What an EPIC end to this years SCALLYWAG! Beer and Music Festival, right at the Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego. This tour took bands such as Pennywise, Rancid, Bad Religion, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish and The Interrupters across five major cities in the western U.S. but San Diego was privileged to have none other than The Mighty Mighty Bosstones!

I had to keep asking myself what year it was with a line-up like this one, but the 12-year-old inside me was excited that I can finally drink and watch my childhood favorites. The Bosstones, Rancid, and Pennywise have all released new music within the past year so there was a good mixture of them thrown into their respective setlists.

As usual, Scallywag! opened the gates up for a four-hour free beer tasting featuring local and visiting breweries from noon to four, which gives you more than enough time to sample many of your favorites before the bands start playing. The beer lineup this year had over 150 craft beers on tap with over 40 breweries in attendance.

We would like to highlight some of our favorite parts of the night in a couple of segments we call

Under The Tent.

UNDER THE TENT: BEERS OF SCALLYWAG!

THREE PUNK ALES

 

 

From the heart of the #SouthBayUprising movement comes a brewery that embodies boldness right down to the last hop. Kevin and the staff from Thr3e Punk Ales in Chula VIsta, Ca like to add a personal spin to their brews and, every year around this time, also do the same for one of the most traditional German style ales out there… Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest – Because, you know, they’re punks and they can do what they want, this brew is their take on a Marzen style ale. Golden amber in color with a light, foamy white head and flavors of sweet malts combined with a prominent hop presence which kind of balance each other out fairly nicely.

THORN BREWING

 

 

I made a stop at another one of my local favorite spots at Thorn Brewing. With their second location opening up in Barrio Logan and their original North Park tasting room, San Diegans are mere minutes away from enjoying their delicious brews. Jay and the staff over at Thorn have recently released one of their Essential IPA Series beers in cans which are now available at your favorite local stores, Mystic Gnome IPA

Mystic Gnome – A West Coast style IPA with a 7% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) that pours a clear, bright golden color with a light white head. Lightly carbonated citrus and fruit flavors with a juicy, dank finish. Pretty refreshing brew for any day in San Diego.

TRANSPLANTS BREWING

 

 

Making their way from Palmdale, Ca comes a brewery that is a perfect fit for these rambunctious, punk rock enthusiasts. Transplants Brewing has some really fun artwork on their cans and merch which is what initially had drawn me to their booth and, as soon as I saw what I thought I saw, I had to try it.

S’mores Porter – It tastes pretty much what it sounds like. A dark chocolate porter with roasted malts, cinnamon and other spices. Thick and full bodied, but smooth and highly drinkable. If you visit their tasting room, this is served with a roasted marshmallow garnish to give you a campfire experience without actually having to leaving the city.

NORTHERN PINE BREWING

 

 

Keeping to the outdoors theme, from Oceanside, Ca we have Luis and the staff from Northern Pine Brewing. They recently celebrated their one year anniversary last month and they are quickly becoming a local town favorite. They offer a good variety of beer and beer styles that range from robust stouts to light and tarty sours so you can always find something you like.

Cool Story Bro ESB (Extra Special Bitter) – Now here we have an old world style beer that dates back to the early 1800s which is very complex in flavor profiles and almost takes you back in time for a bit. This 6% E.S.B. pours a bright copper color with moderate carbonation and tempered sweet caramel malt flavors with an earthy aftertaste.

Honorable Mentions: Hangar 24 Chocolate Bomber

 

UNDER THE TENT: BANDS OF SCALLYWAG!

LESS THAN JAKE

 

THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES

 

RANCID

 

Were YOU at Scallywag!? We would LOVE to hear from you. Please subscribe and comment below and let us know your favorite memory of this years festival. Cheers!