The Beer

Thanks for your support! We sold out of Santa Cruz Strong Hoppy Blonde Ale at the Discretion Taproom, but find it at one of the 11 local breweries listed below!

The redwoods, with their interlaced roots and their green shoots reaching skyward, teach us to hold on to each other and to trust that after the fire we will see new growth. In support of the community we love – our home – twelve local breweries have banded together to offer this hoppy blonde ale.

Mosaic, Centennial, and Citra hops add fruity, floral notes to the light and biscuity malt character. Many thanks to Admiral Maltings for donating grain, Custom Label for donating labels, Berlin Packaging for donating cans, and Zephyr Pfotenhauer for donating label design.

We’ll split the cases amongst the participating breweries, and each will sell their allotted cans from their own taprooms.

100% of proceeds will be donated by each participating brewery to the Santa Cruz Community Foundation Fire Response Fund.

Participating breweries:
Discretion Brewing
East Cliff Brewing Co.
Fruition Brewing
Humble Sea Brewing Co.
New Bohemia Brewing Co.
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Shanty Shack Brewing
Steel Bonnet Brewing Co.
The Slough Brewing Collective
Uncommon Brewers
Woodhouse Blending and Brewing

We share the memory of pale ales of the past. They brought us into the fold of craft beer. They were full of flavor and of possibility. Here’s
our delightfully retro, wonderfully old-school tribute to that memory. Pine and citrus aromas, with a floral whisper, lead into toasty,
biscuity malt supporting notes of orange, lemon, and pine. Classic!

Brewed with local sage honey from Jeff Walls’ Family Honey just up the road in Soquel, this saison’s aroma bursts with fragrant, floral spice.
A pear-like fruitiness enhances the grain character, and there is a hint of black pepper on the palate. A very dry finish offers a suggestion of
honey. We could all use an Encouraging Word!

Like the best books, this pale ale is transporting and hard to put down. Resinous pine, balsam, and pineapple on the nose lead, like a perfect first sentence, into green tropical fruits, candied lemon peel, and more pine. An optimistic story, lovingly told, Book Club will have you savoring every sip and telling your friends so they can experience it too.

Exuberant hop energy amps up Young Rick’s forthright malt personality. The uninhibited hop aromas and flavors, each with something true to express (tangerine, grapefruit, lime, tropical fruit, pine), fling themselves gleefully around. The result is a spirited beer with power and attitude.

This dazzling attention- grabber glows with the clean character and pleasing bitterness of your favorite German- style Pilsner. Its shimmer is amplified, yielding a golden, noble beer with richness and depth. Let Neon Shine illuminate your situation.

Brewed with local sage honey from Jeff Walls’ Family Honey just up the road in Soquel, this saison’s aroma bursts with fragrant, floral spice.
A pear-like fruitiness enhances the grain character, and there is a hint of black pepper on the palate. A very dry finish offers a suggestion of honey. Its lively fizziness says, “Celebrate!”

Raspberries and hibiscus bring happy pink flavors and fruity aromas to this tart and refreshing beer. It tastes like a smile.

Without a doubt, this beer is barrel-aged!  It is the cream that we call into question. There is no cream in our double cream ale nor in cream ales in general.  But the smooth strength, rich mouthfeel, and malty sweetness of Barrel-aged Allegedly are well-proven. Time in a whiskey barrel added notes of vanilla and whiskey. Lively carbonation lifts aromas of pear and accentuates the dry, slightly tart finish. One sip will confirm its deliciousness.

Her Majesty’s Suitcase is a beer fit for royalty. Packed with rich aromas of coconut, vanilla, and chocolate, the sweet nose belies the beer’s strength. One sip reveals a velvety smoothness with notes of graham cracker and molasses.  Meticulous blending of choice beers from our barrel-aging program created an Imperial Porter elegant and powerful enough to please both the queen and her porter.

Available in 750ml Bottles for $20

When hops and yeast play together under the right conditions, hop components are transformed, and previously hidden aromas are unlocked.
On a resinous background, this full-bodied IPA reveals delectable aromas and flavors of lemon, tropical fruits, and green melon with a squeeze of lime.

Your splendid tropical fruit and floral aromas lead us eagerly into the opulence of you. Your golden hue promises a wealth of treasures, and you deliver such an abundance of bright and candy-like fruitiness. You whisper of green and resinous secrets, keeping us enthralled.

Parched? Quench your thirst with a glass of Margarita Road. We aged our Mexican-style amber lager in tequila barrels, then added sea salt and organic lime zest. The copper-hued malty lager has a bright and refreshing character that makes for easy drinking.

Our Contemplate beers showcase unique ingredients on a canvas of Belgian blonde ale aged for a year with Brettanomyces in American oak barrels.

Contemplate Grapes stars local, organic Chardonnay grapes. They give a vinous quality to the aroma, with notes of pear, mango, and citrus. Fermentation on the grape skins created moderate tannins which add heft and dryness. The grapes’ acidity lends balance and maintains the refreshing finish. With time, this variation may evolve more complex fermentation characteristics due to native yeasts on the grapes themselves.

Our Contemplate beers showcase unique ingredients on a canvas of Belgian blonde ale aged for a year with Brettanomyces in American oak barrels.

Contemplate Hops displays Jarrylo and Waimea hops. Jarrylo adds its own notes of banana and pear to those same fruit notes contributed by Brettanomyces. Waimea lends bright citrus and pine components that play well with the mild acidity. Together, the hop flavors mingled with Brett’s fruit esters present ripe stone fruit and a tropical touch of pineapple.

Our locally-raised Brewmaster has been wanting to name a porter after the Soquel freeway offramp since day one. Here it is, finally!
(Must’ve been stuck in traffic…) Aromas of deeply roasted chocolate mingle with notes of toasted black bread. Smooth caramel on the tongue transitions to bittersweet chocolate and roasted malt flavors with a pleasingly bitter finish.

This mixed fermentation wheat beer, made from locally grown unmalted wheat and locally malted pilsner malt, was fermented and aged in a Windy Oaks pinot barrel for two years. Complex aromas and flavors of vanilla, pear, peach, and melon are supported by rich oak tannins.

This beer supports the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, which works to preserve local lands and critters.

This Brett-ed wit with coriander, pink pepercorn, and chardonnay pomace was aged in a Windy Oaks pinot barrel for 18 months. The aroma is oaky, spicy, citrusy, and pear-like, with vanilla and some chardonnay notes. The light refreshing flavor starts with a kiss of tannin and gives way to a silky, oaky fullness.

We support the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, which works to preserve local lands and critters.

There is no cream in our double cream ale nor in cream ales in general. But the smooth strength, rich mouthfeel, and luscious malty sweetness of Allegedly are well-proven. One sip will confirm its deliciousness.

We have work to do.

We are learning and taking actions in solidarity with all who call for justice and equality.

We’ve brewed a Free Day IPA for the past seven years to celebrate Independence Day.  This year calls for more than festivities.  2020 has slapped us with the awareness, long overdue, that we’re not free till we’re all free.

Brewed to support the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

This hazy double IPA leads with mandarin rind on the nose, along with fresh-squeezed orange juice and a little bit of pine and green papaya.
The soft, round body supports juicy flavors of mango and a pleasing suggestion of green pine and grass.

Hi Motueka! Come on in! We hope you had a nice journey from New Zealand. Your layers of fragrance and flavor express zingy lime, tropical fruits still on the tree, and the leafiness of forests both flowering and evergreen. You are deliciously complex and sweetly generous. We’re so glad you’re here.

Hi Citra! We will never get tired of hanging out with you. Your exceptional aromas and flavors of orange, guava, melon, and green pine are so alluring. You make such a sweet first impression, and then you continue to entice and refresh us. You can come over any time.

Here gose our rendition of this 1000-year-old style, which originated in Goslar, Germany and used the area’s mineral-rich water and open
fermentation to deliver its characteristic tart and salt-tinged tang. Ours is kettle-soured and sea-salted, with the addition of the traditional coriander and some nontraditional lemon, orange, and grapefruit zest. This is one of the only beer types that has its own toast: when drinking gose, instead of “cheers,” say “goseanna!”

Is there anyone better to sit around a campfire with, telling stories, IPAs in hand? We think not. Cheers, Uncle Dave! Our Rye IPA has fruity/herbal hop aromas with a substantial supporting maltiness. The rye contributes a hint of peppery spice to this full bodied, complex IPA.

Available in 12oz and 19.2oz cans.

Put away the flashlights. The darkness is friendly and brings into focus the night’s scents and sounds. Night Walk, dry-hopped again after a year in a whiskey barrel, layers notes of vanilla and cocoa with the snap of citrus and pine.

Available in 22oz bottles

Barrel-aged Scenic Stout starts off with sweet boubon on the nose, leading to caramelized molasses and dark chocolate with vanilla and a
hint of licorice.  Lingering bittersweet chocolate is the last impression.

Our Trip Trap Trip Trap Bock aged over 7 months in Elijah Craig barrels.

This delicious strong ale balances sweet toffee and dried fruit oaky bourbon and vanilla notes gained from the barrels.

Released Friday, December 27th, 2o19.

Aged for over 15 months in French oak barrels, this old ale’s brettanomyces character expresses itself as fruity funk on the nose, with flavors of dried cherry leading to a dry finish.

Azacca hops, named after the Haitian spirit of agriculture, are exciting because of their intense fruity aromas. In this refreshing IPA, meet ripe mango, pineapple, papaya, pear, and citrus, along with a touch of spicy pine. Hi Azacca!

In this Red IPA aromas of sweet citrus mingle with wisps of pine. The fruity interplay between hops and caramel malt creates a beer that is
bracingly otherworldly.

Woodland Critters No.6 is a Red aged on second use tart cherries from Woodland Critters 3. The aroma is rich with notes of cherry cordial, cinnamon, and ginger snaps. Brett contributes a subtle funk with hints of tobacco and a cherry-like fruitiness. The flavor starts off sweet and fruity with a slight tartness, but transitions to peppery/woody mid-palate. The finish is spicy and almond-like, with hints of dried cherry.

The Woodland Critters series supports the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, which works to preserve local lands and critters.

Woodland Critters No.5 is a tart Saison w/ Meyer lemon zest, aged on second use peaches and nectarines from Woodland Critters 4. This Woodland Critters offering has a bright citrus nose with subtle brettanomyces funk. The flavor starts off tart with refreshing notes of lemon, then opens up to reveal a complex fruit character w/ hints of stone fruit and pineapple. The finish is dry and bready with a peppery bite.

The Woodland Critters series supports the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, which works to preserve local lands and critters.

“Follow the Creek” is always good advice, whether you’re seeking adventure upstream or finding your way home. This IPA will refresh you wherever you end up. Aromas of pine and citrus lead to lemon drops on the palate, enhanced by the sweet, grassy character of California grown and malted pilsner malt.

Dry-hopping brings a piney earthiness to the rich, toasty-caramel malt in this amber lager originally brewed to celebrate Discretion Brewing’s
fourth anniversary. The balanced marriage of malt and hops yields a session beer with gratifying character and depth of flavor.

Three Fawns is a Belgian-style tripel aged in American bourbon barrels. A boozy warmth redolent of vanilla, black pepper, and honey, along with soft berry notes, leads into a dry peppery finish influenced by oak.

Available in 500ml bottles

Brewers who sing are a wonderful thing. This IPA celebrates song-sharing as well as hops and malt. It’s loaded with tropical and stone fruit aromas along with accents of citrus and pine. Soft carbonation and a little malty sweetness provide backup harmony.

Pogonip Pale is named in honor of the meadows, forests, and creeks of one of Santa Cruz’s greenbelts. Fresh grapefruit zest enhances the
citrus character of cascade and chinook hops. Just as a hike in Pogonip refreshes the soul, Pogonip Pale refreshes the palate with zings of lemon and grapefruit on a delicate malt background.

A zwickel is a spigot that allows beer to flow from tank to glass. Hopzwickel, our modern American twist on a traditional zwickelbeer, is a pale, hazy, unfiltered lager that we have generously dry-hopped. Aromas of citrus and tropical fruit lead in to pilsner malt flavor and a mildly bitter finish. There’s nothing like a Hopzwickel on a warm afternoon!

Tens of millions of flowers were visited by local bees to make the honey that gives a taste of place and a dry finish to our Kolsch-style ale. Vinous esters mingle with a wisp of honey in the nose. The delicate malt flavor is gently accented with a touch of orange zest in this refreshing, food friendly beer.

Our delicious Oh Black Lager aged 10 months in 4 Roses & Waterford Reserve. Restrained bourbon, vanilla and oak tannin enhance the aroma and flavor of this complex brew. A small amount of Scenic Stout was blended in to round out the palette.

Play your part. Scan the code and use your voice.

A diversity of American hops all get involved in this IPA, contributing tropical and citrus fruitiness along with a piney, earthy hint of dank.

Woodland Critters No.4 will be released on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 11:30am. This barrel-aged sour blonde ale with stone fruit will be available in the taproom in 500ml bottles and won’t be around for long!

Nectarines and peaches from Kashiwase Farms lend their luscious aroma and rich fruit character, mixed fermentation contributes subtle funk, and oak barrels add structure, body, and soft tannins. This living beer is delicious now and will continue to evolve with proper cellaring.

The Woodland Critters series supports the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, which works to preserve local lands and critters.

Continuing our series exploring wild and sour fermentation, we are proud to release Woodland Critters No. 3.

This beer has a rich cherry aroma, moderate brett/lactic funk and subtle almond notes, and a dry finish with some oak-derived tannins.

$2 of every bottle sold will be donated to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, which works to preserve local lands and critters

We all live by the Submarine Canyon, a Grand-Canyon-sized marvel beneath our Monterey Bay. The canyon walls descend into cold darkness, but weird and wonderful life abounds.

In this IPA, fruity hop notes swim with whispers of Meyer lemon and sea salt. Every Submarine Canyon IPA sold supports the work of Save Our Shores.

The idea of hops and sour notes together may seem discordant at first, but one taste will set you on a harmonic journey to a resolution that feels like home. Fermentation lends the aroma notes of spice and earth. Dry-hopping adds tones of lime zest and apricot. The flavor is tart on the tongue, and then juicy nectarine floods the palate.

This year’s rendition of Wisdom Wheat Kindness is dry-hopped, hazy, and easy-drinking. Fruity aromas of pear, apricot, and citrus zest give way to soft wheat flavor. The finish is gently, pleasantly bitter and very refreshing.

We follow the creek, dodging brambles and splashing through shady pools to get to the blackberries hanging in the sun. Some berries are tart but we eat them just as happily, glad to be alive for both the sweet and the sour.

Our Bramble Ramble is tart, fruity, and refreshing. It’s fermented with organic blackberries, which impart a berry tang and a pretty purple hue.

This new-school hazy IPA is brimming with aromas of tropical fruits. Hops, hops, and more hops were added to this beer throughout the production process to create a distinctively succulent IPA with notes of pineapple and guava. You wouldn’t be blamed if you thought this was some sort of “new juice” rather than our latest IPA.

Originally brewed for the Redwood Mountain Faire, this blonde ale is a favorite for sipping beneath our beloved, towering redwoods.  Delightfully bright and refreshing, its low bitterness and subtle malt expression will win you over.

Now available in 12oz. cans!

Stone by tiny stone, a picture emerges…

In our Mosaic-hopped pale ale, shining facets of flavor and aroma build a beautiful beer. Breathe in papaya, guava, and freshly-bloomed blossoms, each scent an element of the Mosaic hops.

Zwickelbier is an old German-style lager that is always unfiltered and cloudy. It is named after a zwickel, a small sampling port on the outside of fermentation vessels. Think of it as Shimmer’s endearingly sincere younger brother.

The Winter Circle is a huge, twinkling pattern of stars that dominates the winter sky. Our Winter Circle casts a prevailing glow that decorates any darkness.

This barrel-aged version of our American Barleywine (3 months in Colorado Whiskey barrels) is a big, complex, copper-hued beauty. The whiskey barrels in which it is aged add notes of vanilla and oak to this luscious, heady sipper.

“What are you drinking?”

That first conversation between new-found friends has to start somewhere.

Our Conversation Series, a line of Belgian-inspired beers, begins with this versatile saison. Malted barley, rye, and wheat are fermented with a farmhouse yeast strain that contributes fruity, citrusy, spicy notes.

“This is divinely delicious. Its effervescence makes me want to celebrate something, but it’s so majestic that I almost want to be all alone with it, thinking big thoughts.”

They assumed she was paying attention only to the beer till she set her tiles down and said, “Triple word score.”

“Nice,” was all they could respond.

Everyone took another sip.

Our Belgian-Style Tripel is unfiltered and golden in color. The aroma is full of fruity esters with a bit of spicy/grassy hops in the background. The flavor begins with a malty sweetness, then finishes with some warming alcohol and a moderately dry hop bitterness.

Hole 27 (aka “The Top of the World”) at the legendary DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course offers one of our favorite views of Santa Cruz. Our Hole 27, a hazy IPA, provides a similarly expansive experience with piney, tropical, and citrusy hop character coming from generous hopping with Cascade and Amarillo, and a large dry hop addition of Idaho 7 – a fitting reward for your own legendary exploits.

The man who played his accordion for us in a small beer garden in Baden-Baden forever changed our impression of this instrument.

Thanks for the gorgeous music, accordion man. This beer’s for you!

Our golden-orange-hued Oktoberfest Lager is brewed with imported Pilsner, Vienna and Munich Malts for authenticity.

On the porch you can wave and chat or just sit back, observe, and appreciate, sheltered yet still a part of the wide world.

On The Porch Pale is an easy-drinking pale ale with bready malt flavors and a refreshing mild citrus hop bite.

Get off the boring route. Amazing panoramas await. Our export stout’s roasty, chocolatey flavors are rounded out by the addition of flaked oats.

Continuing our series exploring wild and sour fermentation, we are proud to release Woodland Critters No. 2.

The second offering in this series spent nearly a year and a half in the barrel. During that time the critters in the barrel, in this case Brettanomyces, feasted and worked their magic helping to create a special beer with a rich malt body, deep mahogany color, and fruity aromas of sour cherries and plum. Oak-derived vanilla notes complement the hints of caramel on the palate. The finish is dry, smooth, and ever so satisfying.

We have partnered with the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County for the Woodland Critters series, donating $2.00 for every bottle produced to help them continue their crucial work of preserving our local lands and critters.

Our amber is back, better than ever!  How do you like the way the richer maltiness balances the more intense hop presence?  We love it and hope you will, too.  Let us know!

“Glorioski!!,” Grandpa Larson would exclaim when delighted or impressed. This American Amber is glorious enough to warrant that booming expression of admiration, with its floral and citrus hop aroma melding harmoniously into caramel and pale malt flavor. This is a hop-forward, yet well-balanced West Coast-style amber.

“Sweet!” he declared.
“Not really,” she replied.
“It finishes quite dry.”
She tossed her blonde hair.
“It smells like pears to me,” she said. “With an edge. I like how it’s a little sweet at first, and spicy, then it finishes with a touch of bitterness from the hops.” She paused. “Pretty, yet complex.”
“Like you,” he said.

“May I please have another wit?”

“I’m amused by the one you have.”

A pinkish hibiscus hue tints this cloudy wheat beer. Each sip expresses a slightly tart fruitiness that refreshes the senses. Brewed with hibiscus flowers, coriander, orange and lemon peels.

Some times call for superlatives. The Best of Times is an English-style Best Bitter. Our interpretation of that classic, sessionable style is orange-amber in color, with fruity, nutty, spicy aromatics contributed by a characterful British ale yeast. The flavor is at once mellow, somewhat toasty, and slightly bitter.

Cruzer Weisse is our Santa Cruz version of Berliner Weisse, a traditional Northern German style fermented with both yeast and lactobacillus. In Berlin, some drinkers add sugar syrups to counteract the sourness.

Add a shot of homemade Tart Cherry Syrup for $0.50!

Lars and Kathleen spent a week wandering around Dublin during a heatwave, and all the Dubliners were in the parks with their shirts off enjoying the feel of the sun on their skin. Day by day they walked through St. Stephens Green seeing redder and redder skin as everyone excitedly burned.  It was a sunburn celebration. This is a traditional Irish Red: malty with a wee bit ‘o hops for balance. Sláinte!

Our small beer expresses more significance than many with twice the strength.  Earthy, spicy hop aromas and expressive maltiness explore the paradox that small can be considerable.

While we wait for the rains, foggy forest walks reassure us with green, misty promise. This IPA hints of forest pleasures with its dank, resinous, piney hop aroma.

Our old shepherd Faith would’ve made a great brewery dog, but she didn’t live quite long enough. (Dogs never do.) Here’s to her and to all the good dogs. Good Faith is a Strong Ale, with malt derived toffee and dried fruit notes.

Mickie Malone’s Irish eyes were usually smiling. She had a kind heart and a smile that beamed. I miss you Mom; this one’s for you.
Love, Michael

Irish-Style Dry Stout served on Nitro

Oh Black Lager, Keep on Rollin’… The sound of the black lager happily burbling in the brew house brought this song to mind. Similar in style to a German Schwarzbier, this lager is dark brown in color with a roasted malt aroma and a lingering finish.  Its flavor is malty and mellow with a slight roasty edge reminiscent of bitter chocolate.

Sitting by the creek, we launch flat rocks and watch them skip. We could do this all day.

Rock Skip is a “Session IPA.” It has the bitter bite and hoppy aroma of an IPA, but with significantly lower alcohol, so you can enjoy more of it! We dry hop this beer with Centennial and Cascade for a floral/citrus aroma.

She has a shimmery depth, like light on the fathomless sea. Our brewer’s wife, Eileen, inspired the name of this beer.  Shimmer Pils is a crisp and refreshing German-style Pilsner, a true lager with a balanced hoppiness.

Our brewer always has a song in his heart, and it makes us happy when we hear it. May you, too, have one, whether shared or all your own. “Song” is a British-Style session beer with soft roasty caramel notes and no bitterness. A song goes well with just about anything!

Squelch, splash, kaboom, brumbrumbrum, skritch skratch…A sound effect tells a story without words. Our Sound Effect is all about rye and biscuit malts playing with noble hops and a hint of coriander. It sounds like sipping.

Springtime invites some adventurous fun. The Lark Maibock is a festive lager brewed to celebrate the spring season. German Pilsner and Munich malts mingle to create a malty rich, yet smooth and balanced brew.

“Bock” means “billy goat,” and the name of our bock is the sound of the hooves of the 3 billy goats Gruff on the bridge that brings them to the sweet green meadow. Trip Trap is a dark, strong, Munich-Style lager with complex maltiness.

Our old shepherd Faith would’ve made a great brewery dog, but she didn’t live quite long enough. (Dogs never do.) Here’s to her and to all the good dogs. Good Faith is a Strong Ale, with malt derived toffee and dried fruit notes. This is the barrel-aged version of our Good Faith Strong Ale.

Get off the boring route. Amazing panoramas await. Scenic Stout, a Foreign/Export-Style Stout, is a stronger version of an oatmeal stout. Its roasty, chocolatey flavors are rounded out by the addition of flaked oats. This is our barrel-aged version.

SOLD OUT!!! Extremely limited release – only 350 bottles produced!

Woodland Critters was created with a mixed culture of pediococcus, lactobacillus, brettanomyces, and saccharomyces and was aged in a used whiskey barrel. Woodland Critters No.1 is a beer of marvelous complexity, featuring wine-like acidity with notes of plum, toffee, vanilla and dates with hints of the barrels previous life dedicated to whiskey lingering in the background.

$2 of every bottle produced was donated to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County that works tirelessly to protect local lands and critters.