SAN DIEGO -- A 2010 headline in San Diego magazine blared that its eponymous city was America's Beer Capital. An afternoon of leisured beer consumption at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres and host of the 2016 All-Star festivities, provides no cause to object.
For the 2016 All-Star Game, Petco Park features more than 40 different varieties of locally brewed craft beer. The Stone and Ballast Point breweries are the flagships of the San Diego scene, but it runs much deeper than that. You are being told this in a space normally devoted to baseball because on Sunday this scribe and his colleague Matt Snyder were treated to a Petco Park beer tasting. While our basest urges begged us to quaff deeply of all 40 or so pleasing concoctions, our deeper sense of propriety and love of ongoing employment compelled us otherwise.
In any event, come with us, won't you, as we authoritatively power-rank best of Petco Park's local craft beers that this guy right here tasted on Sunday at the 19 Club inside the Padres' home ball-yard ...
1. Mission IPA (Mission Brewery)
Style: American Indian Pale Ale | Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.80%
Pretty classic San Diego beer right here. As IPAs go, it's not too hoppy, which is why I like it. It's got some fruit notes to it but nothing overpowering. Nice summer drinking.
2. Solis Occasus - Grapefruit (Mike Hess Brewing)
Style: American Indian Pale Ale | Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.50%
I'm not a huge IPA guy, and I'm typically not fond of fruit-flavored beers, but this one really works well. Light, crisp, and interesting without tasting the least bit "syrupy." Could I pound 10 of these? I'm responsible, so of course not. But yes.
3. Mermaid's Red Ale (Coronado Brewing Company)
Style: American Amber/Red Ale | Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.70%
I enjoy amber ales, so Mermaid's Red was all right all right all right with me. There's a little hint of caramel in what was probably the smoothest beer of the day.
4. Sculpin IPA (Ballast Point Brewing)
Style: American Indian Pale Ale | Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.00%
Props to San Diego for churning out the IPAs that don't dominate your palate with hops. See that fish on the bottle? I would eat that fish.
5. Arrogant Bastard Ale (Arrogant Brewing)
Style: American Strong Ale | Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.20%
Well, it's definitely got the best packaging. If you like bitter but not hoppy-bitter, then this is the ale for you.
6. Chronic Ale (Pizza Port Solana Beach)
Style: American Amber/Red Ale | Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.95%
A little malty, which is a good thing, but overall a bit too light for me.
7. Aurora Hoppyalis IPA (Karl Strauss Brewing)
Style: American Indian Pale Ale | Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.00%
This is a more traditional-tasting IPA. It was good, but the IPAs ahead of it are more my speed.
8. Pineapple Sculpin (Ballast Point Brewing Company)
Style: American Indian Pale Ale | Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.00%
I was predisposed not to like this one because the pineapple branding made me think of downing a can of Dole fruit cocktail. It's definitely not fruit-dominant, though, and I can see doing some damage to these in warmer weather.
In conclusion: Beer, nom, nom, nom, beer!
