Recently, I set some reservations aside and made reservations. Specifically, reservations for dinner at the iconic Stone Brewing.
After running into two Stone Brewing employees at local, community-owned microbreweries, I was reminded that despite being commercial, macro and owned by a faraway macro-beer company (acquired by Sapporo in 2022), Stone Brewing employs good, local people who make excellent beer right here in North County.
I was further reminded that Stone Brewing is an essential part of the San Diego brewing scene and the legacy of modern craft brewing.
Somewhat begrudgingly, I let bygones be bygones and made a reservation to have dinner and beers at the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido.
However, pulling into the parking lot, I realized I wasn’t just resigned to this return, but excited about it. I had spent many evenings at Stone: watching movies in the garden, celebrating and awaiting new releases.
In fact, it was right here that a Stone beertender introduced me to my favorite beer: AleSmith’s Nut Brown Ale. At a time when only the most bitter IPA would do, the beertender insisted I try a taster of the biscuity, malt-forward British style that is anything but a Stone Ruination IPA. So confident was this beertender, that he brought a full pint along with the “splash” and sat both down in front of me.
This was the 2010s, when both Stone and IPAs ruled the beer scene. Stone had been dubbed No. 1 of “All-time Breweries on Planet Earth” by Beer Advocate magazine and had landed in the San Diego airport as well as Virginia and Berlin.
The nostalgia hit well before I stepped on the surprisingly familiar path into the venue. Yes, I was downright giddy to return. I even left my false beard and sunglasses in the car.
I asked Noah, the manager on duty, what hasn’t changed at Stone, he was quick to reply: “The hospitality. We are going to take care of you while you’re here.” He was right. All three servers who worked my table were pleasant, knowledgeable, engaging and helpful.
I had recently enjoyed the Sapporo Premium Black Lager, but it wasn’t being poured. (Cans were available to take home, so the problem was addressed.) The Witty Moron, a black witbier, was recommended. It had hints of dark fruit. At 40 IBUs (International Bitterness Units), it still had that hop bite one expects in the Stone line.
Truth be told, I made a hasty choice for my meal. With the selection of beers, I got a little lost in my ordering. I grumbled at myself for blurting out, “I’ll have the fish ‘n’ chips.” But what was done was done. (As a general rule, I only order fish ‘n’ chips at The Fish Box in Dingle, Ireland).
A serendipitous error. It was delicious. Hot, crispy outside and tender and flaky inside. No grease. I paired it with a collaboration saison made with Dogfish and Victory Brewing. Crisp, savory, and unique. As always at Stone, more hop profile than one expects in the style. But, when in Stone …
Dessert in the form of a final beer was in order, and Stone had just released its Imperial Zombie Love Potion. This chocolate, pomegranate porter weighs in at 9%. The beer starts with chocolate and fruit notes and then has some roastiness and coffee on the finish. No surprise here: hop bitterness too.
I met Rich Lamb, visiting from Florida, who was enjoying beers and dinner with his wife and friends. Lamb always makes a pilgrimage to Stone during his annual trips. His favorite: Arrogant Bastard, but he held the Zombie Love Potion in high regard as well.
I was impressed with every aspect of the visit, but a certain guilt still manifested about dropping a pretty penny or two at Stone. To balance the scales, I made sure to visit two small, locally owned microbreweries the same week.
At Dogleg Brewing in Vista, I enjoyed a fantastic English-style pub beer, Afternoon Tee-Time. This light drinker (3.8% ABV) is full of flavor. The Berliner Weisse, Tart Path Only, was another light surprise (4% ABV). The tartness was very subtle, despite the name, and the beer features lots of apricot flavor.
Next up, Craft Coast in San Marcos for beer and tacos. The seasonal brown ale, Beeria, was delicious. Medium-bodied with much lighter hop, chocolate and coffee notes than the Stone offerings. I meant to try another style, but went back for seconds on this one instead.
Returning to Stone was a nice sip down memory’s pint. But it’s hard to beat the local, community vibe of our smaller venues. I’ll be back soon. To all three places.
Jeff Spanier is the co-host of I Like Beer the Podcast. Follow Spanier’s adventures on Instagram @ilikebeerthepodcast.
