The Beer

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

Field Song serenades us with notes of honeydew melon accompanied by backup harmonies of fresh citrus zest. Here is a beer that sings of hops
and barley and of wheat berries cultivated in the fields of Coke Farm in San Juan Bautista.

What would you drink if you lived in a Ruby Palace?  Our Barrel-aged Imperial Red’s lavish aromas of fruity hops (think pomegranate) and
hints of whiskey and vanilla invite you into your first sip. Facets of malt and hop flavor surround you with the splendor of honey, caramel, and a candy-like sweetness supported by a hop character that’s tropical and slightly resinous.

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.

Fresh hop beers can only be made during the hop harvest season.  Ours was brewed the same day the hops were harvested in Arroyo Seco.  This hazy pale ale exhibits fresh grassy hop notes, juicy citrus, and a slight herbal zestiness.  It’s an ultra-fresh and delicious seasonal treat!

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.

Peachy Please pour me a pint of IPA kissed by organic peaches and basil. This juicy beer suggests summertime strolls in orchards and gardens, with hints of sweet peach and the subtle green spiciness of basil balancing generous dry-hopping with Mosaic and Idaho 7.

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.

The Biere de Garde style originated as a farmhouse “beer to keep” in Northern France. Ours has been aged for nine months in bourbon barrels. It delivers notes of caramel, Rainier cherries, Marcona almonds, and a hint of peppery spice. Soft oak tannins give way to a crisp, dry finish.

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.

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 brew a different Free Day IPA every year to celebrate Independence Day and our freedom to make independent decisions. This year’s Free Day is clean and lightly toasty, generously dry-hopped with Idaho 7, Centennial, and Citra hops.  Be Free!

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.

The beautiful copper hue of this easy-drinking lager reminds us of the Sequoia redwoods that surround us in Santa Cruz. Secuoya Roja balances crisp lager character with light cereal sweetness tinged with organic maize. The comfortingly familiar flavor of whole grain bread is supported by a creamy mouthfeel that leads to bright refreshment.

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!”

Intriguing pepper and rye spice aromas are enhanced by notes of flowers and tropical fruits in this festive pale ale. Dry- hopping brought citrus and stone fruit to the party, backed up by mellow maltiness with a hint of pineapple. The finish is subtly spicy and warming. Happy sixth anniversary to us!

*Pink peppercorns are related to cashews and may produce an allergic response in people with allergies to tree nuts (source: https://www.savoryspiceshop.com/pink-peppercorns-tree-nut-allergen)

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 cans 6/7/19!

Put away the flashlights. The darkness is friendly and brings into focus the night’s scents and sounds. In our Night Walk, a dry-hopped black ale, bold hops mingle with chocolaty roast malt. Can an IPA be the color of night?

Our Scenic Stout aged 1 year in Venus Reposado barrels.

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

Our Good Faith Strong Ale aged 3 months in 4 Roses & Woodford Reserve Barrels.

We’re making a case for pillowy with this scrumptiously soft, double dry-hopped IPA. Fluffed up with pineapple and pine aromas, it relaxes
on the palate in gentle clouds of tangerine and grapefruit.

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!

Idaho 7 hops star in this SMaSH IPA, singing a juicy solo about honeydew, nectarines, citrus, and sticky pine. Gallagher’s Best malt from Admiral Maltings supports the hops with notes of lightly honeyed multigrain crackers. Take a sip and sing along.

Our brewer Tyler’s big pup, Bruce, has learned to be kind and gentle so he can patronize the beer garden. Good dog, Bruce! A pint of Bruce is
juicy with New Zealand hops, which contribute sweet, tropical notes of kiwi, mango rind, honeydew melon, and mandarin orange on a background of grass and pine.

What a treat, that a prickly cactus hides sweet fruit beneath its spines! Our (Prickly) Pear Necessities is kettle-soured and then fermented with organic prickly pears, which lend it a neon pink glow. The exotic aroma is both fruity and earthy, while the subtle tartness hints of watermelon rind and sour bubblegum.

A beach made new by waves and wind is a sweet discovery. Refresh yourself with New Beach, a golden IPA with nuanced aromas and flavors of tropical and citrus fruits with a hint of pine.

In this Red IPA aromas of sweet citrus mingle with wisps of pine. The fruity interplay between hops and caramel malt create 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.

Cat and Cloud coffee supplies the roasty notes in this twist on the traditional stout. Graham cracker-like maltiness and warm notes of vanilla coming from both vanilla and and the bourbon barrels are enhanced by the coffee’s rich, chocolatey character. Served on nitro, the creamy mouthfeel leads into smooth, dark flavors surprising in so golden a beer.

“Brut” means “dry,” and this emerging beer style, born in San Francisco, brings dryness and sparkle back to the IPA genre. Our version is
bright with gooseberry, melon rind, and hints of tropical fruit, finishing clean and dry. The bitterness is low but balanced, letting the hops shine.

“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 pilsner malt.

Coconut Telegram doesn’t shout about coconut, but it clearly signals the news. Organic toasted Sri Lankan coconut adds tropical depth to this
sunny IPA, while bright citrus and pineapple hop character enhances the message.

Our Free Day IPA, different every year, is brewed to celebrate Independence Day. This year, tropical aromas of pineapple and guava, rounded out by apricot, lead into grassy, biscuity notes supplied by California-grown malts from Alameda’s Admiral Maltings. Subtle malt, sweetness balances with hop-driven fruitiness, yielding a juicy, delightful beer.

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 500 ml bottles for $12 on Saturday 5/4/19

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.

Every Santa Cruzan knows that summer days are about watching that line between the fog and the blue sky. When the Fog Lifts will make you feel like the sun just came out. Stone, citrus, and tropical fruits mingle with resinous and woody hints, along with the suggestion of geranium.

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.

Take a Short Stroll through cedar and citrus, with some soft grass underfoot. Green grape and pineapple notes refresh the senses, grounded by spicy breadiness. This hazy session IPA will adjust your attitude and entice you to have another.

We’re toasting our Five Year Anniversary with this brightly-flavored, juicy IPA full of melon, stone and tropical fruits, and a celebratory bouquet of floral aromas.

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.

Tart you glad our kettle-soured brown ale features raspberries? The aroma greets you with prominent raspberry character, and rich malt with notes of raisin, prune, and a hint of chocolate complement and soften the tart raspberry. The finish is full-bodied yet so refreshing!

Available 2/10/18!

A barrel-aged version of our flagship lager Shimmer Pils, fermented with 100 % Brett funk and released in celebration of San Francisco Beer Week 2018.

Brett Blonde is a slightly fruity, subtly funky Blonde. Notes of bread, pineapple, melon, and Brett funk in both nose and flavor are accented by the zing of cloves. Rounded by pilsner malt sweetness, the finish is dry and refreshing.

Available 2/10/18!

A barrel-aged version of our flagship Uncle Dave’s Rye IPA, fermented with 100 % Brett funk and released in celebration of San Francisco Beer Week 2018.

Brett Dave’s has aromas of apricot and moderate funk. Hops contribute citrus and tropical fruit notes. The flavor mirrors the aroma, with an emphasis on stone fruit and more of that beautiful Brett funk, finishing with a warm touch of baking spice.

“What happened? It’s almost a triangle.”

“I don’t know. It was a circle when I got here.”

The frolicking hops in this hazy Belgian Pale might alter some geometry. Mango, melon, and pineapple aromas and fruity Belgian yeast esters play well together, gently pushing and pulling toward a well-rounded tropical fruit finish with a hint of spice and flowers.

Blenda is a legendary Swedish heroine renowned for her cleverness, courage, and leadership. Celebrate the strong women in your life while enjoying nuances of toasted honey wheat bread and graham cracker in this strong blonde ale.

Bees have five eyes but don’t see the color red. Too bad, they will bumble right by this red IPA, unless enticed by its aromas of candied
orange peel and pine leading to fruity citrus flavors rounded by caramel malt. Colorblind or not, you will be drawn in.

“What’s your favorite double album?”
“Hmmm, I can’t decide. London Calling? Goodbye Yellow Brick Road?”
“Really? Mine’s Blonde on Blonde. Or wait! Physical Graffiti! Bitches
Brew! All of them, sustained complexity, and refined potency that just
keeps on going.”
“Yeah, put something on. Cheers!”

5th Conversation made it’s Discretion debut in December of 2013. Now it’s back and better than ever for an encore performance! The beer is a deep copper-colored Belgian-style Dubbel with complex aromas of ripe fruit and spice.

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.

Let me be clear. I’m a juicy IPA, but you can (almost) see right through me. A nose of pineapple, kumquat, and lemon flower leads you into a delectable citrus punch, low in bitterness and redolent of fruity hops.

Early Journey is a SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop) beer featuring Organic Maiden Voyage malt from the newly opened Admiral Maltings in Alameda, CA. We pair this toasty, biscuity pale malt with experimental X-117 hops from The Oregon Hop House. This hop’s grassy, earthy notes pair beautifully with the malt and together make for an exceptional pale ale!

Breezy Season is a hybrid of the Saison and Biere de Garde brewing traditions. Aromatic and spicy, it has an enhanced caramel maltiness typical of the Biere de Garde style, while fermentation with a Saison yeast lends peppery, clove-like, and fruity characteristics. Three months in French oak barrels from Windy Oaks Winery adds soft vanilla notes as well as complimentary caramel and baking spice character. The result is this elegant farmhouse beer that balances the roles of malt, yeast, and barrel.

I am honest and charming, malt-forward with very little bitterness. I’ve been dry-hopped with Simcoe, which gives me a nuanced aroma that will win you over right from the start. Cheers!

Amber, the tree-sap-derived gemstone, can be distinguished from ambergris, a whale product, by the fact that it’s too dense to float.  Ponder this while sipping our amber ale, its malty body hinting at biscuit and toast before meandering towards toffee and dates. Hops lend a subdued and classic pine-focused balance, with a bright and fruity twist to finish.

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 kettle-soured and then fermented with organic blackberries, which impart a berry tang and a pretty purple hue. Saison yeast adds to the complexity of this refreshing beer.

Hazel Dell, a brown ale based on an English brown malt profile, was fermented with Belgian ale yeast and saison yeast and then aged for three months in Windy Oaks Winery Pinot Noir and Grenache barrels. The nose is a complex blend of warm spice (derived from the yeasts and the barrels), rich caramel/toffee (from the English malt bill and the barrels), and subtle fruit (from the wine and yeasts). The flavor is bready and caramel-like with sweetness balanced by oaky tannins.

There’s nothing like a Hopzwickel on a warm afternoon!

Hopzwickel is a pale, hazy, unfiltered lager generously dry-hopped with American aroma bombs Citra and Mosaic. The aroma is citrus and tropical fruit giving way to slightly sweet pilsner malt flavor and a mildly bitter finish.

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.

Available in 19.2oz cans TO-GO ($5.50) or FOR HERE  ($9.50)

We’re getting to know the experimental hop Exp-117 from one of our organic growers, Pat Leavy at Oregon Hop House. It lends a soft, delicate fruitiness and hints of marmalade to the aroma of this easy-drinking British-style pale ale.  We hope you’ll enjoy it while getting to know the people around you a little better.

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.

Our whiskey-barrel-aged Imperial Stout is dark, rich, and authoritative. Aromas of roasted malt, whiskey, and oak draw you in, and the first sip reveals deep caramel, toasted marshmallows, and fig.  A lingering, roasty bitterness brings all of these elements into balance.

Complex hop chords improvise some jazzy joy.

Floral, tropical, and citrus notes play well together in this easy-drinking, highly aromatic IPA.

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.

Our SMaSH (Single Malt Single Hop) dry-hopped lager’s toasty  Vienna malt and Cascade hops bring to mind the phenomenon of falling toast and what it reveals to us about the nature of our universe.  If Murphy’s Law is a truth, beer (plus wisdom, wit, and kindness) helps.

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.

MuCho Chocolate Porter is the result of a collaboration with our friends at Mutari Chocolate in Santa Cruz.  Three varieties of single origin cocoa nibs (Bolivian, Ecuadorian, Madagascar) are combined with specially selected malts to showcase a complex balance of roast and terroir.

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.

This hoppy lager resists categorization. It does its own good thing.
Different Drummer is light reddish amber in color. Its bready, malty aromas with moderate spice and floral hop notes lead to a firm yet balanced bitterness.

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.

Second Conversation: The stories deepen and extend past twilight, moonrise, midnight. It’s hard to tear oneself away when chocolate is involved. Cacao nibs from Ecuador, European roasted malts, and Belgian saison yeast  make for an engaging conversation. The aroma hints at dark chocolate, the flavor is rich and satisfying, and the surprisingly clean finish leaves you wanting more…

“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.

“Wow! You’re Wheelie Joe’s dad?”
“Yep.”
“I can’t believe we’re having a beer with Wheelie Joe’s dad!”
Get connected with 14th conversation, a dark saison with notes of clove and rye. This malt-forward winter saison has a fruity, spicy bouquet with hints of fig and chocolate. A rich malt backbone and velvety mouthfeel belies it’s dry finish, and leaves one eager for the next sip.

“Are you single?”

“I don’t feel single.”

“So you’re a double?”

“No, it’s lighter than that.”

Our session Abbey ale, burnt orange in color, has aromas and flavors of multi-grain bread, with bright fruit and bitter spice notes.

This big, complex American Barleywine is a bright, copper-hued beauty with a heady fermented fruit aroma, restrained malty sweetness and a slightly bitter finish.

“Gee, darling. This is delicious!”

“It’s Darjeeling.”

16th Conversation is an unfiltered saison with a bright, refreshing, slightly tart flavor. Organic Darjeeling tea leaves added post-fermentation contribute floral and earthy notes.

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.