Last Sunday I had the opportunity of visiting the Karl Strauss brewery/grill in San Diego, CA. With a beautiful façade, I felt like I was stepping into the outfield of a baseball stadium. One would think this brewery is rather recent but it actually dates back to 1980; formally, though, it opened in 1989.

It takes its name from its founder, Karl Strauss, born in Germany and who was a qualified Master Brewer. He started his career at the Pabst Brewing Company in 1939; when he retired, he left the company with the high reputation he himself had forged in the 44 years that he worked for them. But that wasn't the professional end for Mr. Strauss, after that he was a brewery consultant all through the world until 1986, when one of his cousins encouraged him to start his own microbrewery. Strauss liked the idea and he started building it from scratch. He was very passionate about his new project and that's how he was a master brewer, but more than that, a leader; and he continued to be so until the year 2006, when he passed away.

A warm, pleasant atmosphere greets you as you enter the brewery, far from the cold outside and the rain that fell on the other side of the window. When we were seated, the friendly waiter gave us the menu and asked us what kind of beer we would like to drink. My cousin, who had told me how much he liked Dos Equis, (but just the "normal one" asked me which one I recommended. I chose two of the lightest they offered.

The first one was a Lager called Endless Summer Light, very similar to a Vienna Lager; then a Woodie Gold, a Pilsner. He decided on the Woodie Gold and they served it in a tall glass, a classic presentation for German wheat beers. He loved it, by the way. I started with –I really wanted one- an Off the Rails Imperial Red Ale ABV 8% which is the extreme version of the Red Trolley. Red color with a hint of caramel, a strong flavor of toasted malt; rather sweet to the taste but very well balanced, no element overshadows another, well, maybe the caramel did. The hop was on the marked side but very contained, it had a stronger flavor than its predecessor but still very easy to drink. You wouldn't notice its ABV.

For my second drink I had the Tower IPA in mind, but then noticed a Flanders Red Ale in the menu, which seemed odd. From the signs inside the restaurant I realized that it was a special release, only on tap; the waiter told me that it had a very good chance of being bottled. I chose to order it and it arrived served in a very pretty glass. Upon smelling it I noticed the classic acidic aroma of this type of brew. A great beer, very well balanced, neither extremely sweet-and-sour nor did it ever lose its taste. The only one that comes to mind if I try to compare it is Duchesse of Bourgogne, only this one has a stronger flavor and is more robust; but it's not bad to be Karl Strauss' first time, in my opinion it was a success.

As a third choice I finally asked for the Tower 10 IPA, with a citrus and pine aroma, an average bitterness; low key fruit tones with a finishing touch of caramel and dry at the same time. A typical IPA and a very easy to drink one, too. About this time we ordered a plate of nachos that turned out to be impressive: cheese, black beans, a generous amount of chicken, jalapeños… a great appetizer, really.

The waiter was really attentive, with every order we placed he explained us the beer, some story about it, he always asked us if we needed help with anything or had any doubts about any of the beers; the staff was amazing. Our waiter told us they had the Beer-To-Go promotion.

The bottles are black and very well designed, I can't recall their exact capacity but I estimate they were around a gallon. These bottles cost $5 USD but you can go any day of the week and they'll refill them for $9 refill on special releases are $12; a great bargain. I can see myself coming home from work, making a quick stop at the brewery and in two minutes I have my gallon of beer. Perfect.

To finish off I'll leave you with something Karl Strauss used to say and that definitely reflects its passion for the art of a good brew.

"My life's work has been brewing and if I had to do it over again, I would pursue the same path, which is to say I have no regrets."

info@b1mas4.com

Translation: Karen.balderas@sandiegored.com