Welcome to the launch of the 7th Annual Sore Eye Cup, an award for the best, regularly produced indie beer in San Diego!
If you’re familiar with this contest, I hope you’ve noticed you’re on The Indie Beer Show site; I have finally united the search for San Diego’s best indie beer with the podcast! A big shout out of thanks to the other hosts of The Show for being on board with The Cup!
Last year was a resounding success, Treevana from Burgeon Beer Co. took home total victory! That beer, along with the only member of the Sore Eye Cup Hall of Fame, Speedway Stout from AleSmith, are the only two regularly produced, indie beers ineligible for this contest. You guys set even higher records for nominations and votes last year, well done!

We will honor the winning craft beer with an actual cup! At the announcement party, on August 10th, at The Rabbit Hole, we’ll fill it up with the winning beer and the winning brewery will drink from the cup right then, as is tradition! The winners can then bask in the glory of victory and have bragging rights for an entire year.
Here are the rules: beers nominated must be brewed here in San Diego County by a licensed, independent, craft brewery. They must be beers the brewery makes year round; seasonal, special versions, one offs, nitro versions and casks are not allowed. The beers do not need to be packaged (cans or bottles), just made all year long and available for growler fills (so we can buy some to judge). We’re looking for superior indie beers that are available to everyone in SD.
Nominate your favorite beer(s) by emailing us at Sore Eye Cup, tweet us (@IndieBeerShow), tag your nomination #SoreEyeCup in Twitter, comment on the post in Facebook, or comment right here on this post. Nominations are open from Friday, June 14th through Sunday, June 30th at 5pm. Voting down to the 10 finalist beers will happen right here at Indie.Beer , from July 5th to July 19th at 2pm.
The top ten beers, as voted by you, the best people on earth, will be blind tasted/judged by our panel of exemplary beer people . The judges range from craft beer enthusiasts to certified cicerones. We are truly looking for the best, regularly produced indie beer San Diego has to offer. The best craft beer, as chosen by us, will be awarded the esteemed Sore Eye Cup and receive all the prestige and glory we can bestow upon a brewery!
A giant shout out to the returning Sore Eye Cup sponsor, Tap Craft! Remember to contact Tap Craft for all your draft system supply, installation, and maintenance needs!
Setting the industry standard for all beverage draught systems, TapCraft is Draughting Quality Beverages.
Current nominated beers!:
Uncle Pat’s by Bitter Brothers
Needle in the Hey! by Thr3e Punk Ales Lil Dipa by Mission My Trusty Lama & Stoner Moment by Helix Hazy Daisy by Dos Desperados Hopmata, New Damage, Dankness Visible, Banksy & Surf Zombie by Beach Grease Dawn of the Deft & Double Deft Secret by Deft Clever Kiwi by Burgeon (current, reigning champion!) Special Pils & .394 by AleSmith Legally Red, Clever Hoppy Name, Tabula Rasa & Mulligan by Second Chance Swami’s & Ponto by Pizza Port Islander by Coronado Papa Shaka by Papa Marce’s Cerveceria Plenty For All by Fall Milagro by Pure Project Hop Cloud & Grapefruit Solis by Hess Sharks with Lasers by Home Brewing Co. Relay IPA by Thorn Zumbar & Pure & Simple by New English Devotion by Lost Abbey |
Schlock Purist by Original 40
Boss Pour by Abnormal Hop Fu! & Bird Park by North Park The Heiress, The Coachman, The Pupil & The Harlot by Societe Lebron Haze, Dank Drank & Aurora Hoppyalis by Karl Strauss Ice, Orderville & Blazing World by Modern Times Red Tide Ryesing & June Gloom by Gravity Heights Hopcondido by Escondido Goofy Regular by Duck Foot Electric Youth, Prince of Zamunda, & Dream Trails by Thunderhawk Digital Bath by Belching Beaver Vice Pink Guava, Prince of Dankness & Hipster Latte by Wild Barrel Endo, Bonkeur Mosaic Pale & Domestique by Rouleur Bear Cookie by Bear Roots First Date by Groundswell Alpha Chief by Indian Joe Electrocution by Amplified Windy Hill by Mikkeller Tropic of Thunder by Stone Brewing Jambi by Mason Chasing Citra by Resident Five Finger Discount & Space Oasis (Intergalactic) by 2 Kids Mongo by Port |
Gravity Heights June Gloom
Thanks Ryan, on the list!
My Trusty Lama &
Blue lake Brown by 13 Point
Thank you!
New Damage from Burning Beard
Rouleur endo
Thunderhawk lamping
Thanks Alex, I’ll add Endo and check out Lamping
BONKEUR by Rouleur, please if there can be one per brewery.
There can be as many nominated beers as the brewery makes year round! But Bonkeur is on the list!
Clever Hoppy Name- Second Chance Beer Company
Thanks Alex, on the list!
My Thirsty Lama – 13 point
Thanks, it’s on the list! Starting on July 5th we vote down to 10 finalists, those 10 final beers are judged against each other to determine the winner. Come back daily, starting July 5th to vote!
This Is Not My Beautiful Wife – Fall
Thanks Dan, unfortunately that’s a special release and therefore not eligible for this contest.
Legally Red, Second Chance Beer Company
Thanks! On the list!
Amplified Ale Works- Electrocution IPA
Thanks, on the list!
The Maibock at Eppig is my go to Sunday beer.
(also, Eppig’s tasting room in Point Loma is a great place to drink a beer.)
Thanks, I’ll find out if that’s regularly produced!
13 point!!! Trust llama and blue lake brown!!! 🍻
On the list Nicole! Be sure to come back daily from July 5th-19th to vote for your favorite beers.
All the Cheater Hops
Urbanite IPA
Foggy Diversion
Thanks Sean!
My trusty llama and blue lake brown by 13 point brewing company!!!
13 Points My Trusty Llama/Blue Lake Brown
My trusty llama and blue lake brown! 13 point brewing Co!
Stoner Moment Helix brewing
My trusty llama, and blue lake brown from 13 point in lemon grove.
PAPA SHAKA!!!! FO LIFE!!!!
PAPA MARCES
Dawn of the Deft & Double Deft Secret by Deft for me thanks!
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