From the Beer Writer: During the day, I work at a brewery, and it’s not uncommon for brewers from other local fermentation interests to stop in for a pint or two. This is true of Chris “Giggles” Gillogly, who runs the brewhouse at recently debuted North Park brewpub The Original 40. He’s a big fan of our spot. It’s actually where I first met him many years ago when I worked for another brewery. That night, he told me he was going to get into the industry. After making good on that claim, he worked for breweries both new and established, learning lessons along the way that, along with some high-profile brewing awards, landed him his current gig. Now solely in charge, he’s doing things his way and it’s working out well. Case in point, Schlock Purist, a Pilsner he’s brought by my nine-to-five numerous times to get feedback from fellow brewers. Crisp and clean with delicate notes of hay and toasted bread crust, it’s not flashy, but it’s familiar, flavorful and a good place to start when tasting through Giggles’ line-up.

From the Brewer: “Schlock Purist is my personal favorite out of all our beers at Original 40. It’s a German-style Pilsner that’s flavorful but easy-drinking. There are a lot of people around that like tradition…even me. Since I’m brewing a traditional beer on our brewhouse in San Diego without all the provisions for decoctions and the like, I figured that made myself, and the other lager brewers schlock purists. The beer is simple and uses only ingredients that are Reinheitsgebot-approved; just Pilsner malt, yeast, hops and water. I build back the latter from RO (reverse osmosis) to get the exact profile I want for this one. It’s equal parts Czech Saaz and Saphir hops in the late additions for a floral, bright noble-hop character with the citrus notes that the Saphir brings. It was two-to-one Czech Saaz-to-Saphir on the first round but now its equal parts. I’ve had a few people tell me this is not how you make a good Pilsner, but the result is exactly what I was looking for in our house Pils. I suppose I’m a schlock purist, but you’d never know it by the way this beer tastes.”—Chris Gillogly, Head Brewer, The Original 40 Brewing