Blind date: A brew day

In honor of November’s San Diego Beer Week, we sent these blind daters on a sudsy tour around the city.

Nov. 9, 2018 6:04 PM PT

If you’ve ever read a PACIFIC blind date, you know that Epic Limo has been shuttling our daters to and fro for quite some time now. The limousine service recently launched a new brewery tour service, so, to mark the occasion and give a nod to November’s San Diego Beer Week, PACIFIC chose this month’s daters, but let Epic take the reins (or rather the wheel) and drive the day’s schedule.

After priming the team, did Epic Limo brew up a hoppy day for our daters? We’ll soon find out.

A limo picks up Lauren from her place downtown, then heads north to La Jolla, where Kevin, holding a rose, is patiently waiting to meet his date. But before these two strangers lay eyes on each other for the first time, let’s review their pre-date interviews.

Where are you from and where do you live now?

LAUREN: I am a Texas girl, through and through, but now I live in downtown San Diego.

KEVIN: I’m from Chicago and am living in La Jolla at the moment.

What do you do for a living?

LAUREN: Funding supervisor for a business financing company.

KEVIN: A friend jokingly called me The Breakup Doctor one day, which eventually led to me building an online coaching and publishing company under TheBreakupDoctor.com brand. I’ve spent the last 10 years running this business, and helping people with dating, love, sex and relationships. Today, I work primarily with conscious entrepreneurs and business owners on how to grow and scale their companies.

Why are you going on a blind date in PACIFIC?

LAUREN: One of my friends went and she had a great time!

KEVIN: My friend got set up on one of these dates a couple years ago and had a great time. So when I was first contacted by the magazine to see if I’d be open to it, I decided to be adventurous and say yes. I figured it’d be a fun time at the very least.

What do you do for fun?

LAUREN: Anything to do with music. Concerts, dancing, overanalyzing lyrics.

KEVIN: I have a lot of fun spotting and savoring all the little synchronicities in life. I enjoy reading, writing and doing spoken word poetry. I also like hanging out with friends and hosting fun and intimate gatherings at my place. I always enjoy a good sunset.

What are you best at?

LAUREN: Chessboxing — look it up.

KEVIN: I’m great at connecting deeply with others. I’m good at putting things into words in a persuasive and compelling way. I’m good with pretty much anything pertaining to words — communication, connection, empathy — all that good stuff.

What do you suck at?

LAUREN: Answering these questions.

KEVIN: Daily structure and discipline. I’m a creative ideas kinda guy, so the gears in my head are always turning. Fortunately, my house is really clean and organized. But my thoughts… not always.

What are you looking for in a date, physically and/or otherwise?

LAUREN: Good shoe game, nice smile and some ambition.

KEVIN: Substance and sexiness. If I could expand on it further, I’d say depth, beauty, warmth, kindness and intelligence. Emotional intelligence is probably the most important.

Describe your special brand of sex appeal in five words or less.

LAUREN: Pretty girl swag.

KEVIN: I’ll do it in two words: subtle intensity. Or at least that’s how someone I dated once described me on the first night we met. Someone said “smoldering sexuality” the other week. Your mileage may vary.

What do you like least about yourself?

LAUREN: Ummmmmmm.

KEVIN: I can be too caring sometimes and end up betraying myself.

Rate yourself on a scale from one to 10 for looks.

LAUREN: San Diego eight.

KEVIN: Eight.

Rate yourself on a scale from one to 10 for personality.

LAUREN: San Diego 10.

KEVIN: Nine or 10, though it really depends on what you’re into. I’m certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. Could be a five to some people.

What’s your biggest fear?

LAUREN: The Cowboys not making it to the Super Bowl again in my lifetime.

KEVIN: The unknown. Evolving so much, so fast, that nothing is ever 100% certain — no matter how much I want it to be.

What traits could your date exhibit that would be complete deal-breakers?

LAUREN: Douchiness.

KEVIN: A penis. That would be a deal-breaker, for sure. A girl that’s dull or ditzy would be pretty hard for me to deal with too. I’m not really a fan of small talk.

How many people have you slept with?

LAUREN: A true lady doesn’t kiss and tell.

KEVIN: Enough to know what I’m doing, but less than what most people seem to think.

Fill in the blanks: I want my blind date to be “blank” and “blank.”

LAUREN: Nice and not too nice.

KEVIN: Sexy and deep. Kind and genuine. Conscious and witty.

Will the night end with a kiss, something more or something less?

LAUREN: Kissing is fine on a first date, but not when being recorded and asked about it first.

KEVIN: Probably a kiss at some point in the night. We’ll see where the rest of the night takes us after that. Can’t really answer this as I haven’t even met her yet!

What’s the most important thing in the world?

LAUREN: People, puppies and music.

KEVIN: Staying true to whatever is most important to you. Truth. Love. Alignment.

OK, so there’s not a ton of overlap in the Lauren-Kevin Venn diagram, but sometimes opposites attract, right?

Anyway, first up on tonight’s agenda is a tour through Green Flash Brewery in Mira Mesa. That’s where the Epic Limo pulls up and Devin, an enthusiastic brewmaster, greets Lauren and Kevin upon their arrival. For the next hour, Lauren and Kevin learn how one of San Diego’s most beloved breweries concocts its incredible ales, all while knocking back samples of Green Flash’s famous libations.

As the tour draws to a close, the chemistry between Kevin and Lauren is still questionable. However, the magic between Kevin and brewmaster Devin is impossible to ignore when, after discussing their shared love of music, Devin begins beatboxing and Kevin starts spitting some rhymes as Lauren looks on in awe.

“...She’s not giving me words because she’s too busy drinking.

I have no idea what she’s thinking. ...”

Shortly thereafter, the tour officially wraps up, and the daters head back to the limo to find out what’s in store for them next.

From Beeramesa to Beeramar

What will it take for this date to get hopping?

Mere minutes after leaving Green Flash’s facility in Mira Mesa, the Epic Limo pulls up at Legacy Brewing Co. Tap & Kitchen in Miramar. Offering a dozen in-house beers as well as some guest selections, Legacy serves gastropub food in a relaxed atmosphere — maybe a bit more relaxed than at least one of tonight’s daters was expecting, but hey, isn’t that the local craft beer industry as a whole?

Upon entering Legacy’s establishment, Lauren and Kevin grab a table and start perusing the menu. After they have time to wet their whistles and order some grub, we split them up for mid-date debriefings.

How’s it going so far?

LAUREN: Going pretty good. Good time, good beer.

KEVIN: Good.

What were your first impressions of your date?

LAUREN: He’s very nice. He brought a rose in the car, which I thought was very polite.

KEVIN: She was really friendly. She instantly hugged me, and I think I might have kissed her on the cheek. Our physical connection was quick. It wasn’t smoldering, but it was warm and affectionate.

Is this the type of person you’d normally date?

LAUREN: I date a lot of different types of people.

KEVIN: No.

What do you think of the way your date is dressed?

LAUREN: I like the black shirt. It matches how I’m dressed right now. Very classy.

KEVIN: How do I feel about jumpsuits? She looks good.

How was your experience at Green Flash Brewing Co.?

LAUREN: Great time. Devin was amazing. I learned a lot more about beer. The venue was amazing. We had a bunch of really good beers. One of my favorites was one that is brewed with Jameson and then the brew guy brought me a bunch of sours at the end and let me taste those because he knew I liked sours, so it was a great experience.

KEVIN: The tour guide was awesome. The place was cool, spacious, welcoming.

How was your experience at Legacy Brewery & Tap?

LAUREN: Our waitress was super nice. The fish and chips were really good.

KEVIN: The food’s delicious. The pork belly fries are delicious, very unique, craft-style. As far as ambiance, I was expecting something different, but the food’s bomb.

What’s the most attractive thing your date has done so far?

LAUREN: Very polite and actually, the rapping part was actually attractive to me. I love music.

KEVIN: I love how affectionate she is. There’s a prevalent physicality that feels good between us.

What’s the least attractive thing your date has done so far?

LAUREN: Nothing that I can think of right now.

KEVIN: I feel like I don’t know that much about her. I feel like I know about her, but I don’t at the same time. There’s nothing that stands out as least attractive; it’s more that I’d love to know more about what moves her, what excites her.

Rate your date on a scale from one to 10 for looks.

LAUREN: 10.

KEVIN: Seven.

And for personality?

LAUREN: 10.

KEVIN: Seven.

What’s your date’s most attractive quality?

LAUREN: Very pretty eyes.

KEVIN: I like her positive energy. Very positive and outgoing.

What’s your date’s least attractive quality?

LAUREN: His pants.

KEVIN: Is “I don’t know” an acceptable answer? Nothing in particular stands out.

Do you want to kiss your date right now?

LAUREN: Sure.

KEVIN: I think we already have.

Does your date want to kiss you?

LAUREN: I’m guessing yes.

KEVIN: I would imagine so, considering she initiated the first kiss in the limo.

How and when will the date end?

LAUREN: Probably another cocktail and then go home. It’s a school night.

KEVIN: After dinner, we’ll probably go someplace nearby that’s cool. I was thinking of Kettner Exchange since it’s open until midnight. Maybe go to my place. I don’t know.

The daters got schooled in beer at stop No. 1 and both are big fans of the food at stop No. 2. The evening seems to be on the right track, but even after initiating a kiss in the limo, Lauren only gets two sevens? C’mon, Kevin. Just because a number rhymes with your name, doesn’t mean you have to use it every chance you get.

Legacy ya later!

Despite the sizzle, this date fizzles

Once Lauren and Kevin’s dinner arrives, we leave them alone at Legacy Brewing and follow up the next day to find out what we missed.

How was your experience and dinner at Legacy Brewing?

AUREN: We had a really good time, the waitress was very nice. Good fish and chips and some good beer that we tried out. We had a couple of beer flights, and then we had some fries that were really good, they were covered in guacamole and cheese and all sorts of other stuff. We had fish and chips and then a grilled cheese sandwich with pork belly.

KEVIN: The food was good. We ordered a sampler of a bunch of different beers, which was super good. Some were orange, some were passionfruit. They have these crazy good fries, so that stands out.

Where did you go and what did you do for the rest of the evening after dinner?

LAUREN: We drove by a place on the way there called Cutwater, and it looked really beautiful on the outside, so we went back there and had a drink. And then went to The Spot in La Jolla, because it was close to his house. I had to work (the next day), so I couldn’t stay out too late.

KEVIN: After dinner, we went to this place called Cutwater, had a couple drinks at the bar. The ambiance there was super nice. Afterward, we hopped over to downtown La Jolla.

When did you get home?

LAUREN: Around 10:30.

KEVIN: I got home around 10:30, 10:45.

Was there a kiss or romantic exchange?

LAUREN: There was definitely a lot of hugging involved, maybe a little kiss at the end.

KEVIN: Yeah.

How and when did the date end exactly?

LAUREN: We dropped him off first in La Jolla and I went back downtown.

KEVIN: We were at The Spot in La Jolla and then I got dropped off at my place, and then the (limo driver) took her to her place.

What was the best part of the date and why?

LAUREN: Probably at Green Flash, the tour guide was very informative and made it very easy to start off with it, even though we didn’t know each other because someone else was involved. So that was fun.

KEVIN: During the brewery tour, the guy that was giving us a tour, we discovered that we all like hip-hop and we discovered that he makes beats and stuff. And I said that I rap and do some spoken word, and Lauren asked him to beatbox, but he was shy. I told him if he beatboxes, I’ll drop a flow over it. He decided to lay down a beat and I freestyled a bit. And then she made a joke that me and the beatboxer/tour guide really hit it off and that he was stealing her date.

Will there be a second date? Why or why not?

LAUREN: Probably not. We’re going to stay friends, but I don’t think we’ll end up dating.

KEVIN: I’m clear on what I want and what kind of relationship I’m looking to create, and I had a great time with Lauren. She’s wonderful, but I don’t see myself pursuing her.

What’s one thing your date really should know before going on another date?

LAUREN: He was a gentleman the whole time, so no complaints.

KEVIN: She’s great, she’s fun. She’s super outgoing and easy to get along with. I really dug her.

AFTERMATCH: On this mini brewery hop, the daters upped their knowledge while tasting numerous beers — plus mix-master Kevin schooled everyone with his (dope?) beats. But, we can’t say Lauren and Kevin were a brew made in heaven. Despite allusions of locked lips (is that considered a full mouthfeel?) the daters proved to be anything but attached. In this case, bitter is better used to describe the daters’ connection than the beers they consumed.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Daters’ answers may have been edited for length and clarity.

Special thanks to and promotional consideration from:

EPIC LIMO

858.270.LIMO (5466), epiclimo.com

GREEN FLASH BREWING CO.

858.622.0085, greenflashbrew.com

LEGACY BREWING TAP AND KITCHEN

858.695.9953, legacybrewingtapandkitchen.com

MATCHMAKER JESSICA PELLIGRA

matchandmagic.com

Blind Dates