Alpine Brewing Company’s latest beer is a must-try for animal lovers

Beer for a noble cause ... and a big cat

This week, follow the yellow brick road to Alpine. No, there won’t be a wizard at the end of the journey, but there will be a refreshing glass of “OH MY!”

Alpine Beer Company brewed its latest beer “OH MY!” in honor of Lions Tigers & Bears, an exotic animal and big cat rescue. The crisp, summer lager is exclusively available at Alpine Beer Company Outpost, located at 1347 Tavern Road, through the end of the month.

Nola, a “generic tiger” helped Moka (not pictured), also a “generic tiger” celebrate his first birthday at Lions Tigers and Bears, the big cat and exotic animal rescue organization, July 27, 2019, in Alpine, California.

(Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The beer is served on tap and costs $7. For every pint the brewery sells, $2 will be given to the big cat and bear sanctuary. These donations will help fund operations for the Alpine-based nonprofit, which rescues and provides support — including food, shelter and veterinary care — for abused and abandoned animals.

Learn more at alpinebeerco.com and lionstigersandbeers.org.

The 5-ounce soap bar is available to buy online and retails for $7.

(Courtesy Dr. Squatch)

A pairing of San Diego suds

Two local brands — Dr. Squatch and Stone Brewing — combined their efforts to create a unique, sudsy product: beer soap.

Launching today, the limited-edition bar of soap is not only inspired by the Stone IPA, but uses real Stone IPA beer in its product.

Dr. Squatch’s limited-edition soap uses real Stone IPA beer.

(Courtesy Dr. Squatch)

Other ingredients include anti-inflammatory hops, claimed to smooth and moisturize skin, along with menthol crystals, charcoal, sea salt, shea butter and more. The product is marketed as sustainably sourced and suitable for all skin types.

The 5-ounce soap retails for $7 and is available to purchase at drsquatch.com.

What I’m drinking this week

Beer Name: Apricito

Brewery: North Park Beer Co.

Style: Sour Ale

ABV: 8 percent

This week’s pick is a dangerous treat.

After a long day of work, I was seeking comfort and searched the shelf for my favorite style: a sour. With North Park Beer Co.’s fifth anniversary party happening this weekend, I picked up the brewery’s apricot sour ale, fittingly titled Apricito, to sweeten the evening.

Apricito, a sour ale from North Park Beer Co.

(Sara Butler)

And boy, did this drink deliver. More sweet and sour, every sip felt like I was squeezing an apricot into my mouth. It doesn’t just taste like fruit juice — I became convinced it might actually be fruit juice. Apricito might just be the most refreshing beer I’ve ever had.

I’ll be frank: this is not a beverage for beer purists. But if you’re feeling open-minded — or perhaps a non-beer drinker wanting to ease into the waters (come on in, we’re a friendly bunch!) — this is a must-try for summer.

This is not a passive beer. Do not multitask with this beer in hand. If you crack open the can while doing something else — completing chores, catching up with a friend you haven’t seen since 2019, typing up a beer column — you may forget that you’re drinking a high ABV adult beverage, not juice, and run the risk of guzzling the whole thing up before you can say “Apricito!”

North Park Beer Co., you’ve done it again. Happy fifth anniversary to the San Diego brewery — and drink slowly, my friends.

North Park Beer Co.’s Fifth Anniversary Party (NPBC5) is happening Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at North Park Beer Co.’s brewery and taproom, located at 3038 University Ave. General admission is sold out, but VIP tickets are still available for $150 (excluding fees and sales tax). Buy tickets at eventbrite.com/e/npbc5-5th-anniversary-party-tickets-165070164305.