San Diego is vying for craft brewery supremacy. The city has seen an influx of breweries and tasting rooms. With the help of some friendly competition, Stone Brewery, Ballast Point and Karl Strauss among others have lifted San Diego to the top of lists crowning the cream of the crop. Within our ever expanding list of top breweries comes Bolt Brewery.

The once Fallbrook-based Brewery now finds its home in La Mesa and has opened the doors to its new location in Little Italy, located at the corner of Grape and India streets. Dating back to to 1987, this is a most welcomed comeback for the once short-lived San Diego brewery.

From pints to $1.50 tasters, this Bolt location features more than 10 beers to choose from and a weekly rotation of new brews to keep it fresh, offering plenty for everyone from novice beer adventurers to the experienced.

Within that vast array of choices, the Bolt Citra Pale Ale is definitely a standout selection. With a solid mix of citrus and hops, this American Pale Ale is very well balanced, which makes it a perfect beer to enjoy during these hot San Diego afternoons and a very solid start for anyone not familiar with Bolt Brewery.

Also impressive is their Nut Brown Ale. With its malty and clean taste, this ale almost tastes like a porter, but it is not at all cloying and has a very decent finish. Approach with caution if you don’t have experience with brown ales, you might want to go for the taster before you hit the full pint.

For those feeling a bit adventurous and looking for a good hot summer day drink, the Mango Me Crazy will fulfill this role. Refreshingly juicy and crisp with its fantastic mango taste, it’s very likely you’ll end up making this blonde ale a repeated choice during your visits to Bolt.

The beer aficionado in me suggests you get some tasters before you jump in to a full pint since there are so many great beers to try. Some honorable mentions are the Dan Stouts and the Villager IPA. Not always huge on stouts myself but the Dan Stouts has a great roasted flavor with very nice hints of chocolate. It’s sweet, smooth and very delicious.

The Villager IPA, on the other hand, is solid West Coast style India pale ale. It has a very up-front sweetness, a bit dry and slightly hoppy. It’s a great beer to have while eating a burger or a slice of pizza. Not the most impressive beer but definitely not one to overlook. Make sure you give this one a spin.

The location itself has a laid-back vibe with plenty of space and factory-inspired decoration. They do offer some food options, like a very great tasting pizza and wings. It’s a big plus for a tasting room to offer food, especially when some are opting for the bring your own food route. The big table facilitates the beer drinking experience, whether it is for a multiple beer tasting or a bite to eat with your brew.

With plenty of choices and very decent prices, you really can’t go wrong with any of the Bolt beers. Have one pint or two, or just order every beer on tap in their taster size. Bolt Brewery is a fantastic addition to the already amazing lineup of tasting rooms and breweries in Little Italy. Time to Bolt Up.