About Me

I’m a professional sports and beer writer as well as a fan. I freelance for BeerAdvocate Magazine occasionally, my book, We Make Beer, from St. Martin’s Press, is out now and I have a beer column that appears the first Thursday of every month for the Santa Barbara News Press. I also tweet – @Sean_M_Lewis.

9 thoughts on “About Me”

    • Hi Leon,
      Sorry for the delayed response. Your best bet would be to check out either Valley Brewers in Solvang or Surf Brewery in Ventura for local options. Both have helpful staff who can answer questions.

      There are also decent options online – Northernbrewer.com and Midwestsupplies.com that I like to use, but you may want the option of talking to someone in person who can help you.

      Reply ↓

  3. Hey Sean!

    I’m headed out to Santa Barbara for about 5 days or so in November. I’m looking for places to try some interesting beers that I can’t get here in Missouri. Any local bars that are must see?

    Thanks,
    Stephen Bleisch
    Certified Cicerone

    Reply ↓

    • Hi Stephen,
      I’d recommend any of the local breweries here in SB (Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company, Santa Barbara Brewing Company, The Brewhouse, Pure Order and Telegraph). I’d be surprised if any (besides perhaps Fig Mountain) were available in Missouri.

      Fig Mountain and Santa Barbara Brewing Company make some truly outstanding lagers as well as some killer specialties, but Telegraph Brewing has got to be one of the more unique experiences available. Although few of their beers can really be called “Belgian-Style (tripel, dubbel, whatever),” they ferment all their beers with the same Belgian yeast strain that adds a unique twist to a lot of common styles.

      Pure Order is our newest brewery and its Viva LAger is absolutely dynamite.

      If you have the ability to head north at all, it’s worth it to go to Goleta and check out Hollister Brewing Company. Brewer Eric Rose makes a Gose called “Tiny Bubbles” that is wonderful, and he is a master at hoppy brews as well. Further north in Buellton is Firestone Walker Barrelworks, which is home to a dazzling array of barrel-aged and wild beers. It’s about 35-40 miles north of SB but more than worth the drive if you can make it.

      If you like wine at all, I’d also recommend checking out some of the local wineries. Benchmark (right next door to Fig Mountain in the SB Funk Zone) and nearby Oreana winery are some of my favorites, but we’ve got a lot of incredible wine out here.

      And as far as “must-haves,” I’d put anything from Barrelworks on the list, as well as Hoppy Poppy or Lizard’s Mouth IPA from Fig Mountain as well. Both are Double IPAs. I’d also recommend any of the specialty beers on tap at Santa Barbara Brewing Company in downtown SB.

      Cheers, and I hope you enjoy your visit!
      -Sean

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  4. Loved your comments on our Carp breweries. In case you missed it, here are a few flicks of that Tri-Brewery tour last Sunday…

    Tom

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  6. Hi Sean!

    I am a student at UCSB and am working on a beer and sustainability research project. Would you be open to a quick 15 minute interview? Either in person or over the phone?

    With your background and knowledge about craft beer I think you would contribute greatly to my project!

    Thank you,
    Cailan

    Reply ↓

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