Rare and special beers are what Geoi Bachoua is all about. So, it’s no surprise that when the anniversary for his Normal Heights bottle shop, Bine & Vine, rolls around, he chooses to celebrate with a custom brew. Last year, he impressed local ale enthusiast with a special India pale ale developed by Alpine Beer Co. When deciding how to folly up that hoppy offering, Bachoua turned to not one, but two local businesses with solid reputations for quality craftsmanship—New English Brewing Company and Dark Horse Coffee Roasters.
Bine and Vine’s fourth anniversary beer is called Adams Avenue Imperial Porter. Coming in at 8.5% alcohol-by-volume, the dark, English-style ale was brewed with medium-roast Guatemalan coffee from Dark Horse, one of San Diego’s hottest roasters. They just happen to be Bine & Vine’s neighbor, whereas New English is based in Sorrento Valley.
Upping the intrigue for this beer is New English’s recent win at the Great American Beer Festival. The largest, most prestigious annual brewing competition in the country, GABF issued New English a gold medal for Zumbar, an imperial stout brewed chocolate and…coffee, making that the best coffee beer in the U.S. for the calendar year. It stands to reason that java expertise should serve this beer well. Adams Avenue Imperial Porter is scheduled for bottling today and should be available exclusively at Bine & Vine soon after. For updates on availability, follow Bine & Vine on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.