(KGTV) - Craft beer is as much a part of San Diego as apple pie is a part of America.
Bold statement? Sure. But there's no denying the impact the local industry has had on the region over the past decade.
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At Stone Brewery, the craft of beer is taken seriously - much like at many other local breweries that now pepper San Diego County.
Padraic "Paddy" Lenehan, Stone Brewing's global beer curator, walked 10News through the different tastes that San Diegans crave when it comes to craft beers.
Beer 101
Lenehan walked us through a few of Stone's popular beers offered throughout the year and seasonally: Stone Ripper San Diego-style Pale Ale, Stone Vengeful Spirit IPA, Miguel Ceja Andrade/Brandon Berube Stone Merc Machine Double IPA, and Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout.
Pale Ale
Pale Ales are considered a good balance of both malt and hops and can range to include fruity notes or varying degrees of floral tastes. American versions tend to be hoppier, while British version tend to be maltier.
IPA (India Pale Ale)
An Indian Pale Ale is generally a herbal, citric beer with a hoppy bitterness. These beers can range in color from golden brown to a reddish amber and can also range in flavors to include fruity notes or more floral hints.
Double IPA
The Double IPA is often referred to as an American IPA on steroids. Those tastes of an IPA are amplified and stronger than their single IPA relatives. The style, credited as West Coast-style IPAs, are generally very hoppy to the taste.
Stout
American stouts are inspired by traditional English-style stouts, with a balanced and generally heavy taste. Many U.S. brewers commonly add coffee and chocolate to compliment the roasted malt flavors and the trend of aging stouts in bourbon or whiskey barrels has also taken off.
For more about your favorite styles, beer website Beer Advocate has a lengthy list of styles and what makes them each unique.
At Stone in Escondido...
Stone Brewery has developed a reputation as one of the area's top breweries. Its Escondido brewery and bistro is evidence of that - sporting rotating taps of the brewery's latest creations and favorite brews.
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The brewery has taken those beers and crafted up a menu to compete with taste buds, with options available for the entire family.
As always, a designated driver or ride sharing is encouraged when visiting the brewery. Services like Lyft and Uber often give special pricing or codes for certain events and Stone offers a lower designated driver price.
