Home > Tower 10 IPA brewed by the Karl Straus Brewing Company - San Diego, CA
Tower 10 IPA brewed by the Karl Straus Brewing Company - San Diego, CA
TOWER 10 IPA brewed by the Karl Straus Brewing Company - San Diego, CA
Tower 10 IPA
boasts hops from beginning to end, and everywhere in between. We fill the
brew kettle to the brim with assertive Chinook hops, giving the beer its
intense grapefruit and pine flavors that linger through its dry finish.
After fermentation, we dry hop with a blend of Cascade and Centennial hops
for a floral citrus aroma. A touch of lightly kilned caramel malts make
Tower 10 a well balanced, full flavored IPA.
How this IPA got its name
Mission Beach, the late 1980s. Amid a sea of neon bikinis, Tower 10 marked the
spot where two college grads and a 75 year-old master brewer drew up plans for
the first local craft brewery in San Diego since Prohibition. Named in honor of
our first good idea, Tower 10 IPA is brewed to inspire the next one.
Beer Review by Beer Advocate
Pale orange, slightly hazy, it has a small off-white, creamy head very slowly
shrinking to a thin thin and a hint of lace.
Aroma is light grapefruit, pine, candied citrus, caramelly honeyed bread. It is
very west coast, but pretty good and well-rounded.
Taste is juicy but dryish, with citrus pine, light toasty bread, juicy, yeasty,
minerally, with light sweetness and balancing firm bitterness. It is mostly
citrusy pine hop underneath a minerally-yeasty character with the elements all
light but firm and well-integrated and balanced. It is well rounded. Although
not overly flavourful or complex, and somewhat subdued, it is nicely rounded,
clean, well-integrated, and very drinkable, a very good, solid IPA.
How was Karl Strauss?
Karl Strauss was destined to brew beer. Born in 1912 on the premises of his
father’s brewery in Minden, Germany, he spent his childhood playing amid beer
barrels and sacks of fresh hops and barley. At age 19, he left home for Bavaria,
the brewing capital of Germany, to attend the Technical University of Munich-Weihenstephan.
There he earned a degree in the science and practice of malting and brewing, as
well as a Master Brewer certification. Given the political situation in 1930s
Germany, Karl had to look abroad for work. In February of 1939, he boarded the
SS Manhatten and set sail for America, in pursuit of opportunity. His job search
led him to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, home to one of the most famous breweries in the
United States.
Karl began his career at Pabst Brewing Company on the bottling line in May,
1939. But with his strong work ethic and educational background, he quickly
worked his way up the brewing ranks. In the 1950s, he was part of the team that
reformulated the recipe for Pabst’s Blue Ribbon beer. The improved version
catapulted sales for the company, and PBR remains an American
brewing icon to this
day. In 1960, Karl became Vice President of Production, overseeing all brewing
operations across the country. He held the position until he retired in 1983,
after 44 years with the company.
Not content to rest after his retirement, Karl launched a new career as a
brewery consultant, providing expert advice to breweries all over the world. In
1986, he was approached by his cousin Chris in San Diego about starting a
microbrewery. Karl thought it was a great idea. He helped design the brewery,
train the brewers, and create recipes for the first beers. He was so passionate
about the project that he even lent his name, face and voice to the enterprise.
Karl served as Master Brewer from 1989 to 2006, remaining involved in brewery
operations until his passing.
