GOAL. Brewing

Salzburg Red takes silver.

“The Bistro’s competition is the oldest and one of the most respected IPA competitions in California,” says Derek Gallanosa, head brewer at GOAL. Brewing. “I first learned about it when another San Diego brewer medaled at the competition about eight years ago. The high amount of recognition he received from both the public and fellow brewers got me curious to look into the details of the competition and how to join. Basically, you have to be vetted into the limited field from other brewers and/or industry folks.” The Hayward, CA competition featured more than 70 IPAs, so medaling was no small feat.

Gallanosa continues, “I first entered the competition almost four years ago when I was the head brewer of Moksa Brewing Co. in Northern California. We actually won the competition in 2021, receiving Gold for a West Coast Double IPA. When I moved back home in 2023, I reached out to the organizer about including GOAL. Brewing in the competition. Luckily, he accepted my proposal and my WC IPA called Salzburg Red won the silver medal.”

The award-winning ale is a 6.7% ABV West Coast IPA brewed with Mosaic, Cryo, and Centennial hops, which impart an aroma of grapefruit, pine, and overall dankness. It also boasts a bigger body than many other IPAs, allowing the taste to linger awhile on the palate. Despite its name, Salzburg Red is very pale in color; all of GOAL.’s West Coast IPAs are named after car colors.

Those wanting to taste the beer might want to act quickly, however. Gallanosa expounds, “I designed this beer with a specific hop varietal from a specific farm (Crosby). They grow, by far, the best Centennial available on the market in my opinion. Unfortunately, due to weather this past summer in the Pacific Northwest, the 2023 harvest from that farm didn’t produce enough yield to sell. Luckily, I was able to secure just enough to make another (larger) batch that will be available in our taproom this February.”

Brewing great bear is the GOAL.

GOAL. Brewing

In addition to West Coast IPAs, GOAL. offers a wide range of beer styles, from lagers to hazy IPAs, fruited sours, and dessert stouts. Or, as Gallanosa puts it, “Pretty much the most popular styles, but with an emphasis on precision and quality.” 

The ability to go to a brewery or tap room with some friends and enjoy a pint or two together is not something the brewery takes lightly. This is clear when Gallanosa talks about the origins of the brewery. “GOAL. Brewing is an acronym for ‘Get Out and Live.’ This business spawned out of the pandemic and is the brainchild of our owner, Jayson Pizarro. During that time, many places that people would normally frequent were closed off to visitors. We had to be creative, think about other ways to entertain ourselves, and break away from our normal rotations. We had to see what else was out there in the world. We had to get out and live.”