Brewery Pilgrimage

Last night our houseguests and friends Laura and Andre drove to the AleSmith Brewery in Mira Mesa. The company’s Pale Ale 394 had caught the attention of my palette, and I was anxious to try this brew again. I was expecting to find a small tasting room, but such was not the case. The warehouse in which the brewery was located provided an enormous room with chairs and tables for the many patrons who were there sampling the different products that AleSmith makes. The operation was dog friendly, and there were several on the premises accompanying their masters.

Andre suggested we go to the Ballast Point brewery a short distance away to get  supper. Upon arriving at the new brewery, I couldn’t believe the number of cars in the lot. The place was packed, and there was an hour wait indoors. We opted for immediate seating on the terrace, which warmed by heaters, was fine. I had a Sculpin IPA with my burger. Our waiter, Troy, knew a lot about the Ballast Point products, and it was fun to talk with him.

After dinner we went through the on site gift shop and gazed at the huge copper vats in the beer making part of the brewery, before heading out and driving north to our homes.