Celebrating San Diego's Craft Beer Scene

There are more than 150 beer breweries in San Diego County, according to the latest count by the San Diego Brewers Guild. The region certainly stakes a legitimate claim to being called the Craft Beer Capital of the United States.

The local beer industry is a major focus of the 16^th Annual San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival.

San Diegan breweries are busy creating some solid suds. At the 2019 Great American Beer Festival, San Diego breweries won 18 medals (including eight gold). The GABF is considered the national Beer Olympics. More than 800 breweries supplied nearly 10,000 beers for this year’s judging.

San Diego brewing ignited with the opening in 1989 of Karl Strauss. Pizza Port was then started up by former Karl Strauss employees. During the 1990s, craft brewing operations such as Ballast Point, Stone, AleSmith and Coronado were spawned, and eventually became major players.

The advent of in the mid-1990s of yeast production company, White Labs, was a significant milestone. Before White Labs opened, breweries primarily used dried yeast. The ability to use liquid yeast helped breweries produce higher qualities and wider varieties of beer.

Naturally, local brewers compete to sell their offerings. But many brewers point to the collaborative culture that exists in San Diego. Personnel move back and forth between establishments. Industry leaders regularly collaborate and believe that a rising tide lifts all ships.

The San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival is heavily boosted by local beer breweries with events curated for craft beer fans looking to taste new recipes and learn more about the process.

A premium beer-minded ticket is Expedition: San Diego Beer Tour (November 10, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Starting in Old Town San Diego, this beer tour gives attendees an insider’s look at three top local beer producers. It’s an opportunity to meet with brewery staff, taste special brews and get the VIP treatment while learning more about the industry.

The first stop on Expedition: San Diego Beer Tour is the aforementioned White Labs. Get a hands-on sense for how using different yeast strains creates deliciously different flavors.

Stop Two: Green Flash. The behind-the-scenes tour will include samplings of hoppy and malted beers, including special release selections.

Beer and lunch will be served at Gravity Heights. This is the first brewery from Whisknladle Hospitality’s collection of acclaimed restaurants. Gravity Heights has teamed with Skip Virgillo (the original brewmaster from AleSmith) to create brews that will be sampled at lunch.

Of course, attendees at the wine and food festival’s popular Grand Tasting (November 16, 12-3 p.m.) will also get a chance to raise glasses and sample dozens of local beers.