Hello Nickel Beer Fans!

San Diego is going to be sweltering this weekend, but temperatures will be much cooler up in the mountains with highs around 80 degrees.  It might not exactly feel like fall, but it is going to feel cool by comparison.  The late afternoon/early evening time has been perfect to enjoy a beer on the patio the last few days.  But enough about how nice it is up here, let’s get to the important stuff – the beer.

For this weekend Devil’s Copper is back on tap.  It is our Centennial hopped rye red ale and it is tasting great.  The new Pearfect Apple Pie Ale is on tap as well.  This version of the Apple Pie beer was made with a combination of local Hyslop crab apples and pears grown on the brewery property.  We have about two dozen pear trees at the brewery and while most of them went into the beer, we did send some over to the folks at Julian Cider Works who are fermenting the fruit into pear cider.  I am hoping to serve the fermented pear cider at O’Brien’s towards the end of the year.  Julian Cider Works will have its grand opening next weekend on Saturday the 17th. For more info on that, visit: http://julianciderworks.com/

Be sure to show up hungry on Saturday the 10th.  We’ll have the popular Taco Cart back serving up street tacos from 12-5 pm.  The Candied Apple is delivering food from 12-6 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the brewery as well with a menu featuring pizzas, salads and sandwiches.  And you are always welcome to bring your own food to enjoy on our patio.

The Chargers play the Steelers at 5:30 pm on Monday the 12th.  We’ll be open until the end of the game.  At 5:30 pm we will be putting in an order with the Candied Apple for food delivery.  And since Monday is a holiday for some (Columbus Day) we will be opening at Noon instead of 2 pm making our Monday hours on the 12th Noon-8:30 pm.  The next Charger game will be Sunday the 18th at 1:25 pm against the Packers.

Down the Hill

You will be able to find our wet hop line up at O’Brien’s next week for the pub’s 13th Wet Hop Beer Festival.  We’ll be sending down Star B Pale, My Way IPA, Green Truck DIPA and Blair’s Not Bitter for the event.  I am thinking that the beers will be on tap Thursday night, the 15th, but check out O’Brien’s on Facebook for the latest update: https://www.facebook.com/obrienspubsd

Hamilton’s Tavern in South Park will be tapping a cask of Blair’s Not Bitter on Friday the 16th as part of their anniversary celebrations.

I am making a few plans for San Diego Beer Week with Nickel Beer.  On Tuesday, November 10th I will be at Ballast Point Miramar for the Home Brew Mart Reunion, bringing those of us who worked at Home Brew Mart and are now head brewers together with some of our beers on tap.  Saturday the 14th I will be teaming up with Bagby Beer Co. and Port Brewing/Lost Abbey for the 3 Amigos Day at O’Brien’s featuring beer from all 3 breweries.  We will also be featuring our first sour collaboration and some barrel aged Stonewall Stout and Kupfernickel Barleywine at O’Brien’s during Beer Week.  And though I don’t have a date for it, we will be sending some beer to West Coast BBQ and Brew in La Mesa including the Bourbon/Rye Barrel Aged Stonewall Stout.

That is your Nickel Beer news for now.  Look for the Saludos Saison, a collaboration with Ballast Point, on tap later this month.  And if you come up looking for local apples to take home, try Wynola Flats Produce.  It is on Highway 78 between Julian and Jeremy’s on the Hill in Wynola.  Cheers, Tom