It all started innocently as something to do. I’d say to a friend, “Hey, a brand new brewery just opened, want to go?” Now, four years later, I’ve been to every single San Diego brewery with a tasting room. That’s 75 breweries at time of writing. That’s about 694 tasters, or 2,774 ounces of San Diego craft brew. Another interesting metric: of the 259 medals awarded at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival, I’ve visited breweries that took home 96 of those medals.

I first moved to San Diego in October 2009 and quickly realized that the city was part of a growing craft beer movement. On a cross-country road trip to arrive in San Diego, I had been visiting breweries in various towns across the country. I found breweries to be a great window into the local culture. They were typically welcoming places where you could chat with a local about the sights and events around town.

Similarly, visiting breweries in San Diego seemed like a good way to explore my new home and talk to locals about things to do. Oh, and the beer was pretty darned good too. Armed with the West Coaster web list and a Google doc, I started checking off breweries one by one. There were times when I couldn’t seem to keep up with the ever-expanding list, and there are still 30+ in the planning stages. Meanwhile, I was assigned to a full-time traveling role at work, so I took my quest on the road. I’ve now been to over 50 breweries in Colorado, 24 in Oregon, 19 in Alaska, 10 in Michigan, 6 in Boise, 6 in Nashville… the list goes on.

What have I learned on my journey, you might wonder? There are a few common themes within the San Diego craft beer community and some refreshing diversity as well. Overall, the dominant themes are quality, fun, and good people. As a non-native, I’m always interested to learn about the types of people that live in a town, and what I’ve found is that San Diegans want to enjoy life and live outside. Combine that with people who love beer and want to brew it, and you’ve got a beautiful thing.

There are all sorts of breweries in our community, from the legendary Stone to the nano-sized Wet ‘N Reckless. While the quality of the beer is always a good barometer, the quality of the owner is frequently just as important. At Stone, I know how much they do to support organic, sustainable food; how much they encourage collaboration and offer help to upcoming breweries; how much they give back to charities and valuable causes. You can’t necessarily taste that in the beer they make, but you can feel it. Ah, this potent IPA is helping to make the world a better place. Yeah, maybe you can taste it a little bit.

That said, the smaller breweries are usually my favorites. If you’ve been to more than a few in San Diego, you probably know the kind: you walk in, and you’re instantly part of the family. You’re greeted with a smile and a handshake from the person pouring beer, who also happens to be the brewmaster, who also happens to be the owner. And instead of a sheet with tasting notes, you get a conversation with the person who labored to craft what you’re drinking. Here, there’s a certain amount of bias involved – it would be like asking Noah what he thinks about the ark – but still. This is when you realize that drinking local is such a great thing. Why would you EVER buy a mass-produced beer when there is all this deliciousness going on in your backyard?

If you haven’t been out to visit the local production facilities, I strongly encourage it. You’ll gain a better appreciation for the product. You’ll get to meet some of the great people that are making San Diego such a respected craft beer destination. And in the process, you’ll appreciate the community that it fosters. Just like connecting with farmers gives you a better appreciation for food, connecting with brewers gives you a better appreciation for craft beer.

So whether you’re thinking of visiting all the tasting rooms, or maybe just starting with the one closest to you, here are some tips and tricks to help plan your mini or mega quest:

Don’t drink and drive. A lot of craft breweries make strong beers. A four-ounce taster of 10% beer is equivalent to a twelve-ounce bottle of 4% beer. Know your limit and have a designated driver. Consider buying a breathalyzer, which are frequently on Groupon for under $40. There are also apps such as AlcoDroid that can be extremely helpful. Focus on the beer and take notes. Like any tasting session, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. You’ll be surprised how far a few notes go. It’ll make the difference between “Oh, I’ve had that before” versus “yes, I remember it had a great piney aroma.” Don’t be afraid to talk to neighbors; they’ll add to the experience and sense of place. One of everything please! Sometimes tasting menus are huge. Don’t be afraid to ask for half pours – yes, half pours of tasters! I’m almost never turned down for this request, and it lets me sample the full list with half as much alcohol. If you don’t try them all, you may miss something special. Take in your surroundings. Is it hidden away in a business park, does it have an impressive tasting room, is the owner super-friendly? Sometimes these non-beer details are what you’ll remember and appreciate the most.

So what’s next? Over the next year, I’m going to visit all 182 breweries that won a medal at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival, and you can follow the journey at BeerTrotter.com