Stone Brewing Company
Encyclopedia
Stone Brewing Co. is a craft brewery headquartered in Escondido, California
. Founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California
, it is the largest brewery in Southern California
. As of 2010, it was the 14th largest craft brewery and 23rd largest overall brewery in the United States.
The beers available in six-packs are the Stone Pale Ale, Stone Smoked Porter, Stone IPA, Stone Levitation Ale, Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Stone Ruination IPA. Stone uses 22 ounce bottles to feature their "bigger character" beers and Stone Special Releases. Compared to most brewers, many Stone brews feature alcohol percentages that are well above average. The alcohol-by-volume content of Stone brews ranges from 4.4% to well over 11%.
per year, and also includes an on-site bottling line. The site is also home to a restaurant, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, a 300+ seat restaurant which features a large outdoor patio and 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) of gardens. The restaurant serves a rotating menu of food—concentrating on organic, free-range and local ingredients—and beer from Stone, local San Diego and regional California craft brewers, and other specialty breweries in the United States and abroad. The brewery also houses a Stone Company Store where Stone merchandise can be purchased in addition to one and two litre growlers which can be filled with Stone's seven year-round beers and special releases.
In June 2008, Stone Brewing became more eco-friendly when they covered the roof of the brewery with solar panels, cutting their energy costs nearly in half. The 1,561 roof-mounted solar modules will offset more than 538000 pounds (244,032.7 kg) of carbon emissions over its lifetime, which is equivalent to planting 204 acre (0.82555944 km²) of trees.
In 2011, Stone announced plans for major expansion, which will include a new restaurant and brewery in Point Loma, expansion of its Escondido brewery to 500,000 barrel per year capacity, a 18.7 acre organic farm to supply produce to its current and future restaurants, and a shop in the South Park neighborhood which will sell its beer in bottles, kegs and growlers.
); thus, the second was released on March 3, 2003 (03.03.03), the fourth on April 4, 2004, and so on. The last in the series will be the Stone 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale.
of Vista
and the Carlsbad
location of Pizza Port
restaurant to brew and release Green Flash / Pizza Port Carlsbad / Stone Highway 78 Scotch Ale, named for California State Highway 78 that links Escondido and the other two cities.
, an event held every year by CAMRA at Earl's Court, London
.
Stone Brewing is consistently rated as one of the best brewers in the US and world by the two largest beer enthusiast websites, RateBeer.com and BeerAdvocate.com. Stone Brewing has been voted by the readers of Beer Advocate as the #1 Best Brewery all time ever, two years in a row.
show Weeds
, one of the main characters, Andy Botwin, is occasionally seen drinking Stone IPA. In season 6, when the family is supposed to be in Seattle, a Stone Brewery advertisement is seen behind them at a bus stop.
Arrogant Bastard is also seen in the film Cabin Fever
.
Escondido, California
Escondido is a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills, just north of the city of San Diego, California. Founded in 1888, it is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. The city had a population of 143,911 at the 2010 census. Its municipal government set itself an operating...
. Founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California
San Marcos, California
San Marcos is a suburb of San Diego in the North County section of San Diego County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 83,781. Outside the San Diego region, it is best known as the home of California State University, San Marcos...
, it is the largest brewery in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. As of 2010, it was the 14th largest craft brewery and 23rd largest overall brewery in the United States.
Characteristics
Stone Brewing is known for its aggressive Arrogant Bastard Ale, although the brewery considers Stone Pale Ale and Stone IPA to be its flagship beers. Most of their beers are characteristic of west-coast craft brews; that is to say, most beers have a traditionally 'hoppy' flavor. Stone beers are bottled in 22 ounce bottles, 12 oz six packs, and occasionally 3 liter bottles.The beers available in six-packs are the Stone Pale Ale, Stone Smoked Porter, Stone IPA, Stone Levitation Ale, Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Stone Ruination IPA. Stone uses 22 ounce bottles to feature their "bigger character" beers and Stone Special Releases. Compared to most brewers, many Stone brews feature alcohol percentages that are well above average. The alcohol-by-volume content of Stone brews ranges from 4.4% to well over 11%.
Brewery
In 2006, Stone relocated from its original brewery in San Marcos to a new, custom-designed facility in Escondido. The new brewery currently has a capacity of 250,000 US beer barrelsBarrel (unit)
A barrel is one of several units of volume, with dry barrels, fluid barrels , oil barrel, etc...
per year, and also includes an on-site bottling line. The site is also home to a restaurant, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, a 300+ seat restaurant which features a large outdoor patio and 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) of gardens. The restaurant serves a rotating menu of food—concentrating on organic, free-range and local ingredients—and beer from Stone, local San Diego and regional California craft brewers, and other specialty breweries in the United States and abroad. The brewery also houses a Stone Company Store where Stone merchandise can be purchased in addition to one and two litre growlers which can be filled with Stone's seven year-round beers and special releases.
In June 2008, Stone Brewing became more eco-friendly when they covered the roof of the brewery with solar panels, cutting their energy costs nearly in half. The 1,561 roof-mounted solar modules will offset more than 538000 pounds (244,032.7 kg) of carbon emissions over its lifetime, which is equivalent to planting 204 acre (0.82555944 km²) of trees.
In 2011, Stone announced plans for major expansion, which will include a new restaurant and brewery in Point Loma, expansion of its Escondido brewery to 500,000 barrel per year capacity, a 18.7 acre organic farm to supply produce to its current and future restaurants, and a shop in the South Park neighborhood which will sell its beer in bottles, kegs and growlers.
Year-round beers
- Arrogant Bastard Ale is an American strong ale. It is marketed by warning to potential consumers that they are "not worthy" of such a beer. It is a popular beer among craft beer aficionados. Local designer/illustrator Thomas K. Matthews created the original gargoyle in 1996. He also drew the Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone Ruination IPA and Stone Levitation Ale gargoyles, as well as barley and hops motifs.
- OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale is a variety of Arrogant Bastard aged with oakOakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
chips, and has been produced in limited release 3 Liter bottles with a lock three times: November 2004, 2005 and 2006. In August 2007, OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale 12oz six packs became a year round release. It has also been produced on draft from time to time under no set schedule since its first release in November 2004. - Stone Pale Ale is a California-style pale alePale alePale ale is a beer which uses a warm fermentation and predominantly pale malt. It is one of the world's major beer styles.The higher proportion of pale malts results in a lighter colour. The term "pale ale" was being applied around 1703 for beers made from malts dried with coke, which resulted in a...
. - Stone IPA is a fruity, hoppy India Pale AleIndia Pale AleIndia Pale Ale or IPA is a style of beer within the broader category of pale ale. It was first brewed in England in the 19th century.The first known use of the expression "India pale ale" comes from an advertisement in the Liverpool Mercury newspaper published January 30, 1835...
featuring Magnum and Centennial hops. - Stone Ruination IPA is a very highly hoppedHopsHops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
India Pale Ale. The bottle bears prodigious warnings of the high levels of bitterness (rated at over 100 IBUs) as well as its ruinous effect on the palatePalateThe palate is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but, in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separate. The palate is divided into two parts, the anterior...
. - Stone Levitation Ale is a dry hopped amber ale.
- Stone Smoked Porter is an American porter-style ale.
- Stone Cali-Belgique IPA is a Belgian IPA, a relatively new style which is a cross between an IPA and a Belgian ale.
- Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale is described as a Black IPA, another relatively new style. This beer was originally introduced as Stone 11th Anniversary Ale.
Special releases
- Double Bastard Ale is a more intense version of Arrogant Bastard, with an ABV of 10.5%. It is a special release item and goes on sale every November in 22 ounce and 3 liter bottles.
- Stone Imperial Russian Stout is a Russian Imperial Stout released in the 2nd quarter every year.
- Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine is a barley wineBarley wineBarley wine or Barleywine is a beer style of strong ale originating in England. The first beer to be marketed as Barley Wine was Bass No. 1 Ale, around 1870...
released in the 1st quarter every year. - Lukcy Basartd Ale was a blend of Arrogant Bastard Ale and Double Bastard Ale, and then oaked. This beer was a one-time release commemorating 13 years of Arrogant Bastard Ale.
- Stone Oatmeal Stout was a one-time release commemorating 12 years of Arrogant Bastard Ale.
Stone Anniversary Ale series
Stone releases an Anniversary Ale every summer, each one using a different recipe and bottle design.Stone Vertical Epic Ale series
Since 2002, Stone has been releasing a series of eleven beers under the Stone Vertical Epic Ale header. Each one uses a different recipe and is designed, when the release is complete, to complement its partners in a tasting of all eleven, one after the other (a "vertical tasting"). Each is released one year, one month, and one day apart, beginning with the first on February 2, 2002 (02.02.02 in a common date format on the Gregorian calendarGregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
); thus, the second was released on March 3, 2003 (03.03.03), the fourth on April 4, 2004, and so on. The last in the series will be the Stone 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale.
Collaborations
In 2011, Stone collaborated with Green Flash Brewing CompanyGreen Flash Brewing Company
Green Flash Brewing Co. is a craft brewery headquartered in the Mira Mesa neighborhood of San Diego, California. It was founded by Mike and Lisa Hinkley in 2002 in Vista, California before moving to its San Diego location in May 2011.-West coast style ales:...
of Vista
Vista, California
Vista is a city in north San Diego County, California. It was incorporated January 28, 1963 and became a charter city on June 13, 2007. Located just seven miles inland from the Pacific Ocean in northern San Diego County, the City of Vista has a Mediterranean climate...
and the Carlsbad
Carlsbad, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
location of Pizza Port
Pizza Port
Pizza Port Brewing Company is a brewpub with four locations in California . A new location in Ocean Beach, California opened in May of 2010...
restaurant to brew and release Green Flash / Pizza Port Carlsbad / Stone Highway 78 Scotch Ale, named for California State Highway 78 that links Escondido and the other two cities.
Awards
On August 6, 2009, Stone Levitation Ale was declared the third place winner of the annual competition for American cask-conditioned beers at the Bieres Sans Frontieres bar at the Great British Beer FestivalGreat British Beer Festival
The Great British Beer Festival is a yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign for Real Ale . It presents a selection of cask ales and other alcoholic drinks from the UK and beyond. The festival is also home to the Champion Beer of Britain awards...
, an event held every year by CAMRA at Earl's Court, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Stone Brewing is consistently rated as one of the best brewers in the US and world by the two largest beer enthusiast websites, RateBeer.com and BeerAdvocate.com. Stone Brewing has been voted by the readers of Beer Advocate as the #1 Best Brewery all time ever, two years in a row.
Popular culture
In the televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show Weeds
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
, one of the main characters, Andy Botwin, is occasionally seen drinking Stone IPA. In season 6, when the family is supposed to be in Seattle, a Stone Brewery advertisement is seen behind them at a bus stop.
Arrogant Bastard is also seen in the film Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever (film)
Cabin Fever is a 2002 American horror comedy film about a group of college graduates who rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a flesh-eating virus. The film was the directing debut of filmmaker Eli Roth, who co-wrote the film with Randy Pearlstein...
.