AleSmith Brewing Company

AleSmith Brewing Company is an American craft brewery located in San Diego, California. It specializes in handcrafted ales in a variety of styles. As of 2015 it produces about 25,000 barrels of beer a year.

AleSmith Brewing Company
AleSmith Brewery Logo
Location9990 AleSmith Ct.
San Diego, California, USA
Opened1995
Annual production volume15,000 US beer barrels (18,000 hL)
Owned byPeter Zien (independent)
Active beers
Name Type
AleSmith X American Pale Ale
San Diego .394 Ale American Pale Ale
AleSmith Nut Brown Ale Nut Brown Ale
Anvil Ale Extra Special Bitter
AleSmith IPA India Pale Ale
Lil Devil Belgian Pale Ale
Horny Devil Belgian Strong Ale
Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
Speedway Stout Imperial Stout
Old Numbskull Barleywine
Grand Cru Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Seasonal beers
Name Type
My Bloody Valentine Ale American Red Ale
AleSmith Olde Ale Old Ale or Strong Ale
Summer YuleSmith Imperial India Pale Ale
Decadence Style Varies Year to Year
Evil Dead Red Ale American Red Ale
Winter YuleSmith Imperial Red Ale
Other beers
Name Type
AleSmith Cream Ale Cream Ale
AleSmith Robust Porter Robust Porter
Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout Imperial Stout
Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
Barrel-Aged Grand Cru Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Barrel-Aged Old Numbskull Barleywine
The exterior of AleSmith's large production facility, opened in 2015.
The interior of AleSmith's large production facility and taproom, opened in 2015.
India Pale Ale.

History

The brewery was founded in San Diego in 1995 by Skip Virgilio and Ted Newcomb. Skip Virgilio was AleSmith's original brewmaster. Peter Zien became brewmaster upon purchasing the company in July, 2002. Zien is a BJCP "Grand Master level 1" beer judge, the only one in San Diego County.[1]

The original brewery is located at 9366 Cabot Drive in San Diego's Miramar area. In 2015 the company added a larger brewery and tasting room, also in Miramar, at 9990 AleSmith Court. At 25,000 square feet, the tasting room is billed as the largest beer tasting room in San Diego County. Brewing operations at the new facility will eventually expand the company's brewing capacity ten-fold, according to Zien.[1]

Beers from the brewery have been rated on RateBeer.com website as #1 Top Brewer in the World 2006 and again in 2013.[2] In 2008, AleSmith was awarded "Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year" at the Great American Beer Festival.[3]

In 2015, AleSmith announced that Danish gypsy brewer Mikkeller had partnered with them to turn the original facility, located on Cabot Drive, into Mikkeller San Diego.[4]

Awards

The company has won nine medals in World Beer Cup competition, including five golds. They won for Belgian Strong Ale (bronze, 1998); Winter YuleSmith (gold, 2004); Vintage AleSmith Old Numbskull (gold, 2008); AleSmith Decadence '05 Old Ale (gold, 2008); AleSmith Wee Heavy (gold, 2010); AleSmith Decadence '09 Weizenbock (bronze, 2010); AleSmith Decadence '10 Old Ale (silver, 2012); AleSmith Old Numbskull (bronze, 2012); AleSmith Old Ale '13 (gold, 2014).[5]

At the 2008 Great American Beer Festival, AleSmith Brewing Company won the Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Award. By 2013, the AleSmith team had acquired 16 GABF beer medals:[6] Belgian-Style Strong Ale (silver, 1998); Stumblin’ Monk (bronze, 2000); Wee Heavy Scotch Ale (bronze, 2004); AleSmith IPA (bronze, 2005); Wee Heavy Scotch Ale (silver, 2005); Vintage Speedway Stout (silver, 2008); Old Numbskull Barley Wine (silver, 2008); Decadence ‘05 Old Ale (gold, 2008); Wee Heavy Scotch Ale (gold, 2008); AleSmith IPA (silver, 2011); Old Numbskull Barley Wine (silver, 2011); Decadence ’10 Old Ale (silver, 2011); Grand Cru (bronze, 2012); Decadence ’10 Old Ale (bronze, 2012); Old Numbskull Barley Wine (gold, 2013); Decadence ‘12 Quadruple (silver, 2013)

The beers

AleSmith's beers are inspired by the brewing styles of Great Britain and Belgium. Some AleSmith beers, such as their Cream Ale and Robust Porter Beer, are only offered on draft or in kegs at the brewery. The majority, however, are available in 22-ounce or 750 ml bottles. These brews are listed below.

Year-round brews
Name Style ABV IBU Original Gravity Serving Temp. Serving Glass
Anvil ESB ESB 5.5% 30 1.055 45°-50° Pint
Grand Cru Belgian Strong Dark Ale 10.0% 17 1.088 50°-55° Tulip
Horny Devil Belgian Golden Ale 10.0% 25 1.081 50°-55° Tulip
IPA American IPA 7.25% 73 1.066 45°-50° Pint
‘Lil’ Devil Belgian Pale Ale 5.75% 24 1.050 45°-50° Tulip
Nut Brown Ale Brown Ale 5.0% 17 1.054 45°-50° Pint
Old Numbskull American Barleywine 11.0% 96 1.106 50°-55° Tulip
Speedway Stout Imperial Stout 12.0% 70 1.114 50°-55° Tulip
Wee Heavy Scotch Ale 10.0% 26 1.102 50°-55° Tulip
X - Extra Pale Ale American Pale Ale 5.25% 35 1.048 45°-50° Pint .394 IPA 6%

Seasonal Brews
Name Availability Style ABV IBU Original Gravity Serving Temp. Serving Glass
Decadence Year Round Varies Varies Varies Varies 50°-55° Tulip
Evil Dead Red September/October American Amber 6.66% 24 1.073 45°-50° Pint
My Bloody Valentine January/February American Amber 6.66% 24 17.5°P 45°-50° Pint
Olde Ale Spring Old Ale 11.0% 25 1.110 50°-55° Snifter
Summer YuleSmith July/August Double IPA 8.5% 105 1.080 45°-50° Pint
Winter YuleSmith November/December American Amber 8.5% 48 1.090 50°-55° Pint

Barrel-Aged Brews
Name Style ABV IBU Original Gravity Serving Temp. Serving Glass
BA Grand Cru Barrel Aged Belgian Strong Dark Ale 10.0% 17 1.088 50°-55° Tulip
BA Old Numbskull Barrel Aged American Barleywine 11.0% N/A 1.106 50°-55° Tulip
BA Speedway Stout Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 12.0% N/A 1.111 50°-55° Tulip
BA Wee Heavy Barrel Aged Scotch Ale 10% N/A 1.096 50°-55° Tulip

Artwork

AleSmith's bottles are often accompanied by the trademark AleSmith anvil.

See also

References
  1. Hirsh, Lou (October 27, 2015). "AleSmith Brewing Opens New Tasting Room in Miramar". San Diego Business Journal. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  2. "Best Brewers in the World 2012". ratebeer. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  3. List of 2008 winners, Great American Beer Festival
  4. "AleSmith to Partner With Danish Brewer". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
  5. World Beer Cup winners database

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