SoCal Vacation Day 3: Trying to Score Some Alesmith at a 7-Eleven

San Diego County is one of the world's best locations for craft beer. But of course, on a family vacation, there are plenty of reasons not to be spending it at bottle shops looking for the local beer finds. But the third night, with the kids safely to bed and with Linda's blessing, I drive one exit from our hotel up Interstate 5 to a 7-11 just off the Palomar Airport Road exit hoping to score some Alesmith.

Sounds like a fool's errand. One of San Diego county's finest of the many fine breweries, Alesmith, at a 7-11? Well, a little over a year ago, I wondered into that same 7-11 on a business trip looking for a diet Coke, and to my astonishment sitting behind the glass windows of the beer coolers but a few bottles of Alesmith Pale Ale and IPA. I picked them up immediately, and stuffed the bottles in some running socks I had in my luggage to keep them from breaking on the trip back home. I guess San Diego County is such a great craft brewing location that even the 7-11's have better beer selections that most liquor stores throughout the country.


Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky this night, as no Alesmith was in sight. Instead, I picked up a 22 ounce bottle of Stone Brewing's Arrogant Bastard which Linda and I shared for the evening out of the hotel water glasses. Maybe next time.