Any day now — today, in fact, is the target date — Mission Brewery will open its first taproom outside its East Village home.
Demonstrating the circle of craft beer life, Mission is taking over the former home of Kensington Brewing Company, 4067 Adams Ave., in Kensington.
Both Mission and Kensington have complicated histories. Kensington began its life a decade ago in Grantville, only moving into its namesake neighborhood six years ago. Co-founders Zack Knipe and Andy Rogers enjoyed the distinction of running Kensington’s only brewery. Briefly. Kensington Brewing closed last September.
Inside Mission Brewery’s new taproom in Kensington, which is set to open on Friday, Aug. 4.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Mission Brewery, on the other hand, was a historic San Diego company that opened in 1913. Its original home, Mission Brewery Plaza with its trademark brick tower. The landmark building still stands in Middletown, wedged between Interstate 5 and San Diego International Airport.
However, that Mission Brewery closed in 1918. This Mission Brewery opened in 2007. It, too, occupies an historic brick edifice, the 1894 Wonder Bread building in East Village.
Mission’s Kensington operation should be a welcome addition to that neighborhood’s small commercial downtown. While lacking a kitchen, the taproom will allow patrons to order food from Haven Pizzeria, a popular dining spot on the same Adams Avenue block.
Andy Gamelin of the Society of Barley Engineers and its Société de Lambic.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Beer’s Frontiers
While roughly 110,000 people are now employed by U.S. breweries, they are vastly outnumbered by the homebrewer horde, now estimated to exceed 1.1 million Americans.
It should come as no surprise, then, that some of the most creative beers, venturing into the frontiers of brewing, come from passionate amateurs.
For instance, the members of the Société du Lambic.
Part of Vista’s Society of Barley Engineers, this club within a club hosts an annual “Wild & Sour” homebrew competition, focusing on the Belgian lambic-style beers.
“We brew lambics once a year, about 10 barrels at a time,” said Andy Gamelin, the Barley Engineers’ community coordinator.
In the extended family of beer styles, lambics are the kooky European cousins. Originating in Belgium, lambics are fermented with “wild” yeast that falls from the air into open fermentation vessels. Usually barrel-aged, they are dry and tart. Many incorporate fruit — kriek is a cherry lambic, for instance, while framboise a popular raspberry variety.
Crafting these rare, temperamental beers is a strict test of the brewer’s art, whether professional or amateur. Lambics reward patience and practice.
“I’ve been making lambics for about 20 years,” Gamelin said.
Online registration is now open for the Societe’s fifth annual competition at reggiebeer.com.
Winners will be announced in October.
The Next Round
Today: My Yard Live kicks off its fourth anniversary celebration with Dueling Piano Night, performances at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended: myyardlive.com/reservations. 288 Rancheros Drive, San Marcos.
Saturday: This is Home Fermentation Day, an unofficial holiday sponsored by the American Homebrewers Association. The group’s website is chockablock with tips on how to ferment everything from beer — naturally — to root beer, cider, mead, sake, kimchi, pizza dough and more: homebrewersassociation.org.
Aug. 10: San Diego Beer News will mark its third anniversary with a party from 5 to 9 p.m. at Pure Project’s Bankers Hill location, 2865 Fifth Ave., San Diego. Visit sandiegobeer.news.
Quick Sips, Central Coast Road Trip Edition
BarrelHouse Brewing’s Big Sur Double IPA.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Beer: Big Sur Double IPA
From: BarrelHouse Brewing, Paso Robles, CA
ABV: 8.7 percent alcohol by volume (ABV)
Style: Imperial India Pale Ale
Drink or dump: Drink. A stunner in a glass, Big Sur has a lovely golden hue with a modest yet durable head. A full-bodied beer that sweetens as you dive deeper, it balances those caramel notes with a persistent citrus-and-pine hop bite.
Alvarado Street Brewery’s Land & Sea XPA beer.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Beer: Land & Sea XPA
From: Alvarado Street Brewery, Salinas
ABV: 5 percent ABV
Style: Extra Pale Ale
Drink or dump: Dump. This Extra is curiously lacking in just about everything. It’s Extra Pale, sure, but there’s not enough tropical Nelson hops, not enough malt sweetness, not enough crispness to its body. Land & Sea left me at sea, with nowhere to land.
English Ales Brewery’s Big Sur Golden beer.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Beer: Big Sur Golden
From: English Ales Brewery, Marina, CA
ABV: 4.8 percent ABV
Style: Golden Ale
Drink or dump: Drink. While the name isn’t particularly original (see above) and the style is a bit pedestrian, this is a nice road trip beer. The color of buffed mahogany, this gently hopped ale has a light and cheery personality, brightened by a just-right squeeze of local lemons.
Rowe is a freelance writer.