ALPINE BEER COMPANY

A humble brewery with a giant reputation, Alpine Beer Co has been brewing high quality and diverse beers since 1999, many of which are high in alcohol content and strongly hopped. The brewery acquired a loyal following due to the popularity of the bold flavours that Alpine had seemed to perfect. Even till date, Alpine is winning awards and nominations for their quality, small-batch brews!

No products found.

let's tap into their story!

Alpine Beer Company is a craft brewery located in San Diego, California. Founded in 1999, the brewery has become a beloved fixture in the San Diego beer scene, known for its innovative and delicious brews.

The story of Alpine Beer Company begins with founder Pat McIlhenney, who began homebrewing in 1983. When he first started homebrewing, he didn’t have any grand aspirations for his little hobby - he just couldn’t stomach the off-putting brews others were passing off as beer. However, after breweries like Mendocino started cropping up in California, he began to dream of opening his own brewery.

McIlhenney started to take his hobby seriously; he took notes, took critiques seriously, and methodically built a killer portfolio for the brewery he knew he’d eventually open. McIlhenney was great at crafting his own recipes, but he needed something else for his dream to succeed - he needed to learn how to operate a brewery.

McIlhenney started working as a brewing assistant at San Diego’s legendary AleSmith Brewing Company to learn about every little thing one needed to do in order to successfully run a brewery. From simple things like learning how to clean a tank, to more complex issues such as learning how to make hose connections with as little microbial intrusion as possible, McIllhenney made sure he got everything down pat.

In 1999, McIllhenney started contract brewing one of his homebrew recipes - an Irish red - with AleSmith, but found that he couldn’t keep up with the demand almost immediately. That was the final push that he needed; McIllhenney bought a brewhouse and built the brewing equipment he needed all by himself. As a result, McIllhenney turned his dream into a reality by finally opening Alpine Beer Company in Alpine, California!

Alpine’s flavourful and hoppy brews

From the beginning, Alpine Beer Company was focused on brewing high-quality, unique beers. McIllhenney believed that if his brews were good enough, customers would find him. As such, the brewery does not market and advertise its beers; its reputation is based on making good beers!

Alpine’s most celebrated beer, Pure Hoppiness, is the perfect example of this commitment. The Double IPA is resinous with a beautiful pale golden hue and has a piney and sweet citrus aroma that complements its bold hop character. Although beer drinkers’ palates have changed drastically over the years, Pure Hoppiness continues to appeal to many with its bold hoppy flavour.

Another popular beer from Alpine Beer Company is the Duet IPA, which is brewed with Amarillo and Simcoe hops. It's a balanced, easy-drinking IPA with notes of evergreen pine, orange zest, and hints of cedar. The Nelson IPA is another standout beer from the brewery brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand. It has a unique, fruity hop flavour that is well-balanced by the smooth, malty addition of European rye malts.

Alpine Beer Company: from here and beyond

In 2014, the brewery was acquired by Green Flash Brewing Company, which allowed them to increase production and expand their distribution beyond the San Diego area.

Despite the acquisition, Alpine Beer Company continues to brew high-quality, innovative beers that are beloved by beer drinkers in San Diego and beyond. With numerous awards under its belt, including several medals at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup, we can only quake with excitement over the delicious brews that Alpine will create in the future!