1. Saison By The Sea – Coronado Brewing Company.

Even-though Beer Advocate doesn’t give it justice I think this is the best beer out there right now…what do you think?

2. IPA – Manzanita Brewing Co

High quality small batch shop that really puts out some tasty stuff

I’m trying to come up with a top ten list. If you have any to add please comment below…

San Diegans like Bill Lyons who appreciate craft beer have watched as the city and county they live in has grown into one of the premiere brewing regions in the nation. Stone Brewing Company is now selling its craft beers around the country, having earned the distinction of being the largest brewery in Southern California and the 23^rd largest brewery in the nation among both craft brewers and the larger companies. Coronado Brewing Company (CBC) is another local favorite experiencing great success — so much so that the company is expanding its operations with a new warehouse-sized brew house that will quadruple its brewing capacity in 2012. But that’s just the beginning. There are many great craft breweries in San Diego County.

Port Brewing Company in San Marcos is one of the most popular craft beer producers in San Diego, largely because of the Pizza Port brewpubs that serve beer and pizza in Solana Beach, Carlsbad and now in Ocean Beach. Master brewer Tomme Arthur became legendary for the beers he started brewing for Pizza Port back in 1987, and his legend status has allowed him to start a project of his own that he now dedicates his time to. Arthur is responsible for the complex and flavorful line of Lost Abbey beers, which are all Belgian-style ales fermented with unconventional yeast strains for acidic, earthy flavors. He also helped start a revolution among American craft brewers by using bourbon, brandy and wine barrels to age the beer.

Ballast Point is another popular brewing company in San Diego, which has been adopting some of the same experimental styles that Arthur pioneered, such as the different barrel techniques. Ballast Point’s Brewmaster Colby Chandler, who also happens to be president of the San Diego Brewers Guild, has created some popular traditional West Coast brews including pale ale, IPA, amber ale, wheat beer and porter, as well as some Belgian-style sour beers for special events. You can find Ballast Point beers all over San Diego now, including many of the area’s most popular bars and restaurants.

For many beer lovers like Bill Lyons, San Diego brew pubs offer an ideal way to sample many of these local brews in one sitting, and most also serve some pretty good food. Toronado and Hamiltons Tavern along 30^th Street in the North Park and South Park neighborhoods are among the best. So next time you’re in San Diego, stop by one of these pubs and sample a couple of local brews.

If you ask Bill Lyons, San Diego is one of the top places to enjoy a craft beer in the country, and he’s not alone in this opinion. This city and county in Southern California is known as one of the nation’s leading regions for microbrew beer and has a strong Brewer’s Guild to back it up. (Even Will Ferrell thinks so)

One of the fastest-growing breweries in San Diego is Coronado Brewing Company, which is located on Coronado Island, just across the bridge from downtown. It has been in business since 1996, and founders Rick and Ron Chapman took their operation to a commercial distribution level a year later. The brewing company has outgrown its brewpub on Coronado, though, which is why it is expanding to a 20,000-square-foot warehouse in Tecolote Canyon where the Chapman brothers can brew more of their award-winning beers. If you ask Bill Lyons, San Diego is one of the top places to enjoy a craft beer in the country, and he’s not alone in this opinion. This city and county in Southern California is known as one of the nation’s leading regions for microbrew beer and has a strong Brewer’s Guild to back it up.

From left to right Brian Jensen of Bottle Craft, Rick Chapman of CBC, Ryan Stone, Bill Lyons

When the Chapmans started brewing their beer 15 years ago, they never expected to expand beyond their brewpub, which includes a 10-barrel brew house. There are also two Coronado Brewing Company restaurants on the island. They started out with four employees in the brewery and have expanded to 10 employees over the years. More employees will be added to handle production at the new facility, which will include a 30-barrel brew house and 60-barrel fermenters, as well as a retail shop and tasting room for visitors. People like Bill Lyons who have the good fortune to live in San Diego can visit the new brew warehouse for tastings as soon as it opens in spring 2012.

With five different varieties of six-packs, a selection of 22-ounce bottles and draft beer for their restaurants and other merchants throughout the region, the brewpub was simply stretched to capacity. It got even worse with the popularity of the Orange Avenue WIT and Islander IPA, which contributed to the company’s 64 percent growth in San Diego business last year. The IPA, which is one of the most popular types of craft beer on the West Coast at the moment, has a medium body and intense bitterness from the hops. The WIT is more of a mellow flavor that is infused with locally grown orange blossom honey and orange peels.

For now, Coronado Brewing Company will still be bottling and labeling all of its brews at 170 Orange Avenue, where the brewpub is located. Once the warehouse opens, however, the brewpub will focus more on specialty beers and seasonal brews. You can expect to see Bill Lyons there.

What is Bill Lyons’ favorite CBC beer? Well that would be the Summer Saison

Cheers!