Us with Kelsey and Amanda

Last Friday afternoon, we received a euphoric phone call from our friend Kelsey. He was a few beers into the San Diego Real Ale Festival at the Pizza Port in Carlsbad, and he had to tell my husband Danny about the 50+ amazing ales on tap.

The question was, Should we go? The decision was pretty easy because Danny was having a bad day, he’d thrown out his back a couple days earlier and, most importantly, ales are his absolute favorite. I raised my hand and promised to be the designated driver (I’m not a big beer fan, unless it’s Pacifico with lime) and we hopped in the car.

These are the San Diegans who are passionate about beer

Here’s the deal: For $25 you got a commemorative glass and 8 taster tickets that you turned in for 5-ounce samples of the best local beers around. Pizza Port describes this festival as, “The second largest collection of Real Ale on the west coast this year, featuring over 50 Firkins of cask conditioned ale served in the English tradition!”

My husband appreciating a good local brew

As you may know, San Diego has earned quite an international reputation for producing the best India Pale Ales around, and lots of them. There’s even talk of changing the name to “San Diego Pale Ales.”

So since these ales are too syrupy and thick and filling for my palate, I can’t really tell you much about the individual beers. But, I can tell you about the individuals who enjoyed the beers! The imbibers were all quickly buzzed (thanks to the high alcohol content), spirits were high, reviews were unanimously enthusiastic, and the patio was stuffed with San Diego’s most exuberant beer enthusiasts.

If it weren’t for me, my husband and our friends probably wouldn’t have eaten at all since all they wanted to do was sample more brews and use up all their tickets. I had to practically drag them by force away from the kegs and into the restaurant next door.

Not a bad way to soak up alchohol

So I finally got to eat some of Pizza Port’s eponymous pizza, as well as one of their famous Portzels. A portzel is a pretzel made from our wholegrain beer crust with sundried tomatoes, feta, garlic, basil & oregano mixed in, and it only costs $1 for some unknown reason. You dip it in marinara sauce. Yum! Our pizza was called the Pizza Carlsbad and it was thick with pesto, mesquite grilled chicken, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and feta. I thought it had just the right amount of tanginess with a hearty, substantial texture.

We definitely had a great time during our last minute ale festival excursion and I’m fairly sure that next year we will plan ahead and book a hotel room down the street (like our friends did) so as to make the most of the amazing local beers available here in June gloomy San Diego.