Coronado Brewing Company Sampler

My first visit to Coronado Brewing Company was in 2000, when I was in town for a meeting at the Hotel del Coronado. A couple of weeks ago in late May, ten years after that first visit,  I was stoked to be back — back in Coronado, back at The Del, and of course, back at Coronado Brewing Company (CBC).

CBC is definitely worth a stop when touring the beer scene in San Diego, especially if you are lucky enough to stay at the Hotel del Coronado, where I stayed for four nights. The brewery restaurant is only a 20 minute walk or 5 minute cab ride from the hotel.

I visited CBC twice during my trip. My first night in town, Todd, Javier, and I walked off our dinner at The Del with a stroll to CBC. We sat outside on the small patio, where I enjoyed a beer sampler that included:

• Islander IPA, a decently hopped IPA (7%)
• Coronado Golden, a typical Golden Ale brewed for the masses (5.4%)
• Orange Avenue Wit, described as a California-style Wit, brewed with California orange peel and local orange blossom honey (5.2%)
• Mermaid’s Red Ale, a well-balanced, drinkable Red Ale (5.7%)
• Irish Stout, a roasty, dark and delicious Stout (5.4%)

Having sampled the year-round house beers on my first visit, I wanted something different on my second visit, and I found it in the BBQ Brown. I knew I was in for a treat when I ordered a pint of the BBQ Brown and the waitress asked me if I wanted to taste it first. I didn’t waste my time with a taster because a pint of beer was well overdue. The BBQ Brown was a beautiful dark ruby-brown. The taste was smokey malt with a strong alcohol profile – not a surprise considering the 8.5% ABV. I was glad I tried this beer, though I didn’t order a second, choosing an Islander IPA instead.

In addition to the Coronado Brewing Company beers, during my trip to San Diego I logged:

• Stone IPA, Stone Brewing Company, Escondido, CA
• Amber Lager and Tower Ten IPA, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
• Yellowtail Pale Ale, Ballast Point Brewing Company, San Diego, CA

The San Diego area is easily one of my favorite craft beer destinations. Led by Stone Brewing Company and Port Brewing Company, it’s the home of many excellent brewers. For more details on all of the great breweries in and around San Diego, visit the San Diego Brewers Guild Web Site. Or read the excellent Food & Wine article about Exploring San Diego’s Craft Beer Scene.