Orval is great, and I’ve recently gotten turned onto Le Chouffe (one of those librul pansy French sounding names which probably makes this a no-no for the “America FUK YAH!” crowd). Haven’t tried Rochefort yet, I’ll check it, thanks.

Though I prefer darker beers, nothing beats a nice Pilsner or white (Hoegaarden) on a hot summer day. Can you recommend some good Germans? This past weekend we were in Vegas and hit up the Hofbrauhaus just as they were kicking off their Oktoberfest brews, and man-oh-man they were tasty, from what I can remember. 🙂

I’m sure you are also aware that San Diego is quickly building a reputation as a center for high-quality breweries. Entire companies have popped up offering tasting tours around the North County breweries, similar to the California winery tours. Stone is great, check out their restaurant/brewery/gardens if you haven’t yet. It’s in Escondido off of Nordahl. There are a couple others up in Vista and I think even in Fallbrook.