Karl Strauss Brewing Company Looks Back At 2007
2007 was highlighted by a series of changes and exciting new endeavors at Karl Strauss Brewing Company. The company got back to its pioneering ways, releasing new beer styles, hosting its first ever homebrew competition, and committing more to its community efforts.
Karl Strauss Brewing Company has always believed in supporting the local community. In 2007, the company decided to increase donations to match 1% of total beer sales. This past year, Karl Strauss supported over 220 community events with the equivalent of over 4000 cases of beer. In addition to supporting events throughout Southern California, the company also hosted two benefits at their Brewery in Pacific Beach.
Beach to Brewery in May raised $15,000 for the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Over 3000 people attended the event and were entertained by break out artist Grand Ole Party and local favorite B-Side Players.
Karlfest was held in October and helped to raise money for the Karl Strauss Brewers Education Fund. Karlfest featured the first Karl Strauss Homebrew Competition. Winning homebrewer Matt Morrison’s German Rauchbier will be served on tap at one of our brewery restaurants and co-entered into the Great American Beer Festival Pro Am in 2008.
2007 was also a year for creativity in the brewhouse. Our brewers were let loose to experiment and innovate. One of year’s most popular beers was the Karl Strauss Double IPA. Coming in at 8% ABV and over 85 IBUS, the DIPA was one of our fastest selling beers of the year. We also saw what creativity and collaboration can bring when we teamed up with Chuck Silva of Green Flash to create a California “Un” Common for the 2007 San Diego Brewers Guild beer. This hoppy steam beer was a big hit at the Guild Festival as well as selling out around town at various beer bars. Other new additions to the line up included an Altbier and a Russian Imperial Stout aged on bourbon-soaked oak chips.
With a wave of momentum propelling them forward, the brewers are ready to craft some more exceptional beers in 2008. A Belgian Triple is already in the works and a spicy Saison will arrive in the brewery restaurants in February. In addition to new varieties of beer, the brewery restaurants will begin featuring new beer-style appropriate glassware as well as implementing monthly cask nights with authentic beer engines.
Tomorrow, January 3, 2008 will be the first cask night at the Karl Strauss Downtown Restaurant. The party starts at 6pm and we will be serving ESB off the beer engine. Cask pints are $3.50 all night.
Melody Daversa
Marketing Events Manager
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
p. (858) 273-2739 x335
f. (858) 581-5691
