From the Beer Writer: Before I was a beer writer, I merely drank beer. It was fun, tasty and something I really didn’t put a lot of thought into. But when I was ready to go from merely enjoying beer to finding out what goes into making it and making a business of it, there was a local brewer who was more than happy to take the time to converse with me on those subjects—Jim Crute. The founder of Poway’s Lightning Brewery, Jim was the first brewer I ever shared a conversation with. At the time, I wrote solely about food and hadn’t yet expanded into the beer realm. The time he took to explain the art and science of brewing made me want to learn more, and made me want to meet more brewers and business owners. In a large way, he helped me to get my writing to where it is today and expand my passion for something I already loved into something I could share with my readers. I am very thankful for that, as well as this beer he crafted for my Beer to the Rescue lupus campaign. Coming in at 5.9% ABV, it’s an outlandish take on a Belgian saison that debuts today at Lightning’s tasting room (13200 Kirkham Way, Poway) Another upcoming debut for Crute will be an outdoor beer garden that’s an A-OK from the ABC away from opening to the public. Look for that to open come August or September.
From the Brewer: “We were proud to brew Dark Current Ale to support our friend in the beer trade’s lupus initiative, Beer to the Rescue. The beer—which is only available at the Lightning Brewery tasting room—is a Belgian-style farmhouse ale that incorporates black malt into the grain bill to give it a translucent black appearance. We’ve accentuated the farmhouse characters of this beer by introducing the flavors of orange zest and black currants. A play on words…for sure. A great beer to enjoy…definitely!”—Jim Crute, Owner & Brewmaster, Lightning Brewery