Today San Diego CityBeat released its annual Best of San Diego issue, with the redesigned Tom Ham’s Lighthouse receiving a mini-feature. Then in the Readers Poll sections, several San Diego beer businesses were recognized.
For Best Craft Beer Bar — see the whole bars & booze category here — Hamilton’s Tavern was top pick. Honorable mentions included Tiger! Tiger!, Toronado, High Dive, and Common Theory Public House.
For Best Craft Beer Store, Bottlecraft led the list. Honorable mentions included Clem’s Bottle House & Deli, KnB Wine Cellars, Krisp, and The Boulevard Wine & Spirits.
Ballast Point took both Best Brewery Category, as well as Best Local Craft Beer for Sculpin IPA. The other top breweries were Mike Hess Brewing, Stone Brewing Co., Coronado Brewing Company, and Green Flash Brewing Co. The other top local beers were AleSmith .394 Pale Ale, Coronado Mermaid’s Red, Mike Hess Habitus Rye IPA, and Hillcrest Perle Necklace Pale Ale.
The High Dive also topped two lists: Best Neighborhood Bar and Best Dive Bar. Honorable mentions for those categories were Live Wire, Whistle Stop, Bluefoot Bar & Lounge, The Silver Fox Lounge; and The Waterfront, Live Wire, Aero Club Bar, and Bub’s Dive Bar.
The title of Best New Bar (open since Oct. 2014) went to Panama 66, which was also an honorable mention in the Outdoor Dining category. Best New Bar honorable mentions were Park & Rec, Backyard Kitchen & Tap, Home & Away, and Quad AleHouse.
In the over-arching Best Bar in SD County category, The Waterfront Bar & Grill came out on top, above Shakespeare Pub & Grille, Neighborhood, High Dive, and Urban Mo’s Bar & Grill.
Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido was noted as the Best Outdoor Dining venue, just above Panama 66, C Level, The Prado at Balboa Park, and The Patio on Lamont Street.
The Best Brewery Tasting Room award went to Green Flash Brewing Co., ahead of Modern Times, Fall Brewing Company, Ballast Point Brewing Company, and Hillcrest Brewing Company.
We all know beer is big business in San Diego, so it was fun to see Karl Strauss’ Brewery Gardens in Sorrento Mesa win for Best Business Lunch Spot, followed by Bully’s East, Bread & Cie, The Patio on Lamont Street, and Lucky’s Lunch Counter.