When a new brewery makes its way to Miami, we're super stoked. Hell, there are two or three on tap to open this year, and the city's practically in a tizzy. Drinking anything cooked up in our own backyard is totes exciting, given the serious lack of local beers we've had available in past years.
But in other major cities, microbrews are like McDonald's -- popping up on every corner. One such beer Shangri-la is San Diego, where dozens of locals are brewing up IPAs, porters and ales aplenty. Here are our top five to try. But don't worry, you don't have to trek the 3,000 miles to this sunny city -- you can just take a quick trip to Total Wine.
See also:
- Top Five Recent Beer Inventions
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5. Coronado Mermaid's Red Ale
Toasted caramel, coffee and vanilla mark this crimson-hued ale. Ariel would have totally been into it.
4. Stone IPA
This hoppy, golden treat is a sweet 6.9% ABV. It's brewed in Escondidas by the uber-popular folks at Stone. If you haven't had it and you're an IPA fan, it's a no-brainer.
3. Green Flash Trippel Ale
This hefty 9.7% ABV ale is deceptively fruity. Made with a classic Trappist ale yeast, it's got a monk-brewed, Belgian ale backbone. Monks + beer = FTW.
2. Societe Brewery's The Pupil IPA
This cozy little brewery, fairly new to the SD scene, cooks up an impressive array of options - particularly their IPAs. The Pupil is a super-citrusy, highly-hoppy 7.8% ABV brew. And the underdogs deserve a nod.
1. Ballast Point Imperial Porter
This coffee cum beer is a dark, vanilla-infused treat. 10% ABV, the caramel undertones and strong, bitter aftertaste will leave you wishing Starbucks was half as creative. And sold booze.
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