San Diego, Part II: Pizza Port

I know a running joke at the GABF is that there are so many medals and categories and the like, a guy could set his drink on a judging table, lean over to tie his shoes, and straighten up to find out he just took home a Bronze. Yes, lots of awards, lots of winners. But, let's be honest, Large Brewpub Of The Year is nothing to sneeze at. Rock Bottom has won it (this is the Rock Bottom of old, not the Rock Bottom of current, of course). Pelican won the Small category and then promptly won the Large back in '06. At minimum, it's not given to run-of-the-mill locations.

Which is why the fact that Pizza Port (Port Brewing) winning it back-to-back in the last two years should really say a lot.

Don't let the mass of high-chairs fool you - you are in for a treat.

While the Ocean Beach location was technically closer to the house, the Carlsbad spot actually won the official awards. Walking in, I could tell I was in for a treat. The tap list comprising of signs, the fact that the medals were all the way in the back by the restrooms, the forty(!!) taps staring me down, the easy-going nature of the place - it was all looking good the moment we strolled in off the street. Surfboards hang from the ceiling in the seating areas and a few of the brewing tanks are upfront near the door. We grabbed seats at the bar and scanned the list:

Decisions, decisions, decis--, oh, hey Hop Trip!

Once again, Oregon gets a single foot in the door (blasphemy!) but they made it a good one (okay, put down the pitchforks). While it's unsurprising that Port's own beer is going to dominate the selection, I was admittedly raising my eyebrows at the lack of any OR material in-house. Maybe it's just a subconscious expectation from drinking a lot of local beer in the past few years, but it's odd to see a large taplist with nothing 'native', so to speak. I guess it's likely the same for any state with a rich brewing history - 90% of what's available will be made within the same borders. But no matter! I was here to sample beer from Pizza Port, so that's what I ordered:

• Sharkbite Red Ale - This is nicely hopped (Cascade and Centennial) with a great color to it. Very happy with the finish on this. I like my red ales to be aggressive closers and this had a crisp, bitter bite to the back end that worked well.
• California Honey Ale - Maltier than expected, but light and sweeter-than-normal like the name would suggest. It was nothing too earth-shattering.
• Night Rider - Now we're talking. Nearly black liquid, tobacco in the nose, and pleasantly thicker than I expected. It ticks off all the boxes for a well-made Imperial stout and the flavor didn't let me down. Put this on your "If I Ever Find It As An Option, I Should Get That" list.
• Cow Stout - This? I ordered a full pint of this. I am a sucker for a good milk stout and this did not disappoint in the slightest. Roasty malt flavor, little bit of coffee, and just the right amount of lactose sugar to sweeten the beer. Great example of the style and worth all the accolades it has received.

Were I perpetually in San Diego, I could easily see these locations being hangout spots and/or places I took out-of-towners for good beer. I'll put in another way: the Carlsbad location could be teleported straight to Portland as-is and it would have no problems fitting in and making a local name for itself. The beer and laid-back nature would work very well up here and anyplace that has Pliny on tap is probably doing something right.

If you are in the area, don't hesitate on a go-or-don't-go decision for Pizza Port locations. GO.