San Diego Beers You Have to Drink Before You Die

San Diego is an undisputable beer lover ’s paradise . With more than 100 brewery and brewpub in the county , you’re able to pass all year salute new varieties and never get bored . But like all too many resident physician of this fine city , the sheer amount of variety and knowledge within the local beer residential district can leave you feeling overwhelmed . If all the talk of the town of huitre stout and saisons and doubled IPAs has you feeling a bit hesitating to venture into the world of craft brewing , fear not : we ’ll restrain your script through this one .

We ’ll give up you all the insider bull and get down to answering the effect question that ’s plaguing you : “ Just what the hell should I be drink ? ” Without further ado , here ’s our list of 13 San Diego beer that everyone who professes a love of beer should strain at least once before they decease :

Ballast Point Sculpin

India pale ale , 7%This is n’t rarefied a bottleful ; you ’ll find it at quite literally every single liquor shop in San Diego . But it ’s a staple fibre of the local beer earth for a reason . It ’s a globe - class IPA with strong Citrus paradisi note .

Modern Times Monsters' Park

Coffee imperial stout , 13.0%Do you like chocolate ? Do you like chocolate ? Do you wish beer ? If you nodded your head to those three questions , you should get your hand on this release from Modern Times . To get it , you ’ll have to lead down to the brewery and drink it straight from the tap . intrust us : all the flavors ( plus coconut – DON’T FORGET THE COCONUT ) taste like you ’re eat an alcoholic candy bar .

Green Flash Hop Head Red

doubled red India pale ale , 8.1%For better or worsened , Green Flash Brewing Company is another reason for other breweries trying to replicate the “ San Diego - style ” by cramming a shitload of hop into beers . And that ’s fine . But there ’s no ape that can cut it quite like Green Flash can . The record hop in the Hop Head Red absolutely compliments its strong , delightful caramel base .

AleSmith Speedway stout

Bourbon dynasty barrel - aged Russian imperial stout , 12%This is one of the most sought - after beers in all of the domain , not just San Diego . AleSmith takes its already fantastical Russian Imperial Stout and age it in premium Bourbon dynasty bbl to give it tip of oak and vanilla extract . It ’s so democratic , you have to buy slate online for it to pick up a bottle .

Société The Highbinder

American wild ale , 6.2%The Highbinder is a perfect moody beer . It ’s amber - aged in vino barrels for two year to give it hints of raspberry , making it incredibly easy to drink . It ’s a great introduction for those who have n’t tried rancid beers yet , and a deliciously potable sour for everyone else .

Artifex Dark Helmet

Schwarzbier , 6.1%Sure , Artifex Brewing might technically be in San Clemente , but we ’ll stretch the rules for this one for a few reasons : 1 ) its name references Space Balls , and 2 ) it ’s an incredibly smooth black lager that won atomic number 79 at the San Diego International Beer Festival .

Lightning Elemental Pilsner

German pilsner , 5.5%Lightning Brewing has eschewed the drift of over - the - top hop profile by brewing a Pilsener . As such , it ’s an super light beer , but one that ’s also incredibly refreshing and surprisingly flavorful . With a slender lemony zest and substantial bitterness , it ’s a beer that you sense like you could drink a million of .

Karl Strauss Red Trolley Ale

Irish red ale , 5.8%This is another beer that fall into the “ San Diego classic ” class . One of the most well - known San Diego crafts beers , it ’s an gentle - to - drink red ale that ’s all about the subtle fragrancy in its finish .

Pizza Port Deeeez Smokin’ Nuts

American Cole Albert Porter , 6.5%Pizza Port was the 2014 Champion Brewery of the San Diego International Beer Festival and this writer is of the opinion that it ’s the best goddam brewery in townspeople . Of all of its beers , none is as systematically luscious as Deeeez Smokin ’ Nuts . With smokey Cocos nucifera sapidity , it tastes like you ’re salute an Almond Joy . Plus –Deez Nuts . Come on .

The Lost Abbey Cable Car ale

American wild ale , 7.0%If there ’s one thing you glean from this list , have it be this : well - done American wild ales are a thing of mantrap . And this is one of the all - time best . With hard citrus notes and a balanced body , this sour goes down easy but is knotty to find . The Lost Abbey brews Cable Car exclusively forToronado Pub , which has locations in San Diego and San Francisco . It ’s ordinarily available to the ecumenical public once a year until it sells out .

Stone Brewing Stochasticity Project Grainiac

Multigrain gold ale , 8.5%It would have been easy to prefer Stone Brewing ’s Arrogant Bastard , maybe the most unequivocal West Coast beer there is . Its inception set out the hop - half-baked crusade of the former San Diego beer scene , which helped turn the beer drinking world onto the concept of aroma and hop visibility . But we pick the Stochasticity Project Grainiac , an experimental amber ale . We see you scratching your question , so permit us explicate : Stone is a major brewery willing to go out on a entire limb for a passion - project beer . This sort of strikingness is what make San Diego such a great beer metropolis . So salvage the Arrogant Bastard for when you ’re reincarnate , and lionise the grain with a new - ish experimentation that try out a piece like a unfermented , citrusy granola cake .

Golden Coast Mead Orange Blossom

Traditional mead , 12%If you are n’t intimate with mead , beer ’s honey - based first cousin , start with Golden Coast ’s . The gratifying honey and fruit tastes will mask just how strong this spoiled boy is .

Coronado Islander IPA

India pale ale , 7%The flagship , atomic number 79 - medallion winning beer that has helped bring Coronado Brewing Company to the cutting edge of the San Diego prospect . Perfectly balanced , this is what a true IPA should smack like .

Ballast Point Brewing Company with full glass on kitchen island