After a couple of phone calls with Toronado San Diego owner Ian Black — one was dropped when he entered the confines of the cold box to see what’d recently arrived — we’ve got our hands on the epic beer list the North Park bar has planned for their fifth anniversary celebrations that begin tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. There are so many beers getting tapped, in fact, that tonight will see $3 and maybe even $2 pint specials on what’s currently available. Between closing and tomorrow morning, the crew will be tasked with swapping out all the beer lines and switching out several dozen kegs.
The party truly kicks off tomorrow at noon with a cask of Alpine Nelson IPA. Then, at 4 p.m., Hess Brewing’s specially-made, Cascade-hopped and dry-hopped Toro Quintum goes on one of several jockey box taps; keep the glass if you’re one for the first customers.
More beers made just for Toronado’s birthday include High 5, a super hoppy pale ale in the 5% ABV range from Pizza Port Ocean Beach; Cinco de Rye-O rye pale ale from Mother Earth Brew Co. in Vista; and the El Dorado-hopped El Toronado IPA from Pizza Port Carlsbad.
There will be upwards of sixty beers total on draft, and because of the large variety, Black expects many to last through the weekend.
Most are from California, with the exception of Nodding Head’s Berliner Weisse (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); five beers from Hair of the Dog (Portland, Oregon); and four beers from Logsdon Organic Ales (Hood River, Oregon): Kili Wit, Seizoen, Seizoen Bretta, and the collaboration beer created with Bison Brewing, Cocoa Bretta.
California-sourced beers include hoppy ales from Hollister; Pizza Port San Clemente Double Entendre; North Coast Old Rasputin XV; Almanac #1-#4 plus their Barrel Noir; Sierra Nevada Hoptimum and Bigfoot; Firestone Walker Sucaba, 15th Anniversary and Parabola; The Bruery Melange #3, Hottenroth Berliner Weisse and Tart of Darkness; and Moonlight’s Death and Taxes, Bombay by Boat, and Reality Czech Pilsner.
San Diego local beers include hoppy ales from Societe Brewing; Alpine Nelson (draft), Keene Idea (double Nelson), Duet, and Pure Hoppiness; Karl Strauss 23rd Anniversary Old Ale; AleSmith Speedway Stout and Nicaraguan Speedway Stout; The Lost Abbey Deliverance, Framboise de Amorosa, Angel’s Share, Cuvee de Tomme and a three year-old keg of Serpent’s Stout; and one 1/2 BBL of barrel-aged Night Rider brewed by Jeff Bagby during his time at Pizza Port Carlsbad.
Saturday specials include a solid Russian River lineup of Consecration, Supplication, Blind Pig, and Pliny the Elder. A keg of Toronado 25th Anniversary — created for Toronado’s San Francisco namesake — gets tapped at noon.
If you come on Sunday at noon, you might get a chance to try the last sixtel of The Lost Abbey Cable Car 2011 in existence.
More cask beers, besides the aforementioned Alpine Nelson, will show up at undetermined times: Stone Ruination IPA with Citra hops, Ballast Point Victory at Sea mole version, Ballast Point Sculpin IPA with grapefruit, and Rough Draft Weekday IPA.
Nitro beers will go on tomorrow: Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point Dorado IIPA, Noble Ale Works Naughty Sauce blonde milk coffee stout, and AleSmith Speedway Stout.
Anything else? “There’s probably ten more beers I’m not remembering,” said Black. “Oh, and we’ll pull some rare bottles from the cellar, too.”