08/17/2025
Gene’s Picks of The Week!
Pizza Port / Tarantula Hill - Ultimate Rush
West Coast IPA, 7.0%
This beer debuted at Pizza Port only this last Friday the 8th. We tapped a keg immediately upon its arrival at Bottlecraft North Park; it is sitting behind me in the kegerator as I write these words, so please believe me when I say that this is an excellent and very fresh West Coast IPA. A veritable cornucopia of hops can be found in the mix (*deep breath*): Chinook, Columbus, Nectaron, Nelson, Simcoe & Waimea. Dank resinous tones and healthy carbonation make for another terrific IPA from Pizza Port, in conjunction with Tarantula Hill.
Human People - Piknik Pils
Alpine-Style Pilsner, 4.3%
The region surrounding Žalec in central Slovenia is dedicated wholeheartedly to growing hops - indeed, the familiar green cone even appears on the town's flag! I paid a visit two years ago and made sure to spend a couple of hours at the hops museum, which boasts incredible black-and-white footage of historic harvests. This outstanding beer from our friends at Human People in Seattle has aromas of pollinating wildflower, fresh grass and clean Alpine air.
Aecht Schlenkerla - Helles Märzen
Rauchbier, 4.5%
In northeastern Franconia lies the town of Bamberg, with more breweries per capita than San Diego. Beyond that incredible density of beer is a style specific to the area, wherein malt is smoked before being added to the boil. As with any perishable food, the use of smoke acts as a preservative and adds wondrous savory campfire aromas to the final beer as well. The brewery most famous outside of the region for this technique is unquestionably Aecht Schlenkerla, whose Fraktur font and proud championing of Rauchbier (literally: smoke beer) make it a lodestone for fans of smoke. This special release starts life as their Helles, a pale low-ABV lager that is made without the addition of Rauchmalz - but after lagering is kräusened by the addition of their flagship Märzen! The result is a gently smoky amber lager for the waning days of summer. Prost!
