Monday 5th of October 2015 08:55:35 AM

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I made my third visit here yesterday and was again completely impressed with this place. Their selection is comprehensive and each of the seven beers that we tried were outstanding. The beer that this brewery offers could be considered benchmarks for the represented style. Their bock had just won a gold at the Great American Beer Festival last week and is a perfectly executed example of the style. Their strong scotch ale won a silver at the 2015 GABF. And the brewery and their brewer won the Very Small Brewery of the Year award at the 2015 GABF. Service has been outstanding as well with servers that are friendly and know their product. In my travels I have been to Dogfish Head, Stone, Founders and Victory all when they have been relatively new; none have excited me more than Rip Current. The fact that a brewery can achieve what this has in less than three years is incredible.

Saturday 26th of January 2013 07:30:45 PM

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So, the deal is; when in Southern California, if you happen to open a business of any kind that's within 25 miles of the beach, you name your business to invoke a feeling in the customer of laid back, sun & surf relaxation. Doesn't matter if your "burg" lies in the mountains surrounding by cougars, pine trees and snakes....this is Southern California, dammit and my business is called "Surf City Reptile Cleansers."

OK. I may be stretching the point...but not by much.

I present, Rip Current Brewing - approximately 12 miles from the nearest coast line.

Only open 7 weeks (we visited in late January, 2013) the brewery sits in yet another business park in San Marcos, a growing village mid-way between the North San Diego County hot seats of civilization; Vista and Escondido.

The only water we smelled came from the run-off (it was a rainy day...in Southern California??? Yes, contrary to popular belief, we DO get rain at times) and the water from the tap inside the brewery so no worries about being drawn under and out to sea by the aforementioned "rip current."

6 beers on tap ranging from a Double IPA to a Red to not 1 but 2 milk stouts....uh, sorry...that is to say milk-stache stouts...1 infused with Hawaiian coffee, the other with cocoa nibs. The coffee smell in the former is abundant yet the taste contains a bit of sweet and if I hadn't read that the other contained cocoa, I wouldn't have known. The Red was just another super bitter IPA, the brown was flat without taste (sorry to say, even a Newcastle would have won that battle!) while the Double IPA had less bite than the Pale Ale.

All in all, always glad to experience a new place and I wish them best of luck.

For me and wife Persimmon, there is no danger, nothing adventurous about this place...so we will swim in more treacherous waters where the tastes may threaten our sense of security.

Kowabonga, Dudes!