Oggi’s Sports Brewhouse and Pizza equips it’s brewpubs with only the freshest ingredients to create their award winning suds and variety of menu items. Oggi meas today in Italian, but to us Oggi’s stands for the OG of OC craft beer– founded in 1991 by brothers, George and John Hadjis, who initially opened a pizza joint and then in 1995 decided to add a micro brewery –offering some of the first craft beers in the San Diego area. At the 2004 World Beer Cup Oggi’s won three awards for their beer (Sunset Amber, Black Magic Stout and Caber Toss Wee Heavy) and were named Champion Brewery and Brewmaster; and have continued to win awards.
I recently visited their Mission Viejo location which opened last year, it’s a spacious fun spot to watch any game, with more than enough big screen TV’s (we’re told Oggi’s Mission Viejo really comes to life during football season). There’s a full bar and menu with your favorite Oggi’s pizzas, sandwiches, salads, wings and burgers. While Oggi’s is primarily known for their pizza (they are the official pizza of Angel Stadium), the menu has many options for food and craft beer pairing.
Try the fish and chips with the California Gold Blonde Ale (4.5% ABV), which won gold in the 2000 Great American Beer Festival. The Sterling Hops and Vienna Malts complement one another for a light and refreshing blonde with a delicious body of flavor. The flaky fillets are coated in beer batter using California Gold and fried to golden perfection. The Matador Burger is big and juicy, and topped with roasted jalapenos and a creamy cajun aioli sauce. Wash it down with the Hoppily Ever After IPA (6.5% ABV). Mosaic hops gives this IPA a hop forward bite with juicy notes of citrus, tangerine and grapefruit. A malt lovers delight, McGarvey’s Scottish Ale (5%ABV) won Silver at the 2017 GABF, it offers subtle flavors that sometime go missing in hoppier and bitter Ales. It pairs well with the Short Rib Sandwich. The caramel and toffee notes highlight the tender and flavorful meat morsels. Cheers to that!
Oggi’s Pizza and Brewing Company, 24042 Alicia Pkwy Mission Viejo, (949) 215-8570; oggis.com
