Bottlecraft Featured in BeerAdvocate

North Park is arguably the city’s most prolific beer neighborhood. Its walkable streets make it easy to hop from one brewpub to the next along 30th Street, known locally as the Best Beer Street in America. Start at Blind Lady Ale House for farm-to-table pizza and a rotating draft list, then head south from Adams Avenue, stopping at Fall Brewing Company for punk rock-themed art and brews. The converted mechanic’s garage-turned-tasting room exudes a DIY feel and a rotating cast of food trucks park here nightly. If that doesn’t appeal, the “coffee & beer” shop Young Hickory serves up an assortment of panini sandwiches alongside more than 30 local and national beer brands by the can, including its first collaboration with Mason Ale Works.

Rip Current Brewing in North Park is the mid-city outpost of the San Marcos-based brewery named Very Small Brewery of the Year at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival. Try the hop-forward Lupulin Lust Double IPA or the complex Rescue Buoy Russian Imperial Stout. Better yet, get a flight and then grab a bite from Sublime, the in-house eatery known for its eclectic menu including beer-battered fish tacos, lumpia, and French fries smothered in short ribs and bacon beer gravy.

From there, cross 30th Street again to Toronado for a pint from off-the-beaten-path local favorites like Abnormal Beer Company, Second Chance Beer Company, Burning Beard Brewing, or Alpine. Its 56 taps are dedicated to the finest independent brews from California and beyond, and its bottle list often includes hard-to-find releases at reasonable prices. Plus, if it’s Pliny the Younger season (i.e. February), it’s usually a safe bet that Toronado will have a keg.

Around the corner on University Avenue is North Park Beer Company, the brainchild of prodigious homebrewer Kelsey McNair. His renowned American IPA Hop-Fu! pairs well with the various meat dishes provided by Mastiff Sausage Company’s permanent taproom kitchen. A rotating assortment of guest beers, wine, cider, and kombucha are offered here, too.

After perusing the tip-top beer selection (or even imbibing a taster flight) at Bottlecraft on the busy corner of 30th and University, proceed toward Modern Times’ tasting room, complete with a mural of Yoda comprised of floppy discs.

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