer Review
Mother Earth’s flagship is the beer that made cream ale cool again, and one sip tells you why. Brewed with real Madagascar vanilla bean, Cali Creamin’ drinks like the grown-up version of cream soda: pale gold, soft, and dangerously easy to finish. It is brewed right up the road in Vista, which makes it taste… Read more
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Recent Local Beer Releases
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The Brewer’s Advent Calendar – German Beer Review
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Boo Koo IPA | Mother Earth Brew Co. – Beer Review
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Elysian Brewing “Dank Dust” – Beer Review
Whether you like weed or not, this beer is an absolute must try. Potentially the most unique IPA you’ve ever tried… Read more