Hoppy Beers

San Diego is best known for its variety of hop-driven beers. Here are some of the best pale ales and IPAs – West Coast, hazy and imperial (i.e., higher-alcohol) – the region has to offer:

• .394 | AleSmith Brewing (Miramar): Developed in collaboration with Padres great and Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, this balanced pale ale is one of San Diego’s most popular beers, especially come baseball season.
• Hop-Fu! | North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill, Pacific Beach): Before medaling multiple times at the world’s biggest brewing competitions, this was the most award-winning home-brewed IPA of all time.
• Muntz | Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine): Opaque yet smooth and easy-drinking, this unfiltered IPA harnesses the white-wine and gooseberry flavors and aromas derived from New Zealand-grown Nelson Sauvin hops.
• No-No Joe! | Resident Brewing (Downtown): Just before pitching the first no-hitter in Padres history, hurler Joe Musgrove helped brew this bold, citrusy double IPA. Was it a coincidence? We think not.
• B Haze | TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park): This is the reigning best American IPA per judges at the country’s most prestigious brewing competition, the Great American Beer Festival. Enough said. The Pupil | Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Old Town): Guava and ripe mango flavors are prominent in this West Coast IPA, a favorite among local beer aficionados for more than a decade now.
• Pure & Simple | New English Brewing (Sorrento Valley): Though brewed by a U.K. expat known for his true-to-style English ales, this is one of the best local takes on the all-American West Coast IPA.
• Swami’s | Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach): First brewed in the ‘90’s, this IPA gave way to literally hundreds of house IPAs from one of the country’s most popular brewpub chains.
• Tower X | Karl Strauss Brewing (Downtown, Sorrento Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, San Marcos, Carlsbad): Conceived as a collaboration with alt-rock station 91X FM, this rockin’ IPA is big on orange zest, pith and pine resin.
• Treevana | Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido, Little Italy): Exhibiting a balance of citrus and tropical-fruit flavors, this is considered by many to be San Diego’s best always-available IPA.
• Tropical Terps | Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside, Vista, North Park): This West Coast IPA is made with terpenes (aromatic plant compounds), which impart bright notes of melon and pineapple to its bouquet.

Lagers and Light Beers

San Diego’s not all about hops. With year-round sunshine and temps ideal for outdoor gatherings and activities, refreshing beers that are lower in alcohol but big on flavor are a necessity.

• Agua Baja | Craft Coast Beer & Tacos (San Marcos, Oceanside): This subtly sweet Mexican-style lager is brewed with corn and pairs perfectly with sunny weather, beach breezes and chill vibes.
• Buenaveza | Stone Brewing (Escondido, Point Loma, Downtown, Oceanside): Brewed with salt and lime, this pale lager takes its inspiration from the classic south-of-the-border cocktail, the margarita.
• Domestique | Rouleur Brewing (Carlsbad): This perennial award-winner from a North County brewery celebrating cycling and suds has proven itself to be the best blonde ale in San Diego.
• Fortune | Seek Beer Co. (North Park): This German-style Pilsner has been such a hit with fans that it has become the flagship at a brewery that prides itself on never brewing the same beer twice.
• The Harlot | Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Old Town): A recipe combining the best parts of a Belgian blonde ale and a Czech extra makes for a light, floral beer with impressive depth of flavor.
• Japanese Lager | Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch, Carmel Valley, Bay Park, South Park): Puffed jasmine rice and toasted rice flakes lend enhanced aromatics to this highly quaffable beer.
• Kampeon | GOAL. Brewing (North Park): Crafted to emulate the best-selling lager in the Philippines, this light-bodied, low-alcohol lager is the perfect complement to a day spent in the San Diego sun.
• Rain | Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park, Bankers Hill): Verdant aromas, a floral flavor profile and spicy finish make this one of the most authentic Bavarian pilsners in the county.
• Salty Crew | Coronado Brewing (Bay Park, Coronado): Named for a local surf-apparel company, this award-winning blonde ale is a best-seller for one of San Diego’s longest-operating breweries.
• Special Lager | Eppig Brewing (Point Loma, East Village): This international-style lager is brewed with sushi-grade short-grain rice, which lends a rounding sweetness that ups its crushability.
• Surf Punk | Hodad’s Brewing (Ocean Beach, Downtown): This snappy Baja-style lager hails from the brewing arm of San Diego institution, Hodad’s, and is a great go-with for their iconic burgers.

Stouts and Dark Beers

Closing out our roundup are malty standouts. From amber ales and lagers to flavored, coffee-stoked and barrel-aged stouts, the following are worth a walk on the dark side.

• Bacon & Eggs | Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach): Local coffee from a roaster named the country’s best adds extra roastiness to an already impressive imperial porter.
• The Butcher | Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Old Town): Deep notes of dark chocolate are the calling card of this imperial stout, the 9.666% ABV of which alludes to the murderous character for which it’s named.
• Chocolate Macadamia Nut Stout | Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa, Ocean Beach, Oceanside): This desserty, it-is-what-it-says-it-is masterpiece has won over judges at numerous professional brewing competitions.
• Judgment Day | The Lost Abbey (Vista, San Marcos, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, East Village): This take on the darkest and strongest of Belgium’s monastic abbey ales, the quadrupel, is brewed with loads of raisins.
• Medusa | Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside, Escondido, North Park): Toasted organic coconut, cacao nibs and maple syrup are key to the five-time medal-winning status of this imperial milk stout.
• Modem Tones | Modern Times Beer (Point Loma, North Park, Encinitas): Much has changed at this brewery of late, but not its prowess for crafting amazing, uniquely flavored takes on this barrel-aged imperial stout.
• Puesto Negra | Puesto Cerveceria (Mission Valley): Conceived by San Diego’s foremost lager-brewing expert, this dark lager pairs well with its parent restaurant chain’s array of upscale Mexican fare.
• Red Trolley | Kark Strauss Brewing (Downtown, Sorrento Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, San Marcos, Carlsbad): This Irish-style red ale is the most popular mainstay of San Diego’s longest-operating post-Prohibition brewing company.
• Speedway Stout | AleSmith Brewing (Miramar): This legendary imperial stout is brewed with coffee, providing a rich bittersweet-chocolate canvas for its many tasty variants (affogato, horchata, caramel brownie).
• Summon Ifrit | BattleMage Brewing (Vista): If you’re looking for one of the finest red ales in the country, head north for this bready, caramely treat at a brewery catering to the D&D-loving, role-playing game crowd.
• Victory At Sea | Ballast Point Brewing (Miramar, Little Italy): This exquisite coffee-and-vanilla imperial porter is so beloved it has its own day in December, featuring myriad one-off editions.