Dining with Topa Topa and Barbareño

The Central Coast Beer Week just wrapped up and with it came a successful beer dinner hosted on Sunday, March 26th, by Barbareño and Topa Topa Brewing Co. Since 2015 Barbareño has been bringing central coast cuisine to the area with a dedication to local ingredients, history, and modern cooking techniques. With dishes like Channel …

Dining with Barrelworks & Barbareño

Sour and wild ales have been all the rage for years now. Countless craft breweries have started their “barrel program” with these ales sometimes taking several years to produce as “wild” microorganisms slowly work their magic on the liquid. Sour beers will often feature several different microorganisms that communally produce and reduce different flavor compounds …

Matching the moment

While not always a conscious decision, our choices often reflect our moods and surroundings. Think about what drives your beer selections. Are you seeking something strong to spark up your night? Or selecting a lighter brew to refresh you from the day's work? With the vast array of beer flavors available our choices will indicate where we've been …

Brewing in pink boots

To celebrate this past International Women’s Day (March 8th), the Pink Boots Society (PBS), a non-profit organization focused on females in the beer industry, held a nationwide brew day for local chapters of the PBS to come together and collaborate on a special one-off beer. Showcasing the skills of female beer industry members and hopefully …

Summer days of barbecue and beer

With the June gloom somewhat dissipating and the Fourth of July around the corner, barbecue season is officially upon us. Summer is when beer really shines. The hot weather and long days make a cold, sparkling beer extra appealing. Fortunately, beer goes just as well with barbecue as it does with summer. Barbecue can get …

The Storm Begins

I woke up in a daze. It was the first official day of Burning Man but I had been there almost a week. Hammering, stomping, sweating, just getting dusty, helping build our camp. My legs dangling limp in my sleeping bag, sore from the week's work. I embraced my pillow, listening to the flow of …

Beer Matinee: The Princess Bride

The tale that has it all...action, love and plenty of one-liners. Rob Reiner's classic 1987 film The Princess Bride captures the essence of William Goldman's 1973 book of the same name. Each pairing follow this spectacular adventure so prepare for a night of sword fights, revenge and true love as you taste beers that follow the quest of …

Beer Matinee: The Big Lebowski

There are few movies that have such a fervid following as The Big Lebowski. This wonderful Coen Brothers film is about a burn out bowler caught up in a case of mistaken identity and is full of laughs with many memorable lines and personalities. Jeff Bridges' iconic character, The Dude, instantly inspires one to have …

The Flavor of Sound

     Music moves the mood but beer fuels it. Have you ever been to a party without music...? Not much of a party. When you think of the sensory contributions of beer, there is one element missing: sound. It is noise that is not covered by beer. Yes I have heard people argue the importance of …

Pairing a Pomegranate Wheat

As I made my way around town blending work with relaxation I decided to grab lunch at Santa Barbara Brewing Company (SBBC). Desiring something fruity, sweet, and sour, to compete with the heat of the sunny day, I chose their Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple Sandwich & garlic fries to pair with their Pomegranate Wheat. Of course I couldn’t forget …