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I can think of very few redemptive qualities for that armpit-of-an-area referred to as East County in San Diego. In fact, it baffles my mind that there is actually a section of the population that takes pride in the “EC.” To be fair, I must admit that the overwhelming majority of these folks also think that meth is an excellent recreational drug, racism is cool, and motocross is sick. But not all of us that call this hell-hole home are mental defects. There is actually one exceptionally redeeming quality of the EC: its proximity to perhaps the best “micro” (the place is literally tiny) brewery in the world, Alpine Beer Company. While for many of you, I probably just tossed whatever semblance of credibility I might have out the window, those who are fortunate enough to be within reach of the extremely limited distribution of this brewery will likely not argue much. And for those of you who now think I am delusional, you need only make the trek up the hill to Alpine to get a growler fill of their Duet IPA.

I often find myself thinking, ‘what the fuck were these guys thinking when they named their beer ____?’ For example, Ninkasi’s Total Domination IPA is a solid IPA if you happen to be in Oregon and can’t get any Cali IPAs, but it is a far cry from being a ‘total dominator.’ Duet, on the other hand, couldn’t have a more apt name. This is one sublime, harmonious motherfucker!

After fellow boozereviewer J David filled my favorite L’Aventure stemless Riedel to the brim, I paused for a half-second to admire the clarity of the deep golden goblet of goodness before I plunged my schnoz into the path of the citrusy, pyroclastic surge emanating from the healthy head of this beer. The harmony of the Simcoe-Amarillo hop tag team makes this one of the tastiest, most sessionable IPAs around: The perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness, citrus and floral notes, and just enough malt to give this beer a silky-smooth mouthfeel.

Thanks to the folks at Alpine Beer Company, life in the EC isn’t so bad after all. With growlers of Duet and Pure Hop, paired with barbecued quesadillas with grilled corn, onions, and homegrown Anaheim chiles, and fresh salsa with homegrown tomatoes and green onions, I can’t think of a better way to enjoy a summer evening in San Diego.

Just Duet! You won’t be disappointed.

Score: 99.5 points (It would have been 100, but I deducted .5 points for the limited availability- this should be a year-round offering.)

(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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