This post is written for ages 21+. If you are under 21 check out Matthew Gray Gubler’s Halloween Haunt.
Moving into our new home has opened up so many possibilities. Beyond the remodeling, we’re excited to furnish the space and create dedicated areas for relaxing, entertaining, and play. Because we love hosting, setting up the bar was a top priority. We even built a couple of bars for last year’s GMC DIY Challenge, so choosing the right drinks matters to us.
No bar is complete without beer — but not just any beer. While mainstream lagers have their place, they’re not our go-to. We prefer quality over quantity and avoid wasting money and calories on low-quality drinks.
Laura leans toward darker beers, and craft brews are always a hit with our dinner guests. Recently, San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing Company invited us to sample their newest release, Fathom IPA. We took the opportunity to host a small tasting with friends who know their craft beer. Many were already familiar with Ballast Point’s Sculpin and were curious to try Fathom IPA, which launched in October.
Fathom IPA was an immediate hit. The first impressions described it as “crisp and clean.” Our friends agreed it’s a beer that pairs well with a thoughtful meal. Ballast Point suggests pairings such as smoked mozzarella and heirloom tomato salad, seared tuna, black truffle ravioli, mimolette cheese, soft-shell crab sandwich, and even blue spruce ice cream for adventurous palates.
Across the group, people noted Fathom IPA’s pleasant bite and drinkability. At 6% ABV it’s balanced — noticeable but not overpowering — which kept the evening lively without anyone feeling over-served. After a couple of cans, our casual tasting turned into a proper party.
Design matters to us as much as flavor, and Fathom IPA’s packaging won us over. Ballast Point is well known for striking artwork on their cans and bottles, and Fathom continues that tradition. The deep-sea diver illustration, based on a painting by Paul Elder, stood out and felt right at home on our bar shelf.
We picked up Fathom IPA at our local Whole Foods. It’s distributed nationwide in six- and 12-packs, which makes it convenient to bring to tailgates, camping trips, or holiday gatherings.
Because it went over so well at our tasting, we’re stocking up more for our upcoming Christmas party, and we’re hopeful there’ll be some left for our post-Christmas camping trip to the Alabama Hills.
We’re pleased to be a Ballast Point Partner and helped introduce Fathom IPA through this post. This article is sponsored by Ballast Point, but all opinions are entirely our own and we purchased the beer ourselves.