Review: Karl Strauss Brewing Company

I was in San Diego a few weeks ago for the NECC conference. I make it a habit to search out brew pubs or beer bars when on business trips, so I checked BeerFly for places within a few miles of my hotel. The flagship Karl Strauss brewery turned out to be within a couple of blocks. I was really impressed with the beers here. Their Windansea Wheat was a great representation of a hefe. My inner hophead has been rearing its head lately, and it was not disappointed with either of their two pale ales: the Stargazer IPA or the seasonal Pin Tail Pale Ale (sorry, no link available).

While I was there, my waitress told me that the next day they would be tapping a firkin of a special dry-hopped edition of the Stargazer IPA. I headed back the next day and was really impressed! I'm a huge fan of cask-conditioned ales and this Stargazer topped the standard offering. And I was able to meet and talk with Adam Ball, one of the brewers at that site. Adam took time out to tell me more about KS brewing and the West Coast scene. I only regret that Karl Strauss beers aren't available in the Midwest!

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