Arrowhead Pride Beer of the Week: AleSmith Brewing Company San Diego Pale Ale .394

Welcome to another edition of the Beer of the Week!

As always, the Beer of the Week is originally presented on the Arrowhead Pride Tailgate on 610 Sports Radio as part of my Defense and Beer of the Week segment.

During the offseason and preseason, each week’s Beer of the Week was chosen at random. Each week during the season, I’ll be choosing a beer from the opposition’s location — but one that can be obtained in the Kansas City area.

And I’m already breaking the rule.

This week’s Beer of the Week is straight out of San Diego.

Sorry, Chargers. When you get out of that soccer stadium, I’ll pick one from Los Angeles.

Say hello to AleSmith Brewing Company’s San Diego Pale Ale .394!

A 6.0% ABV Pale Ale, this beer bucks the trend of hoppy pale ales, coming in at 13 IBU’s. This makes for an easy-to-drink golden pale ale with sweet malts that still has a good hop nose, but won’t linger as bitter on your palate. It’s perfect for afternoon drinking while watching the game, and won’t overwhelm you after knocking back a couple of cans!

The .394 is named after late San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn — and his career high batting average from the 1994 season. Every beer purchased marks a donation to the Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation (TAG) that helps underprivileged children. So it’s not only a good beer from AleSmith, but also a good cause you’re helping to support.

AleSmith Brewing Company was started by a three man team in 1995 as a small 15 bbl brew system. Their Belgian Golden Strong Ale won a silver medal from the 1998 Great American Beer Festival — their first of seventeen medals.

In 2002, Grand Master Judge Peter Zien took ownership of the brewery and started formulating the lineup for which AleSmith is known to this day, earning the Best Small Brewing Company and Brewer of the Year awards at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival.

Since then, the brewery has grown to a 100,000 square foot facility with an 80 bbl system, making great beers like the Old Numbskull Barleywine-style ale and their near perfectly rated Speedway Stout. If you can get either in their barrel-aged form, you’re in for a real treat.

So if you can, make sure to swing by your local liquor store and scoop up some AleSmith Brewing Company San Diego Pale Ale .394 this weekend!

Check back here this time next week for the new Beer of the Week!