BEER ME
Josh Landon Partner
THE LINEUP Blond/Kolsch: (4.8% abv) A German style represented by a very clean crisp flavor and a refreshing finish. A gateway craft ale for the masses soon to be converted. This beer is a perfect fit for any BBQ, yard work session, or after a long day at work.
St. Archer Brewing Company
9550 Distribution Ave., Miramar
Kim Lutz Lead Brewer
(858) 225-2337 www.saintarcherbrewery.com By dale hersey
Action sports are not that different from starting a brewery. Home brewers craft suds for themselves. They realize after a few years that their stuff is good, maybe they could start they’re own brewery. One day the lucky few have the skill to reach the craft brew equivalent of the X Games: their name, their brew house, their beer. Where there is a passion, progress is inevitable. Progression and action sports go hand in hand. A good comparison might be the progression from a young grom learning to paddle out to a lineup legend slashing flawless S-turns. The path has many bumps, bruises and disappointments. Cue San Diego’s St. Archer Brewing Company in Mira Mesa.
Though impressive, it’s easy to get lost in the numbers. But that’s not the most unique part. The collaboration of the brewery’s more than 21 partners is. And not just anyone, some of the most influential people in the action sports industry with a combined social media follow-
ing topping (back to the numbers) 5 million. Names like Taylor Knox (surfing), Todd Richards (snowboarding) and Paul Rodriguez (skateboarding) to drop a few. There won’t be any signature pro-model ales, but don’t be shocked to see Knox pouring your pint in the tasting room. Josh Landon, St. Archer proprietary partner, is no stranger to action sports. He’s been surfing some of the most influential spots up and down the West Coast for many years. He made a living capturing the soul and feeling of San Diego’s action sports culture and pioneers on film. With such titles as Flow, Against the Grain and Me, Myself and I (must see!) on his resume, Landon’s travels with some of surfing, skateboarding and snow-
Pale Ale: (5.2% abv) Originally intended not as a Pale Ale but as a session-able IPA (high on the hops and low on the abv). In other areas of the US this may be considered a full on IPA, but here in San Diego its just another day at the office. The hops aroma excites while the malty backbone keeps it easy. Very enjoyable. IPA: (6.8% abv) Open a bottle after a hot day at the beach and you’ll realize what many others already have, hoppy equals happy. Seven different hops go into this brew, insuring that happiness. A IPA with citrus notes that is also fairly low on the IBU’s (international bitterness units) allowing your taste buds to keep tasting.
Action sports are not that different from starting a brewery.
A massive 17,000-square-foot warehouse that can produce an annual capacity of up to 50,000 BBLs, St. Archer already has 200 iconic logo tap handles behind various bar-top locations. If you’re trying to wrap your head around that figure, consider it took Stone Brewing Company two years to reach that number of tap handles. With a lineup of just three initial craft styles, St. Archer has attained a distribution contract allowing them to be distributed in 17 different states.
FOOD/DRINK
boarding’s elite have led to A-list partnerships. But while financial backing came from international action sports stars, Landon also received guidance came from San Diego’s craft-beer family. Working with Steve Wagner, Stone Brewing CEO, has helped quite a bit. Not many can boast having a sit down with an executive of a company that is arguably one of the biggest movers and shakers for the craft beer industry in the country if not the world. St. Archer is also fortunate to have someone like lead brewer Kim Lutz. She may be a minority in a predominantly male field, but taste one of her beers and you’ll see that she holds her own quite well . Listed among the top brewers in the U.S., Lutz won silver at the Great
American Beer Festival for her La Perouse while she was with Maui Brewing (her first brewing job). The initial styles seem to appeal to the novice craft beer fans (Kolsch/ Blond, Pale Ale, IPA), yet the experience from her time spent at the J.Lohr Winery indicates barrel aged beers are just around the corner. Her homemade brewing “rig” that she has used for experimenting on different brews means that you can also stop by the St. Archer tap room and find other styles such as Scotch Ale and Double IPA. You may read blog postings with concerns that it’s not about the beer. When asked to comment on the negative blogs, Josh replied, “There will always be haters.” Amen Josh.
JULY 2013 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | Four El 43