X Squared

San Diego’s Karl Strauss has added some math to their Tower 10 IPA with the release of Tower X² Double IPA on draft and in 16-oz cans.  The new variant is an 8.5% ABV bringing it in 1.2% higher than Tower X West Coast IPA.

Per tasting notes, “Tower X² has elevated notes of citrus and pine, a medium body, and a dry finish with a lingering citrus hop bitterness. Tower X was originally named in honor of collaboration partner 91X FM Radio and Karl Strauss’ origin story from Tower 10 in Mission Beach in 1989.”

San Diego Area Brewery Tour # 1 – Hoponymous Brewing

Cribbing from the Winners column from the recent San Diego Beer News Awards, let’s travel to the greater San Diego area and sample some award winning beer, starting with Hoponymous Brewing.

Hoppin’ Pils NZ Pilsner – “a NZ Dry-Hopped Pilsner that leaps with lively hop character, blending New Zealand’s unique hop varieties into a crisp, refreshing pilsner with a twist of bold aromatics and a clean finish.”

Leaving Without Saying Goodbye – “an Irish Red Ale, combines a smooth, malty flavor with a hint of caramel for a quietly complex farewell.”

Gal Fawkes NZ West Coast IPA – “by the Hop Girls, is a revolutionary brew that ignites with vibrant New Zealand hops, offering a spark of tropical and citrus flavors against a backdrop of crisp, clean bitterness.”

What You Need West Coast IPA – “delivers a crisp, hop-forward journey, balancing piney bitterness with a clean, dry finish—the quintessential brew for those seeking the essence of the coast.”

San Diego Spider

Tarantula Hill Brewing is making a big leap to the San Diego area, San Marcos specifically as the Thousand Oaks based brewery will utilize the space once used by the Draft Republic restaurant.  This news was first broken by Brandon Hernandez at SD Beer News.

Will an outer rim of L.A. brewery fly in San Diego County?

Cuckoo for Coconut

I would not have thought to brew with a whole different water but San Diego’s NOVA Easy Kombucha has pivoted to their first beer, “Beach Lager.” This small-batch pilot beer is brewed using coconut water.

I would be interested to see what this ingredient swap would do for a stout or smoothie style beer.