Hello Nickel Beer Fans!

I have a few quick updates from our last email.  This weekend we are going to tap both of our mead (honey wine) blends done with Redstone Meadery.  The Leap of Passion Mead/IPA blend did not make it through the weekend last time we tapped it so I have blended up nearly a full keg for this weekend in hopes that it will last longer.  It is a blend of our 100% German-hopped Leap Day IPA and Redstone’s Passion Fruit Mead.  The result has both IPA and honey wine flavors with layers of fruit and melon woven in.

Also on tap this weekend will be Redstonewall Stout – a blend of our Stonewall Stout with a Vanilla Cinnamon Mead.  The blend reminds me of Horchata with big cinnamon and vanilla aromas and just the right amount of sweet roast in the finish.  Look for both of these unique beers to be on tap by 4 pm on Friday the 20th.  This time I expect both to last through at least Monday.

Brew at Nickel

Have you ever wanted to participate in a brew day at a brewery?  Well now you can.  We are partnering with the Volcan Mountain Foundation for a charity brew day.  The brew day will be Sunday, June 12th and it will run from roughly 9 am until 1 pm.  We will be brewing a new, as of yet unnamed beer to release in July at a special party with the Volcan Mountain Foundation.  Participants will get to be involved in all aspects of the brew day and lunch will be provided.  When the beer is finished you will get a 64 oz growler to go and an invite to the VIP release party.  The cost is $100 and all of that money goes directly to the Volcan Mountain Foundation.  You can sign up at the Volcan Mountain Foundation website: http://www.volcanmt.org/events/fundraiser/brew-day-nickel-beer-company-tom-nickel.  It is limited to 8 spots and already 4 have been sold so if you are interested, please sign up soon.

Stay tuned for the announcement of what we will be brewing.  The release party will be Saturday, July 9th at 5 pm.  You can sign up to be a part of the release of this new beer at: http://volcanmt.org/events/fundraiser/vmf-nickel-beer-company-vip-release-party.

Last Sips

Tonight, Thursday the 19th, O’Brien’s Pub in Kearny Mesa will be tapping a cask of Hopster Douchebag Double IPA with Mosaic Hops at 5 pm.  I just brewed a new batch of Constantine’s Russian Imperial Stout and when it is ready we will be selling growlers to-go.  Look for Tahoma IPA on tap next week by Wednesday the 25th.  Our annual Penalty Shot Pale will be out by June 1st, just in time for the start of the Copa America Centennario taking place in the USA.  And speaking of annual brews, Weekender Wheat is coming up next in the brew schedule and will be on tap in early June.

We will be pouring beers at the San Diego International Beer Festival at the San Diego County Fair on June 17th-19th.  You can find out more about the fest and get tickets at: http://sandiegobeerfestival.com/.  I will be on the FM 94.9 Rock and Roll Happy Hour promoting the festival on Friday, June 3rd from 7-8 pm.  Look for the popular Taco Cart to be serving up fantastic street tacos on Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend.  And we just res-stocked all of our brewery merchandise including hats, sweatshirts, tank tops and t-shirts.

That is your brewery news for now.  We’ll see you soon for a great Julian brewed beer.

ALESMITH TOPS AGAIN AT CONTEST

S.D. International Beer Festival names local brewery champion for second year in a row

BY PETER ROWE

Brewers talk of being “dialed in,” meaning they’ve mastered the intricacies of a beer or brewing system. Or, in AleSmith’s case, the annual San Diego International Beer Festival competition.

For the second straight year, the Miramar company was named Friday as the festival’s champion brewery. This encore is more impressive than the initial victory, as the 2016 competition featured a record number of breweries (254) and beers (1,374). AleSmith’s Nut Brown Ale took a gold medal; its Horny Devil and Olde Ale, silvers; and a bronze went to Old Numbskull. The competition, now in its 10th year, draws entries from across the United States and the world. This year, more than a quarter of the 159 medals were awarded to San Diego County breweries.

Of those 41 medals, 23 were gold. They include:

• Mandarin Nectar, Alpine Beer

• Nut Brown Ale, AleSmith Brewing

• Funk # Four, Aztec Brewing

• Three Sheets Barley Wine, Ballast Point Brewing- HomeBrewMart

• Viva La Beaver, Belching Beaver Brewery

• Rasbiscus Mead, Breakwater Brewing

• Sour Superintendent, Division 23 Brewing

• Shut Up Wesley Wheat, Intergalactic Brewing

• Claritas, Mike Hess Brewing

• Mighty Joe Young, Monkey Paw Brewing

• Mother Earth ESB, Mother Earth Brew Co.

• Pure & Simple IPA and Pacific Storm Stout, New English Brewing Co.

• Constantine’s Russian Imperial Stout, Nickel Beer

• Shark Bite Red, Pizza Port-Bressi Ranch

• Short Schwartz, Pizza Port-Carlsbad

• Dawn Patrol Dark, Port Brewing Co.

• Breakline Bock and Black Lagoon Scottish Strong, Rip Current Brewing

• Scottish Ale, Saint Archer Brewery

• San Diego IPA, San Diego Brewing Co.

• The Coachman, Societe Brewing Co.

• Bramble On Rose, Toolbox Brewing Co.

Angry Orchard Cider Co. of Walden, N.Y., was named champion meadery/cidery.

The “Best of Show” beer will be announced June 18, during the June 17-19 festival at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

peter.rowe@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1227

Hello Nickel Beer Fans!

We won two medals at the San Diego International Beer Competition last month.  The Constantine’s Russian Imperial Stout took a gold medal in the Imperial Stout category and our latest blending project with Redstone Meadery (Boulder, CO) – a blend of our Leap Day IPA with Redstone Passion Fruit Mead – took bronze in the Specialty Mead category.  Mead is a honey wine, so the beer has melon and citrus IPA notes along with honey and passion fruit.  It is a very unique beverage.  Both of these award winning beers will be on tap this weekend starting when we open on Friday at 11;30 am.

Quantities of both beers are limited so there will be no to go sales.  However, I am brewing a new batch of Constantine’s Imperial Stout this month and we will be offering growlers to go when that batch is ready in June.  And I have both a Rye Whiskey and a Bourbon barrel aging with the Imperial Stout to release later this year.

If you can’t make it in this weekend, both beers will be on tap at O’Brien’s next weekend along with other medal winners from the San Diego International Beer Competition.  There were 1356 entries in the competition from 28 states and 15 countries.  There will be a festival featuring beers from the competition during the San Diego County Fair on June 17, 18 and 19.  We will be pouring our beer at the fest as well.  For more information on the festival and the competition winners, check out: http://sandiegobeerfestival.com/.  All of the winners should be posted by Friday the 6th.

Cinco de Mayo

To help celebrate Cinco de Mayo you can enjoy our Jalapeno Back Country Gold tonight at O’Brien’s in Kearny Mesa, West Coast Barbecue and Brew in La Mesa and in our tasting room in Julian.  Both O’Brien’s and West Coast will have Mexican food specials to pair with the Jalapeno Gold.  And if you love our Nickel Pickels, they are served with every burger at O’Brien’s and both places run food specials with the pickels.

And speaking of Mexican food, the popular Taco Cart will be back over Memorial Day weekend cooking up tasty street tacos on Saturday and Sunday, May 28th and 29th.

We will also be serving up the Jalapeno Back Country Gold at the re-scheduled Rhythm and Brews Festival in Vista on Saturday, May 14th and at the San Diego International Beer Festival on June 17th-19th.

Julian Events

This weekend we will be open normal hours on Mother’s Day.  And if you bring mom up, there is a wildflower show at the Julian Town Hall – it is in the downstairs area accessed on the side or the back of the building.

In June, there will be two big music events held at Menghini Winery just 3 miles west of the brewery.  The Julian Dance will be Saturday, June 11th from 2-10 pm with The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash headlining the all day music fest.  It is put on by the Sons of the American Legion and all the money raised goes to charitable causes around Julian.  The following weekend will be the annual Julian Blues Bash on the 18th.  For more information on events around town, visit the Julian Chamber of Commerce website at: http://visitjulian.com/.

We will be pouring beers at both events.  You can count on the Devil’s Copper to be on tap both weekends.  The Blues Bash should also feature the Back Country Gold and Julian Pale Ale.

That is your Nickel Beer News for now.  We’ll see you soon for a great award winning Julian brewed beer.  Cheers, Tom

Hello Nickel Beer Fans!

We have a number of things going on this week for St. Patrick’s Day both up in Julian and down the hill in San Diego.  I also have news on the upcoming Taste of Julian in April and the Rhythm and Brews Festival in Vista.

Tapping Today

At the tasting room we now have 3 versions of the C.C. O’Neill’s Irish Red on tap in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  C.C. O’Neill’s is named for my very Irish bar owning great grandfather who lived in Minnesota in the early 1900s.  We have the regular draft version and a keg tapped on nitrogen – the same way that Guinness Stout is dispensed – giving the beer a creamy head and a smooth finish.  For the third version, I took charred oak chips and soaked them in whiskey for two weeks before adding the whiskey addled oak chips to a keg of the beer.  The effect is subtle but unmistakable with a pleasant woodsy-vanilla flavor in the finish that leaves a hint of whiskey aftertaste.  All 3 versions will be available when we open at 2 pm today.  We also have Stonewall Stout, Filthy Paws Porter and our Constantine’s Russian Imperial Stout for those looking for something dark.

Down the hill we will have a Nickel Beer Night at West Coast Barbecue and Brew in La Mesa featuring Volcan IPA, Devil’s Copper and C.C. O’Neill’s Irish Red.  West Coast will be tapping a 5 gallon keg of the Whiskey Soaked Oak Chip Irish Red on Thursday for St. Patrick’s Day.  There will be Corned Beef and Cabbage plates with mashed potatoes on Thursday to pair up with our beer.

Also happening this evening, O’Brien’s Pub will tap a keg of Constantine’s Russian Imperial Stout at 5 pm.  The pub has a keg of C.C. O’Neill’s for Thursday along with the only cask version of the Whiskey Soaked Oak Chip Irish Red.  Look for lots of Corned Beef Specials from O’Brien’s including a Reuben with Nickel Pickels.

In addition, we will have Irish Red on tap at Jeremy’s on the Hill and Hamilton’s Tavern in South Park on Thursday the 17th.

Beer Dinner

Speaking of Jeremy’s, we will be partnering up with them for a family-style beer dinner on Friday the 18th featuring a complete Corned Beef, Cabbage and Potatoes meal with a Bailey’s Irish Cream Mouse for dessert.  There will be lots of sides and specials during the meal.  We will be pouring 4 beers – Irish Red, Stonewall Stout, Apple Pie Ale and since it is San Diego we will have Volcan IPA.  The dinner with beer inclusive is just $35 and starts around 6 pm.  Our friend Donn Bree will be providing live music for the meal.  For reservations or more information, please call Jeremy’s on the Hill at 760-765-1587.

Coming Up

This weekend we are going to tap a keg of our 2015 Barrel Aged Kupfernickel Barleywine on Saturday.  The barleywine was aged in a Bourbon barrel that contained 36% Rye Whiskey giving the beer flavors of both spirits.  It has been a little while since we had this on tap in the tasting room and I am very excited to see how it is tasting.  As an added bonus, we will be offering 32 oz growler fills of the barleywine while the keg lasts.

There is a new delivery service in Julian named Orange Crate that is delivering food from four local restaurants – Jeremy’s on the Hill, Wynola Pizza, Candied Apple and Carmen’s.  The service is operating Friday, Saturday and Sunday so you can now get food from any one of those four places delivered to you at the brewery.  You can check it out at: https://www.myorangecrate.com/.

We will be participating in two upcoming events down the hill.  On Saturday, April 9th we will have beer at the Rhythm and Brews Festival in historic downtown Vista.  The music and beer event will run from 1-4 pm with a VIP ticket that gets you in an hour early.  For tickets and more info, please visit: http://www.sdrhythmandbrews.com/.  This Saturday the 19th we will have Jalapeno Gold at the San Diego Latino Film Festival which is hosting a beer garden in Fashion Valley.  You can get more info here: http://sdlatinofilmfestival.com/.

The annual Taste of Julian is coming up on Saturday, April 9th.  It is a self guided tour through Julian’s restaurants and tasting rooms that gives a bite or sip of what each is doing.  We offer up 3 oz beer samples with a selection of our Nickel Pickel treats.  The Taste goes from 1-5 pm on the 9th and tickets are $25 if purchased in advance.  Free parking is available for the event.  This is a great way to see what Julian has to offer and to taste beer, cider and wine all in one day.  Ticket info and general information can be found at: http://julian-california.com/to-see-do/special-events/taste-of-julian/.

Last Sips

I will have a new IPA out soon named Leap Day IPA – it was brewed on February 29th.  It is 100% German hopped using Polaris to bitter and German Blanc for flavor, finish and dry hopping.  It has a unique citrus/melon flavor profile.  I am hoping to have it on tap in the next 10 days – I will post on our Facebook page when it is ready to go.  We have lots of Nickel Pickels for sale right now.  In addition to our regular Spicy Dill and Garlic we have Chipotle Pickels, Bread and Butter Pickel Slices, Spicy Carrots and Pickeled Spicy Green Beans and Asparagus.  Finally, I have to say congratulations to Lindsey who took SIX ribbons in the Julian Daffodil show this past weekend.  The Daffodils are in bloom all over Julian, be sure to enjoy them while they last.

That is your Nickel Beer news for now.  Be sure to toast St. Patrick this Thursday.  We’ll see you soon for a great Julian brewed beer.  Cheers, Tom

Hello Nickel Beer Fans!

Our new Imperial Stout is now on tap in the tasting room – Constantine’s Russian Imperial Stout.  The beer is pitch black and 9.4% alcohol with strong coffee and roast flavors along with hints of molasses and smoke in the finish.  The beer was named for Russian artist Constantine Cherkas who lived in Julian from 1989 until his passing in 2011.  He and his wife are both buried in the Julian Cemetary.

You will have to enjoy the Imperial Stout in the tasting room as we are not selling it to go right now.  A good portion of the batch went into Bourbon and Rye Whiskey barrels so there is not as much beer as there would be in a normal batch.  A nitrogen tapped version will be on at some later point but not until at least the week after St. Patrick’s Day.

Down the Hill

In addition to the tasting room in Julian you will be able to find the Imperial Stout on tap at Hamilton’s Tavern in South Park this evening.  The pub is doing a joint Nickel Beer and Chick Alek event.  They will have kegs of Apple Pie Ale, Larry’s Place IPA C.C. O’Neill’s Irish Red and Redstonewall Stout – our blend of Stonewall Stout with Redstone Vanilla Cinnamon Mead.  And I suspect that the second keg of the Irish Red that was ordered will find its way on tap for St. Patrick’s Day.

And Hamilton’s will be one of SEVEN places our beer is on tap around town.  We currently have kegs on tap at Jeremy’s on the Hill in Julian, West Coast Barbecue and Brew in La Mesa and 4 pubs along Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa – O’Brien’s, Soho (awesome Bourbon, Rye and Whiskey selection), Common Theory (conveniently right by So Cal Gun) and Shanghai Saloon (home of Dumpling Inn which I highly recommend eating at if you have never been).

In Julian

Next weekend is the annual Julian Daffodil Show on March 12th and 13th.  It is always an impressive display of flowers and there are hundreds of different types of Daffodils.  The show is in town hall and is open with no charge on both Saturday and Sunday.  If you come up to Julian it is certainly worth stopping by.

For St. Patrick’s Day I am preparing some special versions of C.C. O’Neill’s Irish Red.  We’ll have regular draft, nitrogen tapped and a keg that has whiskey soaked oak chips in it at the tasting room.  I made a cask with the whiskey soaked oak chips that will be tapped at O’Brien’s on the 17th.  And West Coast Barbecue and Brew will have a draft keg of the oak chip version also on the 17th.

Next month we will be participating in the annual Taste of Julian on Saturday, April 9th from 1-5 pm.  It is a self guided tour of Julian’s restaurants and beer, wine and cider tasting rooms.  Every place gives out a small sample to try and most places are easy walking distance in town.  There are a few spots, like the brewery and a few of the wineries that are driving distance and there are stops in Wynola, 3 miles southwest of Julian.  All of the money raised goes to support the Julian Chamber of Commerce and its events.  You can buy tickets and get more info at: http://julian-california.com/to-see-do/special-events/taste-of-julian/.

Finally, we are expecting some real winter weather at the end of this weekend and early next week.  On Monday the National Weather Service is calling for up to a foot snow above 5000 feet which means Mt. Laguna and Sunrise Highway should get significant snow.  You can follow the weather updates at: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=33.0786552&lon=-116.6019637&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Julian%2C%20CA%2092036%2C%20USA#.Vtn6stDGBCL.  Be careful on the roads no matter where you are as we are going to get some real rain from this storm.

That is your beer news from Julian for now.  We’ll see you soon for a great Julian brewed beer.  Cheers, Tom

Hello Nickel Beer Fans!

I have new beers, brewery events and some events down the hill to tell you about (including a rare cult favorite).  For you dark beer fans, the Filthy Paws Porter is back on tap and currently pouring on both regular draft and nitrogen (extra creamy finish).  This black beer has lots of dark chocolate notes with hints of smokey caramel.  It is rich and full flavored but only 5.5% alcohol making it easy to enjoy.  We’ll have a special version coming up over President’s Day weekend, but more on that later.

Super Sunday

This Sunday we will host our annual Super Bowl Potluck Party at the brewery.  We’ll have extra seating in the brewery and the game on both big screen TVs.  We’ll start setting up the food around 2 pm and the game kicks off at 3:30 pm.  Please bring a dish to share.  And if you are not into the game, the weather is going to be gorgeous with plenty of sunshine to enjoy on the patio, perhaps with a game of washers.  We’ll be open until just after the end of the game, probably around 8 pm on Sunday.

We will have some beer specials on Sunday in honor of the big game.  We will be offering $1 off growler fills all day long and 50 cents off any pint or large goblet of beer from 2 to Close.  We will also have pitcher specials for $15 and $19 from 2 to Close.  I have created an event page on Facebook, feel free to RSVP at: https://www.facebook.com/events/224749921192089/.  Stop by anytime and enjoy some great beer, yummy food and friendly company.

Holiday Weekend

Over the President’s Day/Valentine’s Day holiday weekend we will be open normal hours – 11:30 am to 8 pm on Friday and Saturday and 11:30 am to 7:30 pm on Sunday.  We will be expanding our hours on Monday the 15th as we will be open from Noon until 7:30 pm.

I will be serving up a special Cask Conditioned version of the Filthy Paws Porter over the weekend with Cacao Nibs which will give the beer an excellent chocolate flavor.  Cask conditioned beers are similar to nitrogen dispensed beers in that they have a lower carbonation level.  We will tap the cask Friday afternoon around 4 pm and have it on tap over the weekend while it lasts.  Since the quantity is limited we will not be selling any of it to go.  If you can’t make it by over the weekend, don’t worry, I do have a full nitrogen keg of the Cacao Nib Porter to tap at a different time and we’ll have a cask on tap down in San Diego.

Beer Around Town

Our collaboration with Bagby Beer Company in Oceanside is now on tap in the tasting room.  It is named Lion’s Pride Old Ale and it was brewed for the 22nd Anniversary of our pub O’Brien’s in Kearny Mesa.  It is a strong, dark old ale with lots of big malt flavors without being sweet in the finish.  It comes in at 9.5%.  In addition to the tasting room you can find it at O’Brien’s, West Coast Barbecue and Brew in La Mesa and Bagby Beer in Oceanside – and you can get growler fills of it at Bagby Beer.  Kegs will also be finding their way to the Toronado in North Park and Hamilton’s in South Park.

Speaking of West Coast Barbecue and Brew, we are getting ready to release Larry’s Place IPA for the pub’s 4th Anniversary this month.  The beer will be on tap in the tasting room by Wednesday the 10th and should be on tap at West Coast in La Mesa by the 12th.  It is light colored and just over 7% alcohol.  The beer was brewed with Columbus hops and a hop blend called Zythos.  The resulting beer has both piney/citrusy notes and a hint of pineapple in the aroma and flavor.  I for one am very much looking forward to having this unique IPA on tap.

We will have a small Nickel Beer Night with Larry’s Place IPA on Wednesday the 17th at West Coast BBQ.  We should have at least 3-4 beers on tap along with some Nickel themed food specials.  Hopefully they will be running the amazing Burnt Ends Beef Sandwich.  If you are not familiar with West Coast Barbecue and Brew and their 28 tap pub, check them out at: http://westcoastbbqandbrew.com/.  FYI, Larry is the name of the very friendly owner of the place.

On Thursday the 11th we will have a cask of the Filthy Paws Porter with Cacao Nibs on tap at O’Brien’s at 5 pm.  The pub will be doing a promo with Redstone Mead that night – the meadery we collaborated on Redstonewall Stout with (aka Horchata Stout).  It was a blend of Vanilla Cinnamon Mead with Stonewall Stout and it was amazing.  I have a very limited amount of this beer left and we will be rolling out one of the last kegs at O’Brien’s on the 11th.  It will be a surprise for Redstone Meadery owner David Myers who will be there that evening.  I will be tapping the rest at the tasting room in the near future though I have not set a date just yet.

Last Sips

I just brewed a new Imperial Stout this week that should be ready in 3-4 weeks.  It will be called Constantine’s Russian Imperial Stout after Russian artist Constantine Cherkas who moved to Julian in the 1980s.  You can find out more about him here: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2011/apr/13/russian-colorist-constantine-cherkas-dead-at-91/.  It should be just under 10% alcohol and full of massive roasted barley and coffee-like flavors.

We have some new merchandise items in the brewery – 50 caliber bullet bottle openers and 7.62 mm bullet key chain bottle openers.  These are made locally by Bullets 2 Bandages and they are very cool.  We also now have some black pull over logo sweatshirts.

For you pepper freaks out there, check out our Scorpion Pepper Jerky.  I love spicy food and this is certainly one of the hottest beef jerkys I have ever had – but oh so good.  The Scorpion Pepper is often rated as the second hottest pepper in the world behind the Carolina Reaper Pepper, it is about 4 times as hot as a habanero.

That is your Julian beer update for now.  We’ll see you soon for a great Nickel beer in the mountains.  Cheers, Tom

Hello Nickel Beer Fans!

We have had a great start to 2016 with the first piece of our expansion – a brand new brewing kettle – already in use.  I have now brewed two batches on it including the Filthy Paws Porter which I am hoping to have on tap by the end of the month.  We have new fermenters on the way as well that should be in place next month.  The new tanks will be bigger than the current fermenters, and there will be more of them, so hopefully you will find more of our beer down the hill in 2016.

New Beers

The new Fix It IPA is on tap now and tasting fantastic.  It is full of citrus and grapefruit flavors and highly drinkable at just 6.3%.  It is predominantly hopped with Crystal hops and also uses Amarillo and Simcoe.  This weekend we will tap a keg of the very popular Chocolate Vanilla Stonewall Stout on Friday the 15th.  We will be doing growler fills this weekend of the beer as well since it is being served on normal CO2 as opposed to the nitrogen tap.  And speaking of nitrogen, we have the last keg of our Blair’s Not Bitter Fresh Hop Ale on nitrogen right now.  We are also on the last keg of the Saison Saudos – though I am saving one to tap later this year.

This Weekend

We’ll have the NFL playoff games this weekend.  On Saturday we get Chiefs v. Patriots at 1:35 pm and then Packers v. Cardinals at 5:15 pm.  Sunday we will show the second half of the Seahawks v. Panthers game when we open at 11:30 am and then at 1:40 pm on Sunday it is the Steelers v. Broncos.  The Conference Finals will be on Sunday the 24th and we will be open for both of those games, the first one starts at noon.  On Sunday, February 7th we will host our annual Superbowl Potluck Party for the big game.

On Monday the 18 we will be opening at Noon for the MLK holiday.  The weather over the weekend is supposed to be quite nice with lots of sun and temperatures in the mid-50s.  It will be nice to finally have some decent weather to play washers out on the patio again.  Remember, you are always welcome to bring food to enjoy on the patio.  And Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Candied Apple delivers sandwiches, salads and pizzas to the brewery from 12-6 pm.

Down The Hill

Tonight, Thursday the 14th we are having a Nickel Beer Night at West Coast Barbecue and Brew in La Mesa.  There will be seven of our beers on tap including the Barrel Aged Kupfernickel Barleywine.  Also on tap will be Hopster Douchebag Double IPA, Fix It IPA, Tripp’s Tripel, C.C. O’Neill’s Irish Red, Apple Pie Ale and Stonewall Stout on nitrogen.  I believe that all of the beers will be on tap when West Coast opens at 11:30 am today.  In addition to great beer, look for food specials with our Nickel Beer Brats made by Don’s Market in Santa Ysabel.  I plan to be there around 5:30 pm for some great food and beer.

Also happening tonight, O’Brien’s Pub in Kearny Mesa will tap a cask of Hopster Douchebag at 5 pm.  Next week, O’Brien’s will tap a cask of Fix It IPA on Thursday the 21st.  We should have some draft beer on tap at O’Brien’s as well including the Apple Pie Ale.  O’Brien’s will also have a collaboration I did with Bagby Beer Company for the pub’s 22nd Anniversary.  It is a dark, strong Old Ale that is just under 10%.  It will be on tap at O’Brien’s Saturday night, the 16th at 5 pm.  It will also be on tap at Bagby Beer Company in Oceanside starting this weekend.  I will be bringing a keg up to the tasting room as well, check our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NickelBeerCompany/ to find out when it is on tap.  I am guessing by next weekend at the latest.  We will also be aging this beer in some Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon Barrels

If you pick up this week’s Reader, you will find a nice write up about the brewery.  Here is the link to the story online: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2016/jan/05/beer-sixty-miles-nickel-beer/.  We will have more of the sour and barrel aged beers mentioned in the article on tap again in the near future.

That is your Nickel Beer News for now.  We’ll see you soon for a great Julian brewed beer.  Cheers, Tom

Hello Nickel Beer Fans!

We have a lot of new beers and batches coming up in the next week including our first ever sour offering at the tasting room.  Sunday we will be open early with breakfast food delivered for brunch as the Chargers take on the Chiefs at 10 am.  And tonight you will be able to enjoy our beers at the Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park.  Read on for all of the delicious details.

On Tap

Today we will tap a new keg of Habanero Chinook IPA.  It has been a little while since we have had a Habanero IPA on tap.  The new batch of Chinook IPA is tasting great with lots of resiny pine flavors and aromas.  I have not yet even tasted the Habanero keg but I can tell you that the peppers smelled amazing while I was chopping them up.  I think this is going to be a particularly good keg of spicy IPA.  And the popular C.C. O’Neill’s Irish Red is back on tap and available to-go again.

Saturday the 12th we will tap our first ever sour beer at the brewery – Sour Wholly Crab! Apple Pie Ale.  It is a blend of sour golden ale with the Wholly Crab! Apple Pie.  The sour dominates the flavor but the apple flavor and aroma come through nicely.  We only have a 5 gallon keg so we won’t be selling any to go.  We’ll be doing 5 and 9 oz pours in the tasting room.  A new batch of the Apple Pie Ale is on tap.  In the middle of the apple season the apples are less tart and more balanced and that comes through in the beer with a very pleasant apple flavor this is just lightly sweet.  I have been saving a keg of each batch of Apple Pie Ale to tap when the final batch is ready next month.

Next weekend we’ll have Hopster Douchebag Double IPA back on tap along with regular Stonewall Stout.  The Hopster is conditioning with hops right now and it is tasting great.  It clocked in at 8.6% alcohol so it has plenty of punch but is still relatively easy drinking.  Right now in place of the regular stout we have the Barrel Aged version of the Stonewall Stout on tap.  The Barrel Aged Kupfernickel Barleywine is also on tap and at 11% it is a nice way to warm up on these colder mountain days.

Sunday the 13th we will open at 10 am for the Chargers v. Chiefs game.  Granny’s Kitchen will be delivering brunch and we’ll put the order in around 10:30 am for delivery just after 11 am.

Ales and Rails

Tonight, Friday the 11th I will be pouring beer at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum’s Ales and Rails event from 7-9 pm.  I grew up going to the Model Railroad Museum and was not going to pass up the opportunity to help support it with this festival.  We’ll have Apple Pie Ale and Irish Red pouring.  Julian Hard Cider, Societe Brewing and Intergalactic Brewing will also be there.  The event happens to be an ugly sweater party though I will not be wearing one.  You can find the complete details on the museum’s website and if you can’t make it, please consider making a donation: http://www.sdmrm.org/#/alesnrails/4590995550.

Holiday Hours

We will be opening a little earlier during the week over the holidays.  The brewery will be CLOSED on Christmas, December 25th but we will be open all other days.  We’ll have regular hours until Sunday, December 20th and then these will be our hours for the following two weeks:

Monday, 12/21:  12 pm – 7:30 pm (or end of the Monday Night Game)
Tuesday 12/22: 12 pm – 6 pm
Wednesday 12/23: 12 pm – 7 pm
Thursday 12/24: 12 pm – 5 pm
Friday 12/25: CLOSED
Saturday 12/26:  11:30 am – 8 pm (or end of Saturday Night NFL game)
Sunday 12/27:  11:30 am – 7:30 pm (or end of Sunday Night Football – last Sunday Night Game)

Monday 12/28:  12 pm – 7:30 pm (or end of the Monday Night Game – last Monday Night Game)
Tuesday 12/29:  12 pm – 6 pm
Wednesday 12/30:  12 pm – 7 pm
Thursday 12/31:  12 pm – 7:30 pm (may stay open until 8:30 pm depending on the crowd and college football playoff game)
Friday 1/1:  11:30 am – 8 pm
Saturday 1/2:  11:30 am – 8 pm
Sunday 1/3:  11:30 am – 7 pm

And though NFL Monday Night Football will end on the 28th, we will be open for the College Football National Championship game on Monday, January 11th.  Both semi-final playoff games will be on December 31st.

Gift Ideas

We have gotten some new merchandise in stock if you need an idea for a gift for the beer lover in  your life.  In addition to our Hydro Flask Growlers (which keep beer cold for up to 72 hours without refrigeration) we now have Hydro Flask Pint Glasses.  These stainless steel pints will keep your beer ice cold for hours, even down to the last sip.  I was skeptical when I first read about them, but having tried them out myself, I am amazed how well they work.

On the clothing side we have new women’s sweatshirts in navy and we have re-stocked our popular teal long sleeve women’s thermals.  The women’s burn out shirts now come in long sleeve and short sleeve.  For men we have new long sleeve thermals in navy that are super comfortable.  All of our sweatshirts, hats, t shirts and long sleeve shirts are in good supply along with our Dickies work shirts – and we carry up to 4XL for men’s sizes.

And if you can’t decide what to give or you think beer might be the best gift, we offer gift certificates in any denomination.

As the year draws to a close, Lindsey and I would like to say thank you to everyone who has helped to make 2015 a great one for Nickel Beer.  We are so blessed with the support we have received from everyone over the last two years.  So on behalf of the entire Nickel Beer Crew – Heather, Alison, Rocky, Bill, Tom and Lindsey – a very big THANK YOU!  May you have a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year.  We’ll see you soon for a great Julian brewed beer.

Cheers, Tom

Hello Nickel Beer Fans!

It is hard to believe that it has been 2 years since we first brewed at Nickel Beer.  We will be celebrating our 2nd Anniversary all weekend with special beer releases.  And as an added bonus we will have the popular taco cart on Saturday from 12-4 pm and on Sunday we will be hosting a school fundraiser featuring Super Nachos from 12-4 pm.

Anniversary Beers

The new beer releases begin today when we open with kegs of Chocolate Vanilla Stonewall Stout on nitrogen and our 2015 Barrel Aged Kupfernickel Barleywine on tap at 11:30 am.  The barleywine has spent the last 6 months aging in Bourbon barrels that were blended with 36% Rye Whiskey.  The flavor of the barrel blends well with the big caramel and hop notes of the barleywine with the Rye Whiskey adding some subtle pepper/spice nuances.  We won’t be selling either of these beers to go so you’ll have to enjoy them in the tasting room.  But don’t worry, both will be on tap all weekend long.

On Saturday the 21st we will tap the 2015 Tripp’s Tripel along with a keg of the 2014 Tripp’s Tripel.  The Tripel is our annual Thanksgiving beer as I brewed it to pair well with all of the flavors of the turkey day meal.  We will be selling growlers of the 2015 Tripel so that you can enjoy it with your family for the holiday.  The beer is light colored and just under 9% alcohol.  The flavors are filled with yeast driven spice notes with a slightly sweet finish.

On Sunday we will be showing the Chargers v. Chiefs game on both big screen TVs at 1:05 pm.  The weather is supposed to be gorgeous all weekend with temperatures expected to be in the low 70s today and high 60s on Saturday and Sunday with lots of sunshine.  We have also re-stocked all of our T Shirts and sweatshirts at the brewery including long sleeve shirts and our new men’s navy blue thermals.

Next Week

We will be extending our daytime hours next week in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday.  We will be open at Noon on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday – November 23rd, 24th and 25th.  We will be showing Monday Night Football on the 23rd (Bills v. Patriots).  Tuesday we will be open until at least 6 pm and Wednesday the 25th we will be open until at least 8 pm so you can make sure to fill those last minute growlers before the holiday.  We will be CLOSED for Thanksgiving.

After Thanksgiving we will be open regular hours Friday and Saturday, the 27th and the 28th, 11:30 am to 8 pm.  The annual Tree Lighting will be at dusk on the 28th and it is always a festive time.  On Sunday the 29th we will be opening at 10 am for the Chargers v. Jacksonville game – check the Facebook page for updates on breakfast food, https://www.facebook.com/NickelBeerCompany.

Coming Soon

I have several seasonal beers in the tank right now including Chinook IPA and Hopster Douchebag Double IPA.  We’ll also have a new batch of the Apple Pie Ale on tap in December.  I am planning to have a weekend where all 3 batches of the beer are on tap – Wholly Crab! Apple Pie, Pearfect Apple Pie and regular Apple Pie Ale.  In the coming weeks we’ll have nitrogen tapped kegs of Irish Red, Stonewall Stout and Blair’s Not Bitter Fresh Hop Ale.  Look for an Imperial Stout early next year.

And for those clamoring for more beer to come down to San Diego, I do have a new, larger kettle and additional fermenters coming soon to help expand production.

Thank You

Lindsey and I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported the brewery during its first two years.  It has been a wonderful experience becoming a part of Julian and seeing folks enjoy stopping by for a beer.  Whether you came up for the day, stayed for the weekend or live here in town, all of you have helped make the brewery a special and welcoming place that we are proud to be a part of.  Also, a special thank you to our staff who always keep the beer flowing.  We look forward to many more great years for Nickel Beer.

That is your 2nd Anniversary news.  We’ll see you soon for a great Julian brewed beer.  Cheers, Tom

Hello Nickel Beer Fans!

San Diego Beer Week is in full swing and we have some great beers coming down the hill starting this afternoon.  We’ll also be tapping a keg of our Sierra Nevada collaboration O’Bryen’s 20th Anniversary Ale aged in a Rye Whiskey Barrel today in the tasting room.  A fresh keg of the Barrel Aged Stonewall Stout just went on so you can enjoy that through the weekend.  Next weekend is our 2nd anniversary and we’ll have a bunch of new beers on tap including some barrel aged barleywine.

Thursday

We have 4 beers on tap at West Coast BBQ and Brew in La Mesa today.  The pub will be pouring Saison Saludos, Or The Highway IPA, Stonewall Stout and Barrel Aged Stonewall stout.  I will be there late afternoon roughly 3:30 to 4:30 to sip the beers and enjoy one of the Burnt Ends Beef Sandwiches (double smoked beef ends in BBQ sauce, yes it is as good as it sounds).

Then I am heading off to O’Brien’s in Kearny Mesa where we will have a cask of Or The Highway IPA with extra Crystal hops tapped at 5 pm.  There will also be some special collaboration kegs on tap at O’Brien’s that I helped make for the pub’s 20th Anniversary last year including Monkey Paw Wrathchild (smoked weizenbock), Lost Abbey O’Brien’s 20th Anniversary Barrel Blend and 3 versions of the Sierra Nevada O’Bryen’s – non barrel aged, Bourbon and Rye Whiskey.  Look for Nickel Beer Brats and Nickel Beer Brat Soup on special all day from the kitchen.  You can buy Nickel Beer Brats at Don’s Market in Santa Ysabel – they are made with our Devil’s Copper.

In the tasting room I’ll have the Sierra Nevada Rye Whiskey Barrel O’Bryen’s on tap when we open at 2 pm.

Friday

Friday the 13th we will have 2014 Rum Barrel Aged Kupfernickel Barleywine on tap at O’Brien’s as part of Tyson’s Big Ass Barrel Aged Beer Night.  It has been a while since even I have had this so I am excited to see how it is aging.  The barleywine will be on tap at 5 pm.  The kitchen will be serving up Buffalo Beer Chili made with Devil’s Copper and Buffalo Meat from the good folks at Star B Buffalo and Hop Ranch in Santa Ysabel.

You are always welcome to bring your own food to the tasting room.  But if you get hungry while visiting us, the Candied Apple delivers pizza, sandwiches and salads every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12-6 and on Mondays from 4-6 for Monday Night Football.

Saturday and Sunday

I am doing an event with two of best friends in the San Diego brewing scene this weekend – Jeff Bagby of Bagby Beer Company and Tomme Arthur of Lost Abbe/Port Brewing.  The event is called 3 Amigos and will take place at O’Brien’s starting when they open at 11:30 am on Saturday.  The 3 of us plan to be there from 3-5 pm on Saturday to enjoy some beers together.

We will have a great selection of specialty beer on tap including 2014 Tripp’s Tripel, Double Dubbel Animal Style (rum barrel aged Belgian-style quad), Saison Saludos, Or The Highway IPA and a cask of Barrel Aged Stonewall Stout with cacao nibs.  I think all of the beers will be on tap at 11:30 am and that the cask will be tapped around 1 pm or so.  The beers will stay on tap while they last so I expect some to still be around on Sunday.  There will be some Nickel Beer Cheese Burger specials.  And every burger at O’Brien’s comes with a Nickel Pickel on the side.

West Coast BBQ and Brew will be serving up Nickel Beer Brats on Saturday smothered in grilled onions.

The tasting room will be open until 8 pm Friday and Saturday and Sunday we will be open until at least 7:30 pm.  The fall color is amazing right now.  Driving up either Highway 79 by Lake Cuyamaca or Sunrise Highway through Laguna will give you a great look at what Mother Nature has on display.  Even the fire blighted areas are dotted with bright orange oaks.  It is as colorful as I have seen it in years – but get up here soon as it won’t last too long.

2nd Anniversary Weekend

It is hard to believe that it has already been 2 years since we brewed our first batch.  We will celebrate our anniversary the weekend of November 20th-22nd.  Our 2nd Anniversary beer will be Bourbon Barrel Aged Kupfernickel Barleywine.  I brewed the barleywine in the Spring and it has been sitting patiently in two Bourbon barrels ever since.  And we will be releasing the 2015 Tripp’s Tripel just in time to enjoy it as part of your Thanksgiving meal.  There will be some other specialty beer on tap including a keg of Chocolate Vanilla Stonewall Stout on nitrogen – the beer tastes like a creamy chocolate milkshake.

I plan to have most of the special kegs on tap Friday when we open at 11:30 am on the 20th.  Be sure to check our Facebook page for updates on what will be happening over the anniversary weekend – https://www.facebook.com/NickelBeerCompany.

We have gotten in some new merchandise including women’s short sleeve burnout shirts and men’s navy long sleeve thermals.

That is your San Diego Beer Week Nickel Beer News.  Thank you for all of the support in our first two years as we look forward to another year of great Julian brewed beer.

Cheers, Tom