Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Industry Alcoholic beverage
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

By Beer [13]

Aurora Hoppyalis San Diego-Style IPA

Mosaic Session IPA

Red Trolley Ale

Tower 10 IPA

Pintail Pale Ale

Columbia Street Amber

Wreck Alley Imperial Stout

Windansea Wheat

Tower 20 Double IIPA

Two Tortugas Belgian Quadruple

See also

References

  1. "Find Karl - Karl Strauss Brewing Company". Karl Strauss Brewing Company. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  2. "Local brewer heads above competition", San Diego Union -Tribune, September 29, 2009
  3. "Brewers Association Lists Top 50 Breweries of 2014". Brewers Association. March 31, 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  4. Washburn, David (2005-05-03). "Spreading the Word" (reprint). San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego, California. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  5. "Karl Strauss, 94; master brewer for Pabst helped pioneer microbrew trend". Los Angeles Times. December 27, 2006. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  6. Los Angeles Times, January 31, 1989
  7. Dickerman, Sara (May 25, 2012). "Beyond San Diego's Surf and Sun: Suds". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  8. Hirsh, Lou (October 24, 2016). "Karl Strauss Brewing Slates Opening for New L.A. Location". San Diego Business Journal. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  9. Los Angeles Times, March 16, 2001
  10. San Diego Union-Tribune, July 18, 2001
  11. Cleantechnica.com
  12. https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/the-competition/winners/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. "The Beer - Karl Strauss Brewing Company". Karl Strauss Brewing Company. Retrieved 2016-03-23.

External links

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