Karl Strauss Brewing Company
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Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
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Founded | 1989 |
Headquarters | San Diego, California, USA |
Products | Beer |
Owner | Chris Cramer and Matt Rattner (private) |
Website | https://www.karlstrauss.com |
Karl Strauss Brewing Company is a San Diego, California-based craft brewery with eleven brewpub locations across Southern California and an onsite tasting room at their main brewery in the Pacific Beach neighborhood of San Diego. Besides being available at its own brewpubs the company’s beers are distributed across all of California.[1] Karl Strauss is the oldest surviving brewery in San Diego County, having been founded in 1989, and is credited with launching the county's rise to prominence in the craft brewing industry.[2] As of 2014 it is the third largest brewery in San Diego County and the 45th largest craft brewer in the United States, based on sales volume.[3] In 2016 Karl Strauss was declared the Mid-Size Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival.
History
In 1988, Chris Cramer and Matt Rattner asked Cramer’s cousin, Master Brewer Karl Strauss, to help them develop a brewpub. Strauss was a former vice president of production at Pabst Brewing Company.[4] Strauss agreed, contributing his library of hundreds of beer recipes, helping to design brewing operations, and serving as the company's spokesman on radio advertisements and in public appearances until his death in 2006.[5]
The company’s first brewpub, Karl Strauss Old Columbia Brewery and Grille, located on Columbia Street in Downtown San Diego, opened in 1989. It was the first brewery of any type to operate in San Diego since 1953, and the first-ever brewpub in San Diego.[6] At the time the craft brewing industry was in its infancy and the American standard for beer was light, mild and mass-produced, but Cramer felt that the country was ready for beers with more personality. He believed that “If we could get this style of beer into people’s mouths, we could create converts.”[7]
The company's first distributing brewery began producing beer in late 1991. In 1996 the company’s distributing brewery operations were moved into a 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) home office and brewing building in Pacific Beach. Also in 1991 the company opened its second brewpub: Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens in Sorrento Mesa. Additional brewpubs were opened in La Jolla (1996), Carlsbad (1999), Costa Mesa (2002), 4S Ranch in San Diego's North County (2012), Temecula (2013), Anaheim (2016) and Downtown Los Angeles (2016).[8] There is also a Karl Strauss brewpub at Universal Citywalk in Los Angeles and a Karl Strauss "beer truck" at the Disney California Adventure theme park in Anaheim.[9][10]
In 2009 the company made news by partnering with the Greenhouse alternative energy company in a program to convert its waste to ethanol for use as a fuel.[11]
Annual Events
Awards
By Event
- 2016 Mid-Size Brewery of the Year: 2016 Great American Beer Festival [12]
By Beer [13]
Aurora Hoppyalis San Diego-Style IPA
- Bronze: 2015 Great American Beer Festival
Mosaic Session IPA
- Gold: 2015 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
- Silver: 2015 AIBA (Australian International Beer Awards)
- Gold: 2014 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
- Bronze: 2014 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
- Bronze: 2014 Great American Beer Festival
Red Trolley Ale
- Silver: 2014 San Diego International Beer Competition
- Gold: 2013 Great American Beer Festival
- Bronze: 2013 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
- Bronze: 2013 San Diego International Beer Competition
- Bronze: 2013 CA State Commercial Craft Brew Competition
- Gold: 2012 World Beer Cup
- Gold: 2012 San Diego International Beer Competition
- Gold: 2012 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
- Gold: 2012 CA State Fair Commercial Craft Brew Competition
- Silver: 2011 CA State Fair Commercial Craft Brew Competition
- Gold: 2011 San Diego International Beer Competition
- Silver: 2011 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
- Gold: 2010 Great American Beer Festival
- Gold: 2010 World Beer Cup
- Silver: 2010 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
- Bronze: 2010 San Diego International Beer Competition
- Silver: 2009 San Diego International Beer Competition
- Bronze: 2009 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
Tower 10 IPA
- Silver: 2012 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
- Gold: 2011 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
- Bronze: 2010 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
Pintail Pale Ale
- Silver: 2013 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
- Gold: 2012 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
- Gold: 2011 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
Columbia Street Amber
- Gold: 2013 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
- Silver: 2012 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
- Silver: 2012 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
- Silver: 2012 San Diego International Beer Competition
- Bronze: 2009 San Diego International Beer Competition
- Gold: 2009 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
Wreck Alley Imperial Stout
- Silver: 2014 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
- Bronze: 2012 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
Windansea Wheat
- Bronze: 2015 Great American Beer Festival
- Silver: 2014 San Diego International Beer Competition
- Silver: 2014 LA Commercial Beer Competition
- Silver: 2014 CA Commercial Craft Beer Competition
- Silver: 2012 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
- Silver: 2011 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
- Gold: 2010 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
Tower 20 Double IIPA
- Silver: 2012 CA State Commercial Beer Competition
Two Tortugas Belgian Quadruple
- Bronze: 2011 Great American Beer Festival
- Silver: 2012 World Beer Cup
- Gold: 2012 California State Fair
- Silver: 2015 California State Fair
See also
References
- ↑ "Find Karl - Karl Strauss Brewing Company". Karl Strauss Brewing Company. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
- ↑ "Local brewer heads above competition", San Diego Union -Tribune, September 29, 2009
- ↑ "Brewers Association Lists Top 50 Breweries of 2014". Brewers Association. March 31, 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ↑ Washburn, David (2005-05-03). "Spreading the Word" (reprint). San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego, California. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
- ↑ "Karl Strauss, 94; master brewer for Pabst helped pioneer microbrew trend". Los Angeles Times. December 27, 2006. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, January 31, 1989
- ↑ Dickerman, Sara (May 25, 2012). "Beyond San Diego's Surf and Sun: Suds". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
- ↑ Hirsh, Lou (October 24, 2016). "Karl Strauss Brewing Slates Opening for New L.A. Location". San Diego Business Journal. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, March 16, 2001
- ↑ San Diego Union-Tribune, July 18, 2001
- ↑ Cleantechnica.com
- ↑ https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/the-competition/winners/. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ "The Beer - Karl Strauss Brewing Company". Karl Strauss Brewing Company. Retrieved 2016-03-23.