Second Chance Beer Company | Craft Brewery in San Diego
The truth of the matter is, Second Chance co-founder Marty Mendiola did a pretty great job with his first chance, racking up a host of beer medals during his fifteen years brewing for the Rock Bottom brewpub in La Jolla. However, he appears to have saved his best for his second career, overseeing his own Carmel Mountain Ranch brewery: he's done nothing but make superb beer since launching in 2015.
A great example of that is Tabula Rasa toasted porter — which happens to pair superbly with a cheeseburger. In each of its first two years in competition, Tabula Rasa won gold in the robust porters category at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival, meaning the chocolaty, roasted malt beer doesn't merely rank among the best porters in San Diego, but in the entire country.
Another burger-friendly winner is its hoppy American red ale, Legally Red, which cruised on its rich, caramel malts and fruity hops to earn silver in the same competition. But this brewery's worth more than just a second look — every one of its beers tastes fantastic, with or without food. Don't miss its crisp Seize the Day IPA, or the unlikely balance of Seize the Coffee, the same IPA made somehow better with the addition of cold brew coffee. Tasting is believing!