Gene’s Picks of The Week! September 24th, 2026 

1) Highland Park – Baseball
Pale Lager, 5.0%

A self-described “sports lager”, Baseball is a core beer from the unparalleled Highland Park Brewing in Los Angeles. Though they are headquartered in the eponymous neighborhood, in the storied Hermosillo, Highland Park also has a location near Chinatown and thus also very close by to the baseball stadium. Baseball is a delightful, unfussy lager – bright, crisp and easily enjoyed in multiples. Play ball!

2) Weihenstephaner – Festbier
Festbier, 5.8%

Easily the most anticipated seasonal release from the self-described “oldest brewery in the world” (claiming nearly a thousand years of brewing tradition), Festbier is brewed in the Wies’n style. How does this differ from the hitherto predominant Märzen? Glad you asked! Both contain pilsner and Munich malts, but whereas Märzens have a higher proportion of Munich (imparting that lovely toasty bready nuttiness), for Wies’ns it is the other way around. This makes for an ideal pale strong lager for the late summer into early autumn. We will be featuring this beer on draft at Bottlecraft North Park this upcoming Saturday the 26th, with the option to keep a handsome half-liter stein emblazoned with the Weihenstephaner coat of arms. Prost!

3) de Garde – The Petria Réserve
Sour Ale, 7.0%

The coastal Oregon town of Tillamook is not merely the site of a beloved creamery renowed for its cheddar and ice cream. For sour beer aficionados, it is also a place to drink a bewildering array of spontaneously fermented ales at de Garde Brewing. Only certain beers make their way as far south as San Diego, and only sporadically. The Petria Réserve is one of those ineffable beer/wine hybrids, having added a healthy dose of aromatic Riesling grapes atop a sour ale that had been aged in oak barrels for a full three years.

Cheers!