It's the time of year to Support Your Local Suds
By Peter Rowe San Diego Union December 17, 1997
Nice guys who make extremely nice beers, the folks at Ballast Point Brewing Co. wondered why their Christmas stocking contained a naughty lump of coal.
Company ball caps in hand, they visited the big San Diego restaurant that had dropped their account.
Customers hated the beer? they asked.
No, customers loved Ballast Point beers.
The beer didn't sell?
No, the beer sold well.
So, Ballast Point sales manager Mike Mellow wondered, what was the problem?
No problem, the restaurant manager replied. But a brewing colossus' distributor wanted to take over the taps occupied by locally brewed Ballast Point. To get them, he was willing to give the restaurant 150 tickets to the upcoming Rolling Stones concert.
"It's very difficult for the small breweries to compete," Mellow said. 'What we have going for us is the quality of the beer. We just brew beer, traditional ales that we like to drink."
Christmas and Hanukkah coincide with the release of numerous dark, sweet, spicy seasonal beers. It's a great time to sample speciality ales and stouts-and an appropriate time to support your local brewer.
BALLAST POINT CASK CONDITONED ALE (San Diego) Five Beer Bottles
You can find Ballast Point White and Ballast Point Copper Ale at many local restaurants (for the former, the list includes the Fish Market San Diego, Kemo Sabe in Hillcrest and Pizzeria Uno; for the latter, the Chart House in Cardiff, Newport Ave. Bar & Grill in O.B., and Pizza Port, Carlsbad). But to sample this outstanding unfiltered ale, you have to visit the brewery at 5401 Linda Vista Road.
Fermented in a keg, the ale is dry-hopped- additional hops are added after the ingredients are boiled in a brew kettle-and sweetened with brown sugar. Nutty, soft and fragrant, the beer is also a delight to behold, as the natural carbonation cascades down your glass.
SANTA'S LITTLE HELPER IMPERIAL STOUT (Solana Beach) Three Beer Bottles
Naughty and nice, this holiday warmer from Pizza Port/Solana Beach Brewery slides across the palate like liquid velvet This stout is dark and aromatic as New Orleans coffee, and nearly as sweet as Cuban coffee-a bit too sweet, masking the malts' roasted flavors. Still, an exceptionally smooth stout, perfect for sipping on a cold night by a warm fire.
OUR SPECIAL ALE (San Francisco) Four Beer Bottles
Anchor Steam's 23rd annual holiday beer is topped with a huge, frothy head the color of singed caramel. This deep, dark ale is subtly spiced, and the orange flavor comes through gradually. The recipe for this seasonal beer changes annually; in previous versions, some tasters thought they detected the scent of pine trees. A friend sniffed something "woodsy" in this beer's nose. OK, but it doesn't smell like my Christmas tree.
AULD ACQUAINTANCE SPICED ALE (Seattle) Three Beer Bottles
Orange juice is added to this brew, imparting a citrusy zing to a dark amber ale. Cinnamon and nutmeg keep the flavor from becoming too fruity.
SOL CERVEZA (Guadalajara, Mexico) One Beer Bottle
Not exactly a holiday beer, but this Mexican import arrived here around Thanksgiving, propelled by a clever ad campaign. Alas, the ads have more taste than the beer. Fizzy and thin, Sol leaves a chemical taste in the mouth. A triumph of packaging over brewing, Sol comes in an attractive clear bottle with a nifty sunrise design.
The first San Diego Strong Ale Festival, which is planned as an annual event, will be held tomorrow from 5 until 11 p.m. at Pizza Port, 571 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad.
I've tasted, and enjoyed, three of the dozen featured locally brewed beers-an early, not quit-ready-for-release version of Ballast Point's Navigator Barley Wine, plus Pizza Port/Solana Beach Brewery's Old Boneyards Barleywine (four bottles) and Santa's Little Helper Imperial Stout (reviewed here).
To sample the beers, buy a commemorative glass ($1). Four-ounce samples are $1 each. Pizza will also be sold. For information, call organizers Tom Nickel and Tomme Arthur, (619) 4817332.
BREWERY ROWE appears monthly in the Food section. Peter Rowe, the proprietor, welcomes calls, (619) 293-1227; letters, c/o The San Diego Union-Tribune, P.O. Box 191, San Diego, CA 92112; and e-mail, peter.rowe@uniontrib.com