Meet Your Maker: Josh Schaner

A five-minute walk from Fletcher Cove, Pizza Port Solana Beach is heaven for someone who loves beer and craves waves.

Which makes it the perfect spot for Josh Schaner.

Head brewer at this Port, the 27-year-old surfer recently discussed beer and the beach, a match made in Schaner’s divine corner of San Diego County.

PACIFIC: When did you have your first beer on the beach?

JOSH SCHANER: My first beer on the beach was probably right after I started working at the Carlsbad Village Pizza Port in 2013. We walked right out front there by Tower 38 to watch the sunset.

What beers do you grab after an afternoon of surfing?

Perfect beers after a surf sesh? A Kölsch, a pale ale, a dry IPA, blonde ales, maybe even a nice kettle sour - something light-bodied and refreshing. Nice hoppiness and not too much in ABV (alcohol by volume), so you can have a few.

How about while watching the sun set over the Pacific?

Luckily, here in SoCal, we have warm weather even when the sun goes down, so I still prefer a nice hoppy IPA, a double IPA or even a nice barrel-aged sour. If it were cold, we would start talking stouts.

Pizza Port pumps out a tsunami of ocean-themed beers, everything from

Shark Bite to Swami’s. What’s your favorite, and how does it resemble its namesake?

My favorite is the Ponto Session IPA. This beer is perfect for a hot, summer beach day: light-bodied, low ABV, nice hoppiness. Whether the waves are mackin’ or the sun is blasting at Ponto Beach, this crisp and hoppy session IPA always does the trick.

What would be your perfect day on a local beach?

It would probably take place here in Solana. I would definitely have my dog with me, a surfboard or two, a small ice chest with a few cans and a growler of fresh brew. Sun is out, waves are firing, everyone else is at work or on some other beach.

Pizza Port (Solana Beach): 135 N. Hwy. 101, Solana Beach 858.481.7332, pizzaport.com/locations/solana-beach