By Dr. Ink
The waitress warned, with a pause in her voice, that the beer I was about to order is disagreeably sour.
“In a rancid way?” I asked of the Beatitude Pineapple Tart Saison.
“No, but it really isn’t my thing,” she replied, while attempting to steer me to the seven other tap choices selling for $4 a glass on the day’s happy hour list.
As a fan of most fruit beers, and a lover of all things pineapple, I told her to bring it on.
Rarely have I been to Slater’s 50/50 in Liberty Station without more than 100 other people occupying the place, most of them washing down burgers with the establishment’s huge selection of draft beers — 110 different options to be exact.
The reigning burger of choice is the nationally famous “50/50,” made with equal parts beef and ground bacon. I’ve had it before and finished it with gusto, not to mention a terribly guilty conscience.
In this visit, however, tranquility prevailed throughout the spacious dining room and sizable bar lounge. It was weekday happy hour — which commences at an ungodly early time to start drinking — at 11 a.m.
But on an errand-free day off from work projects, why not?
The drink and food discounts are available only at the spacious bar and surrounding lounge section, which features an elongated row of high tops with comfy leather banquettes. Even outside of happy hour during the evening dinner rush, it’s my favorite area to sit.
The saison, made by Council Brewing Company in Kearny Mesa, was undeniably tart, much like dry white wine. Appearing somewhat cloudy, it offered the soft carbonation of kombucha. The pineapple notes were weak, but pleasant. And with only 3.8 percent alcohol, I didn’t feel so hedonistic drinking it at a time of day when some people were finishing late breakfasts.
From the $5 food menu, nary a burger is offered, which is surprising in an establishment so well known for them. But I discovered instead that Slater’s cranks out chicken wings that are as good, if not better, than places like Dirty Birds or South Park Abbey, where wings are king.
These were delectably crispy, and the bright Buffalo-lime sauce I chose paired flawlessly to the tart saison. My only complaint was the amount of white space on the plate. I found it rather torturous that wings this sumptuous are served in mere foursomes.
Nonetheless, I’ll definitely return for happy hour on another freewheeling day that allows for late-morning imbibing, although it will be with an extra five-spot in my wallet to buy a double order of wings.
