Pizza Port Pitstop

I drove by Carlsbad this evening and stopped at Pizza Port for a growler refill and a couple of pizzas. It was jammed - on a Tuesday. Incredible. I got a growler of the Girabaldi, a strong pale ale. It has a deep copper color and its a hoppy pale ale, but balanced with the right mix of malt. The alcohol (6%) was subdued despite the "strong" moniker. I wanted to try the IPA that was on tap - I think it was called Right Turn - but it was a double IPA and I did not want that much alcohol on a Tuesday. There are no reviews of either the Girabaldi or Right Turn on BeerAdvocate.

Where's the Beer? - Vegas

Went to Vegas for a few days. The hotel I stayed at (Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas) had nothing on tap and the only craft beer was Fat Tire. Went to the strip one night and, again, the only interesting beer was Fat Tire, but at least it was on draft. I know there is craft beer in Vegas, but not at the places I went.

Membership has Its Privileges

I am a Founding Subscriber to BeerAdvocate Magazine. Boston Beer Company is sending all Founding Subscribers this cool glass:


I guess I'll have to take back what I said about Sam Adams being BORING.

DFW Beer Desert

The Dallas/Ft Worth airport is a beer desert. I was there yesterday and popped into a couple of establishments to check the beer selections and the most exciting beer was Sam Adams. BORING! And what is up with Widmer's Hefeweizen? A lemon in a hefeweizen is not correct and you'd think the brewer would know this, but Widmer celebrates this gaffe by putting a lemon on its beer tap handle. This faux pas puts Widmer on my beer exclusion list (as does its relationship with Anheuser-Busch). Since DFW is a beer desert I drank what you are supposed to in a desert - water. Life's too short to settle for crappy beer.

Yulesmith Stays Elusive

I am not going to make it to South Bay Drugs today. Yulesmith stays close but still not in my stomach or beer closet.

Yulesmith Today

I have to go to San Diego's south bay area today. I will go a little further, time permitting to get Yulesmith at a store that has it - South Bay Drugs in Imperial Beach. This little pharmacy has a great selection of craft beers and imports with a focus on Belgians.

Where's Yulesmith?

Alesmith Brewing makes a holiday ale, Yulesmith, which is an Imperial Red Ale. It is a good beer. Around the 4th of July it releases a second version of Yulesmith, which is a Double IPA. It's Christmas in July for beer lovers. So far this year I have been unable to put my hands on one. None of the grocery stores, liquor stores or markets in my area have had any. I was in Pasadena last weekend and the BevMo there did not have any (but it did have an Avery 14th Anniversary, but that is for another post since I have not tasted it yet). I know I can get it directly from the brewery, but it's almost thirty minutes away and its retail hours are limited to a few hours on Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Welcome to the Beer Rover

I like good craft beer and will chronicle my quests here. I like in Southern California and my search will likely be here, but as I travel and will note any good finds. I will note new releases from the local breweries in the Link section. I like hoppy beers, India Pale Ales and Double India Pale Ales and other distinct styles.