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Cosimo Sorrentino savors a parting gift

“Austin checked all the boxes for me,” says Cosimo Sorrentino, explaining his impending departure from both Original 40 Brewing Company and his hometown. “A growing city with young residents who have expendable income. The culture is thriving, with live music and other activities everywhere. The beer scene is well established, but still has significant room for growth. It is a short flight back to San Diego to see family and friends. Also, BBQ ...”

After initially making his mark at Monkey Paw and South Park Brewing, Sorrentino left for Europe before eventually returning and landing at Original 40. Now he will be leaving San Diego once again on May 7 to join Lazarus Brewing in Austin, Texas. But before he goes, Original 40 is releasing his final two creations: Exit Interview and Rafiki’s Ritual. Steve Billings, owner of Original 40, explains: “Exit Interview will be the final beer released that Cosimo saw start to finish. We will drop this beer on Friday, May 6.” Fans can expect hints of citrus, berry, and passionfruit along with an earthy, slightly piney aroma from the 5.4% ABV West Coast IPA brewed with Strata and Simcoe hops.

Original 40 opens its doors to a new brewer

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As for Rafiki’s Ritual, which is available now for pre-order with a May 7 release, Billings says that “Rafiki’s release coinciding with Cosimo’s departure ended up being a coincidence. This is a project that has been planned for several months, and he wanted to see it through, so he will stick around just long enough. His flight to Texas leaves that Saturday evening and he jumps into his new role Monday morning.”

A 12% ABV Imperial Stout, Rafiki’s Ritual was aged for 30 months in bourbon barrels, and a portion of it was accentuated with copious amounts of Madagascar vanilla bourbon beans, plus three types of cocoa (Fijian RakiRaki, Wild Bolivian Tranquilidad, and WIld Bolivian Itenez). As a result, the stout features a strong nose of bourbon and chocolate and delivers decadent flavors of crème brulee, roasted coffee, and marshmallow before finishing with sweet hints of bourbon. (For collectors who may be considering grabbing some bottles, Rafiki’s Ritual is available with both an orange and a maroon label, with both versions signed on the bottom by Sorrentino.)

For a small brewpub, losing a brewer is never easy, even moreso when it’s an award-winner like Sorrentino. However, Original 40 has successfully dealt with such change before, having found Sorrentino after its first brewer, Chris Gillogly, moved to Newtopia Cyder. Billings hasn’t chosen a successor yet, but has optimism as he faces the future. “Cosimo is a San Diego legend, and filling his shoes is no easy task. However, he is incredibly thorough and detailed, and has created flawless Standard Operating Procedures. We have been pleasantly surprised by the number of responses” to the announcement of a job opening, “and humbled by the quality and qualifications of candidates. We have interviewed quite a few, and feel very fortunate to have several local San Diego brewers who could continue what Cosimo has created and, in their own right, continue to take Original 40 further.”