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The spring equinox came in unremarkably, with little fuss and fanfare and the mild temperatures characteristic of this time of year. Enjoy the mild cloudy weather while you can. Spring in San Diego may come in like a lamb, but it always goes out like a lion. After we get past “May Gray” and “June Gloom,” which is never too difficult to be around to begin with, the famous golden southern California sunshine paints our cliffs and beaches and warms our deserts and mountains. For now, though, it’s the perfect time to sit and watch the flowers bloom. There are some great beers that pair perfectly with the first blush of spring around here! A good floral saison is generally known as a summertime beer, but of course, the rules are a bit different in southern California. Here, it’s quite…

Hey baby, it's nearly the Fourth of July.  We love this time of year! The days are at their longest and warmest and everybody is in a party mood for Independence Day.  We prefer the annual San Diego rite of passage of heading out to the beach, where you can barbecue next to the surf, but really, there's fun to be had just about anywhere! We know that you're probably going to have a cookout, so we won't waste our time recommending food.  You know what to do. What we have done, however, is once again sampled some of San Diego's finest in order to help you best pair your favorite local brews with your meals! We'll start off with an oldie, but a goodie – a classic in the vibrant world of San Diego's beer scene: Karl Strauss's Red…

Happy holidays! This time of year has become equal parts frenzied shopping and calls to reject consumerism and simply spend time enjoying family and all it has to offer.  We are torn, because we do love a good deal and sometimes those holiday family dinners can get a little long, especially when Uncle Ed has had a little too much Christmas cheer.    However, we feel that we can learn a lot from tradition.  One of our favorites is Yule, a midwinter celebration that was originally celebrated by Germanic and Northern European people and incorporated into the Christmastime celebrations.  The festival came from "Yolnir" or "Yulnir," both alternate names for Odin, the Norse god of death, rebirth, ecstasy… and intoxication. Families would bring in evergreen branches on the iciest nights, to symbolize the return of spring.  They would then heap sticks on…

Beer dinner at PB Ale House 12/8/11 This was an amazing meal with expert food pairings by the chef at PB Ale House.   After being seated next to Karl, clearly a regular based on the number of hugs from the beautiful wait staff, and Ballast Point’s very own sales person Laura Slayter, things got underway quickly.  We were early so PB Ale House offered up a sampler of their own and for the life of me I cannot remember what it was, however it was a tasty start. For the first course we got to dive into BP’s Abandon Ship Smoked Lager. Yum, it was hard to not drink it all before the food pairing arrived, but arrive it did and it paired nicely.  It was a Brioche Monte Cristo with La Quercia Prosciutto and New York White Cheddar…