Nothing spells “happy anniversary” like IPA

All the cool kids are doin’ it: brewing über-hopped double IPAs to celebrate their companies’ anniversaries. The most recent are San Diego stalwarts, Stone Brewing Co. and Coronado Brewing Company, both of which hit the big one-eight this year. Stone’s golden-brown India pale ale was featured as the Beer of the Week 14 days ago. Now, the venerable islanders get their moment in the San Diego sunshine, with the white hot orb glimmering off a condensation-sheen bottle of Coronado 18th Anniversary Specialty Ale.

To celebrate a year in which Coronado Brewing earned its first honors at both the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, the company went big. Make no mistake…this “specialty ale” is for sure an imperial-strength IPA behind alpha acid-rich hops, including Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Nugget. Those bine-harvested botanicals impart citrus and tropical flavors along with a touch of spice. The beer was well received during its debut at Coronado Brewing’s 18th anniversary event earlier this month. It’s now available at the company’s Coronado brewpub and Bay Park tasting room, as well as on draft and in 22-ounce bottles around the county.

It comes as no surprise Coronado Brewing went with an IPA as its celebratory offering. Last year, the company released a double IPA for Year Seventeen constructed from Citra, Green Bullet, Pacific Gem, Pacific Jade, and Wakatu hops. It was one of the best new beers to be produced in San Diego last year (in my opinion anyway), and served as a source of pride for Coronado Brewing’s crew. Beers produced in its wake have been of higher quality than those that preceded the anniversary offering, and this year’s specialty IPA is right on par and worthy of toasting 18 years in business.