Peter Rowe
POWAY – Blame Bluto. If you recall John Belushi's manic character in “Animal House,” Hollywood's definitive take on higher education and lower pursuits, you're doomed. Someone uses “beer” and “college” in the same sentence, and, bam, you automatically think ... Toga party!
Recently, though, I met two San Diegans whose academic studies led them to beer for businesslike reasons. Katelyn Schlactus, 22, parlayed a fresh SDSU bachelor's degree in international business into a six-week marketing internship at Alaskan Brewing. She returned to San Diego in July, but she remains fascinated by this regional brewery's campaign to break into another region. “Local beers sell really well in San Diego,” Schlactus said. “You have Stone, you have Karl Strauss.”
Alaskan makes no effort to hide its northern frontier roots, she added, but “it has the feel of a local beer – there's the outdoorsy image, the laid-back style.” Her advice to the Juneau-based brewery? Toga! Toga!
Couldn't help myself. Schlactus' actual advice: “For the 21-to 30-year-olds, they need to make the beer trendy.”
Marketeers take the broad view. Jim Crute, however, considers beer at the microscopic level. When a merger left this biochemist out of work, he used his scientific training to analyze his future.
“In science, you ask the simplest question possible,” he said.
His question: “What else do I know?”
His answer: Toga!
Down, Bluto! Crute's actual answer: “I know beer.”
Brewing involves yeast and proteins, carbonation and fermentation – in other words, science.
“Making good beer,” Crute said, “you need to know some protein biochemistry and some fermentation biology. Some physical biochemistry really helps a lot. Some straight chemistry makes a lot of sense, too.”
A year ago, Crute founded Lightning Brewery in Poway. In March, he began selling kegs of his beers to local restaurants and bars. Bluto would have loved these products of Crute's college education.
Tasting Notes
(Beers are rated from 0 to 5 bottles, with 5 being best.)
LIGHTNING KOLSCH-STYLE ALE
Poway
HHH 1/2
It's easy to see why this is Lightning's best-selling beer to date. There's much to enjoy, even if it's all a bit mysterious. The Kolsch-style ale has a subtle yeasty aroma. It's very malty yet light-bodied. It's naturally carbonated by fermentation, then filtered under pressure, making the finished product as even as a starched bedsheet.
Don't get me wrong. You would never call this beer sleepy. But the low (4.6 percent) alcohol content, the uniformly tiny bubbles, the smooth finish all seem – in a fashion that is pleasantly Germanic – tidy.
LIGHTNING ELEMENTAL PILSNER
Poway
HHHH
This is a nifty Pils, from its fresh aroma – some examples of this variety give you a snootful of wilting lettuce – to its sudden and sharp finish. I was blown away by Elemental's freshness, but hey, I was sipping a sample at the brewery. It had better be fresh. But this is a beer worth seeking at your local tap room or bistro.
CHAMBERLAIN PALE ALE
Portland, Maine
HHH
As a Civil War geek, I could not resist Shipyard Brewery's tribute to Joshua L. Chamberlain, whose valiant stand saved the Union army on the second day of the battle of Gettysburg. This is a full-bodied pale with snappish hops and moderate carbonation. There's a wealth of flavors here, from fresh-from-the-oven biscuits to caramel apple to a flinty finish. The beer also tastes a little unrounded, a bit unfinished. Perhaps that's appropriate – you worry about reinforcements and whether the line is too thin to hold.
Beer biz
At the recent Santa Barbara Beer Festival and Motor Classic, the People's Choice for Best Brewery was San Diego's own Karl Strauss. Stone's 10th anniversary party is scheduled for Sept. 9. For details, check the brewery's Web site, www.stonebrew.com/10th.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 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191; and e-mail, peter.rowe@uniontrib.com
Beers named after local spots
OCEANSIDE – With six beers on tap, Oceanside Ale Works has opened at 3800 Oceanic Drive, Suite 105. The small microbrewery was founded by Mark Purciel, a local teacher, and Scott Thomas, a firefighter, both Oceanside residents. They began brewing together as a hobby. Eight years and much experimentation later, they established Oceanside Ale Works. Their beers on tap include Pier View Pale and San Luis Rey Red, both named after prominent Oceanside landmarks.
– Linda McIntosh
SHARK BITE RED
San Marcos
I would love to be a regular at the Pizza Port breweries in Solana Beach and Carlsbad, but we live miles away. So imagine my delight when I found six packs of the Carlsbad Port's red ale in a liquor store just a short walk from our home.
Shark Bite is the first Pizza Port beer to emerge from the breweries' bottling line, in Stone's old plant, and it's an inspired choice. An old favorite of the genuine Port regulars, this beer has not received the national attention justifiably lavished on Tomme Arthur's splashier efforts.
As it is now brewed by Jeff Bagby, Shark Bite is not a fancy red ale, just an honest and refreshing example of the breed. It's a beer to drink, not build seminars around. It pours reddish brown with a thin but durable khaki-colored head. Swirl this around in a glass and take a whiff – you can detect balance here. There's plenty of malt, but the Cascade and Centennial hops are persistent and bracing.
Next time I'm in Carlsbad, I'll try this on tap. But it's nice to know that this example of the Pizza Port style is available closer to home.
Beer biz
Learning? Good. Learning about beer? Better. Learning about beer on an ocean liner? Better yet. Holland America's Oosterdam will depart San Diego on Oct. 21 for a seven-night “Suds at Sea” cruise. Peter Zien of AleSmith Brewing Company will teach classes in brewing, beer styles and beer evaluation. I hear he's a strict teacher, but no one complains about his homework assignments. Rates range from $817 to $1,152. For information, call Rose Mario at K Travel, (619) 275-4528.
One beer style Prof. Zien may lecture about: maibock, a seasonal offering now on tap at Gordon Biersch in Mission Valley.
World Beer Cup 2006 winners were announced last Friday in Seattle; Brewery Rowe will ponder What It All Meant next month. At the craft brewers' conference that preceded the awards, San Diego was well-represented. Greg Koch, Stone Brewing's president; Pizza Port's Tomme Arthur; and Vinnie Cilurzo, the honorary San Diegan who runs Russian River in Santa Rosa, all moderated panels. Stone's Steve Wagner appeared on a panel.
Speaking of Stone, brewer Lee Chase has left to take a position with White Labs, the makers of brewers' yeast.
QUAFF, a homebrewers' club, will meet April 25, 7 p.m., at Callahan's, 8111 Mira Mesa Blvd.
The Brewers Association just released its 2005 list of the 50 largest breweries in the United States. The top three: Anheuser-Busch, Miller, Coors. Of local note: Gordon Biersch is 29th, Stone is 48th.
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 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191; and e-mail, peter.rowe@uniontrib.com
© 2010 San Diego Brewers Guild