Societe Brewing Company

Societe Brewing Company is largely responsible for the existence of YOTB. It only took me one visit to realize that something awesome was “brewing” in San Diego. (Forgive the pun, I couldn’t resist). If a brewery like this could exist a mile away from my work, admittedly one of the least hip parts of town, what other breweries were out there?! One google search later and I realized that I was living in a craft brew paradise! Societe quickly became a regular haunt for me and my coworkers not only because of it’s proximity to work but also because of the delicious beers that are being brewed there.

Fun fact about the Societe logo: The characters in the crowd are the brewers’ friends, family & industry colleagues who donned their best “bib & tucker” during a silhouette photoshoot.

Still a relatively new brewery, opened in May 2012, Societe has quickly penetrated the local brew scene. Their beer is available at their tasting room, at stores locally throughout San Diego and is popping up on more and more draft lists at local bars and restaurants, including Brooklyn Girl!

Their 3,000 square foot tasting room is situated next to their 16,000 square foot brewery in Kearny Mesa. Needless to say there is plenty of room for large groups to gather, post up and sip on a variety of brews. They offer beer by the pint or tasters and if you really can’t get enough you can take home a growler.  Their growlers are some of the coolest I’ve seen by far. They offer Stainless steal in 1 liter or 2 liter sizes and 2 liter glass growlers.  Unfortunately, the picture below doesn’t do the glass growler justice. The sweet metal handle is hiding in the back, as is the awesome lid. Not only are the lids of these Growlers aesthetically pleasing, but they are more functional than the screw cap lids. First off, you’re not going to lose these lids because they are attached to the growler. While this may not seem like a big deal, a guy at Ballast Point recently offered me $20.00 for my screw cap lid because the brewery was out of lids and therefore unable to fill Grolwers – sorry sucka! And secondly, the Societe style lid provides a tighter seal than a screw cap resulting in fresher and longer lasting beer. If you’re able to keep beer in a Growler for more than 24 hours then a tight seal is crucial for maximum preservation. They aren’t cheap though, the 2 liter growlers are $25.00 + beer fill so consider it an investment in you beer future. A fill ranges from $15 – $17 depending on the alcohol content so after your initial investment a growler fill is a great deal! 

As with most breweries, Societe doesn’t offer any food, however you can usually catch a food truck in their parking lot or plan ahead and BYOC (Bring Your Own Cheez-it’s, obvi). They even have take-out menus behind the bar if you want to order in. If Pho or Thai Food is your thing – you’re in the right neighborhood. Of course you’re only a few miles away from the best sandwich shop in the area, Litl’ Peppers. Do yourself a favor and try The Comeback – you’re welcome in advance.

Ok – let’s get into the beer!

Their beer list isn’t extensive but it is comprehensive. They may not offer 25 different beers but they do offer a variety. They’ve broken their beer list into three categories: Out West, Old World, and Stygian. I still haven’t figured out the different categories mean so if you know, please feel free to make use of the comment section.

Click image to enlarge

OUT WEST
The Publican
A Hoppy Ale (aka American Pale Ale) with 5.5% ABV. It’s a great beer to start with especially if you’re a fan of the hopier IPA’s –  consider this one a warm up. It has a fragrant citrusy aroma with plenty of hops for your nose. The appearance is a golden light colored with a foamy white head. It’s a beer that you could drink three or four of sitting by the pool or tailgating before a Charger game at Qualcomm Stadium and not get sick of it.

The Pupil
An IPA with 7.5% ABV. This beer is on the heavier, hopier side as compared to the Publican. On a recent self guided Brew tour with friends and family this beer garnered the worst reviews. The general opinion was that it was lack luster next to the other beers that were available. It had an earthy flavor and medium hops which made for a just “Ok” flavor.  Julie went so far as to compare it to armpit sweat. How she knows what armpit sweat tastes like, I believe, is the real issue here. Stay Classy San Diego.

The Scrapper
SD Dark Ale at 7.7% ABV. It was hard not to compare this beer to the Widow. They are both dark ales but this one doesn’t pack the punch that the Widow does. It also doesn’t have the alcohol content that the widow does – compare 7.7% ABV to 9.2%. Dang! I’m not really sure what an SD Dark Ale is but I like – let’s put San Diego on the map!

OLD WORLD
The Harlot
Belgian Extra at 6% ABV. This is the crowd pleaser. This is a beer that everyone can drink and enjoy. It’s similar in style and taste to a Stella – and who doesn’t love a Stella! This is another pool side beer. Yes, us San Diegan’s spend lots of time next to pools and finding the right pool side beer is key! Personally I’d take this one over the Publican.

The Debutante
Belgian Amber Ale at 7% ABV. This was a hit with the majority. It was Julie’s favorite and even Danny B, Mr. Bud Light himself, enjoyed a pint. Believe me, I’m just as shocked as you are. It’s dark in color but not quite brown. It’s a bigger beer but not imposing. It’s extremely well balanced and makes for a good drinking beer.

The Widow
Belgian Strong Dark at 9.2% ABV. My notes exactly: “Yummy, smooth & Brown.”  I’d say that about sums it up. This is my favorite Societe beer. It’s 9.2% ABV but it doesn’t have the alcohol flavor that some higher ABV beers do. It smells sweeter than it tastes and is balanced beautifully with dark malts.  I’m going through a brown ale phase and this one is just right. Some brown ale’s lack flavor or they taste earthy like dirt. I have a 1 liter Growler of this left over from my “Bring Your Own Growler” New Years Eve party and my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

STYGIAN
The Butcher
A Russian Imperial Stout at 9.8 % ABV.  It’s an inky, opaque dark stout that stains your glass. This is a full bodied beer that you have to eat, it’s like a meal in a glass. The alcohol was not disguised as well in this beer as it was in the Widow.  The complex  flavors include the bitterness of coffee and dark chocolate combined with the smoothness of oatmeal and dark malts.

The Pugulist
An Irisih Dry Stout at 5.2% ABV. This beer is dark in color with a cream colored head. It tastes like Guinness’s first cousin. It’s a thinner bodied beer as compared to the Butcher but with similar notes of coffee and dark chocolate. Personally, between the two I’d go for the Butcher every time. 

Left to Right: The Harlot, The Butcher, The Debutante

Societe ranks high on my list of favorite breweries. The interior is comfortable and welcoming as are the staff behind the bar. There are huge tables and ample seating. The vibe is very low key and basic – no frills or thrills just good beer and plenty of room to enjoy it. It’s located a few miles south of Miramar road which is one of the most highly populated areas of Craft Breweries in San Diego. If you’re in the area, do yourself a favor and head south of the 15 a few miles and pay Societe a visit. You’ll be glad you did.

Bottoms up!

-Amatece