With the San Diego City Council declaring this week Ballast Point Week, it’s fitting that this Sunday each location (Ballast Point Little Italy, Old Grove & Home Brew Mart) will be tapping beers from the “research and development” department, aka Ballast Point’s newest brewhouse in Little Italy.
As part of the R&D program, run by Julia Cain, specialty brewer Colby Chandler has been bringing in Ballast Point employees to brew on the small system in an effort they’re calling Roots to Boots (R2B). “We’re working to get every employee in the brewhouse, and by the end of the quarter we’ll be close to 90%,” said Chandler. “I don’t know of any other brewery in the world that’s doing this.” As a former San Diego Brewers Guild President who travels extensively, that says a lot.
Nearly 80 different types of beers have been brewed in Little Italy over the last six months: ~35 R2B beers and ~45 R&D beers. Below is a list Ballast Point provided of beers that will be on tap Sunday, showing the wide variety of ideas that brewery staff have come up with:
Island Time, Coconut Macademia Nut Brown Trans Atlantic Belgian Triple, Belgian Triple
Cherry/Vanilla Milk Stout
Firkin Hoppy, English IPA
Dead Water Dubbel, Belgian Dubbel with Apricots
Unite Pale Ale, Cascade hopped Pale Ale
FNG (100% Brett fermentation) Brett IPA
Limon Woocello, Strong Cream Ale with Sorrento Lemon Zest
The Commodore, American Stout
Baltic Sea of Cherries, Baltic Porter with Cherries
Guac The Plank, Guac Saison
Wort Hogs, Session IPA
The Bearded Rose, Chocolate Raspberry Milk Stout
Foggy Head, Smoked Porter
Manta Ray w/Coffee, Milk Stout with Coffee
OG’s Mild, English Mild
Manta Ray, Milk Stout
Ball Tick C, Baltic Porter
Shore Leave, Cream Ale
Ginger Beerd, Green Flash Collaboration, (100% Brett fermentation) Brettoberfest with Ginger
Coral, Guava Wheat
Out of Town Brown, American Brown
Shakaboom, Double IPA
Sushi Biru, Rice IPA with Ginger and Wasabi