It’s early morning at Kearny Mesa’s Kilowatt Brewing. As usual, beermaking is underway, but head brewer Brian Crecely is multitasking, applying focus to a side project that has him adding a bucket of pickles – brine and all – to one of his brewery’s light-bodied beers. The resultant “Pickle Ale” offers flavors of dill, garlic, coriander, mustard seed, black peppercorns, bay leaf and sea salt, all against a mildly acidity backdrop. It may seem outlandish, but it’s right on trend.

Over the past two years, brewers across the U.S. have begun crafting such sour, saline creations. The primary inspiration is the success of Donna’s Pickle Beer, which debuted in 2023 and has been on a tear ever since.

“It’s no surprise that pickles have moved to the forefront of food and drink of late. There are

See Full Page