Farewell, Santa Barbara

Word has begun to spread already, so for many of Santa Barbara Beer’s readers this may be old news, but this will be likely the last post for this blog. It’s been a fun couple of years, but I’m moving out of the area and it wouldn’t make much sense to write about Santa Barbara beer and brewing when I live and work elsewhere.

There are plenty of projects ahead in the future, and those details when come out when they do, but for the moment let’s take a look to reflect on the past and current state of beer in Santa Barbara.

When this blog began in March of 2013, beer in the American Riviera was just beginning to take roots. Telegraph Brewing Company was in the process of expanding into its new and current location, Pure Order Brewing Company was still trying to get up and running and Island Brewing Company was the only option for beer in Carpinteria. Oh yeah, and no portion of Firestone Walker was owned by Duvel.

Two years later and not only was Pure Order up and brewing, but it is doing quite well. Telegraph continued its expansion and joined the contemporary beer scene with an IPA that stands along the best examples of the style in town. Not only does Island Brewing have some company in Carpinteria now, but it brewLAB and Rincon have proved to be impressive in their own right. As far as Island goes, the competition has seemingly only made the product coming out of the local area’s oldest production brewery that much better. Goleta’s Captain Fatty’s has become a family-friendly option in the area while Hollister Brewing Company continues to churn out Eric Rose’s typically impressive beer.

But not all developments have been unicorns and rainbows. Santa Barbara Brewing Company’s reviver, Kevin Pratt, said farewell to pursue other avenues. So too did Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company’s AJ Stoll, who is now back in the United States and plying his trade in Florida’s up-and-coming Funky Buddha. Oh yeah, and Firestone Walker “combined forces” with Duvel-Moortgat.

To be honest, I’m not sure exactly what that last sentence even means. A quick text conversation with David Walker, Jeffers Richardson and Jim Crooks confirmed that Duvel didn’t “buy out” Firestone Walker, but is definitely involved. To me, this sounds as though Duvel only bought a portion of the company — and not a controlling portion. All indications point to complete autonomy for Firestone Walker, but I’m sure as a major shareholder Duvel will want to ensure that the company remains profitable. Still, Ommegang and Boulevard have thrived under Duvel ownership, and I can’t imagine that Firestone Walker will be negatively impacted from its new partnership with the Devil.

If anything, I’m curious to see what Firestone Walker does with its new influx of cash. Along with the possibility of tapping into a larger distribution network, a deal of this type will likely provide the Paso Robles-based brewery with funds to take on new projects. The canning facility at the Paso campus is already a thing of beauty, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see more beer come out in cans. Or perhaps some of the funding will go toward speeding up progress at the upcoming Venice location. This is all pure speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Firestone Walker increase its national footprint the same way we have seen Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues, Lagunitas, New Belgium and a handful of others open new plants in other regions of the country. Or perhaps Firestone may take a similar route as Figueroa Mountain and open up smaller tasting or tap rooms in various locations. Maybe Barrelworks will get its own wort production equipment as well. Who knows? The point is that this new partnership should only bring positives for Firestone Walker and beer fans across the country — perhaps across the world. Duvel has proven it has the ability to invest in craft brands without tainting the product or the spirit of the company with its efforts with Ommegang and Boulevard, and it seems likely that Firestone Walker and its customers will only benefit from this new partnership.

I’m sad to leave Santa Barbara with its perfect weather and its rapidly expanding beer scene. I wish that I would have the opportunity to report on the openings of M Special in Goleta and Third Window in Santa Barbara. My departure from the community won’t slow down the growth that we’ve already seen, and I imagine the small void I leave will be filled soon by someone else.

It’s been a fun journey. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

What it Means to be a Community Brewery

Recently, I had the opportunity to give a short speech at Blue Box 2015 — a conference hosted by First Beverage Group in Boulder, Colorado. It was a great opportunity to mingle with some movers and shakers in the beverage world, but I took it as a chance to talk about what it means to be part of a brewing community, and a collaborator within that community.

I believe video from that conference will be up soon, and I’ll post a link when that happens. But rather than laboring through a video of me nervously addressing strangers, you need look no further than one of our own local breweries to see what it means to be part of a brewing community.

Pure Order Brewing Company on 410 Quarantina Street is the epitome of the neighborhood brewery. They, along with Telegraph Brewing on Salsipuedes Street, are where the locals go for a drink when the crowds of visitors in the Funk Zone get a bit outside of comfort range. And for good reason — both breweries are making incredible beer.

Pure Order was recently among the winners at the Casa Pacifica in Ventura along with Institution Ales from Camarillo and The LAB in Agoura. While those other two are both great breweries, Pure Order was the only one in the winner list with a beer off its standard and regular production line — the Santa Barbara Pale. That beer will also be part of the upcoming Cost Plus World Market Summer Seasonal Variety Pack, which will be available nationwide. That’s a pretty big deal.

And yet, it’s Pure Order’s ability to keep things small and local that sets them apart. Recently, they’ve been helping me out by loaning their time, space and some equipment to help me brew 60 gallons of beer for a friend’s upcoming June wedding (and yes, full disclosure, this help is greatly appreciated and I’m sure impacts my favorable bias toward them. They also carry my book, We Make Beer, so I’m sure that doesn’t hurt either. I’m only human, but I like to believe that my opinions can remain relatively objective). This isn’t just because I write a beer column in the local newspaper or because I run this blog. James Burge and Pure Order are willing to help me out because I’m part of the local brewing community — the same way I’ve seen them help out home brewers who come in looking for advice and perhaps experience.

10 gallons of Strawberry Solstice, a collaboration beer I’ve brewed with Pure Order Brewing Company for an upcoming wedding.

More and more often I hear locals tell me that Pure Order is their favorite brewery in town. I don’t think that’s a knock on any of the other breweries, as just about every brewery from Buellton to Carpinteria is producing high-quality beer right now (and one need look no further than the recent Dia de Los Obscuras to see how the beer community has embraced Telegraph). I think what that represents is how Pure Order has managed to capture Santa Barbara’s essence. Not just in the beer, but in the entire atmosphere provided at the brewery and its beer garden.

Beer isn’t just a business, at least it shouldn’t be. The best breweries aren’t just the ones pumping out the best liquid, they’re also the ones that represent and collaborate within the community (along those lines — there was a recent Instagram post from Kevin Ashford from Fig Mountain’s SB brewery showing a collaboration effort with Island Brewing’s Ryan Morrill, as well as both breweries’ brewing teams). Pure Order, certainly isn’t the only local brewery to embrace the community, but it’s embraced me, and I’m grateful.

edit: a previous version of this post misidentified Ryan Morrill as a brewer for Telegraph — he is the head brewer for Island Brewing in Carpinteria.

Bring Your Dog For Beer

Sometimes you need a good drinking buddy.

Dogs are like children. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the type to call my dog my son, and I certainly don’t refer to myself as Seamus’ dad or, God forbid, daddy (his real dad is here). Basically, I’m not this lady.

Yes, that’s a dog in a baby stroller.

But dogs are like children in a few ways:

— You can’t leave them in the car with the windows up.

— You can’t hit them in public, at least not in California.

— You can’t just leave them in the house all day and not expect a disaster when you get back.

So, this being a beer and brewery blog and all, I’d like to take a moment to honor the breweries in Santa Barbara that are as pet friendly as you are. The good news is that just about every brewery in the area is dog-friendly, so it’s a good-sized list. These are in no particular order, except I’m going to start with The Brewhouse, which is probably the most dog-friendly brewery in the area.

The Brewhouse

The Brewhouse is a brewpub, and therefore a restaurant, so don’t expect to be able to bring your dog inside. However, there’s a good-sized patio where dogs are welcome and servers will offer you a dog bowl for your thirsty pooch. But what makes The Brewhouse the best? It’s the dog menu.

That’s right, The Brewhouse loves dogs so much that they’ve got a menu just for your dog. Seamus is on a pretty strict diet, so we don’t necessarily go for it, but if you’d like your best friend to enjoy some dog biscuits covered in beef gravy, or steak bites, or chicken strips, then The Brewhouse has you covered.

Solvang Brewing Company

Maybe you’re in town filling up on homebrew supplies at Valley Brewers (which is also dog friendly and their own brew-dog is frequently minding the shop), or perhaps you need a break from your wine-tasting day for a beer and a burger. Whatever the case, Solvang BrewCo has a great outdoor patio much like the Brewhouse, only bigger. And while they don’t have a dog menu, a server will gladly bring you a dog bowl and your dog can just beg some scraps from you.

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company

Both Fig’s Buellton and Santa Barbara locations have nice outdoor beer gardens where dogs are welcome. I typically shy away from bringing Seamus to the Funk Zone spot, as it’s all concrete and usually crowded, but the brewery’s main location in Buellton has a nice, soft artificial turf outside so your dog can get off his paws for a minute and chill out.

Pure Order Brewing Company

I can’t think of the last time I didn’t see a dog at Pure Order. The lush grass that originally adorned the beer garden has been replaced by a more drought-friendly landscape (I was sad to see it go, but it was a sensible and sustainable choice), but there’s plenty of room for the canine kind to roam and stretch their legs. I would never officially recommend taking your dog off-leash here, but I’ve seen more than a few dogs enjoying a little free-ranging among the hop garden*.

* A reminder — hops are toxic to dogs the same way chocolate is. If you have the kind of dog that likes to taste a little bit of everything in his environment, monitor him or her closely when the hops are out.

Telegraph Brewing Company

The city of Santa Barbara’s original production brewery welcomes friendly dogs into their tasting room. A note here though, the floor is all polished concrete, so if you happen to have a dog like mine that’s all rib bones, knee joints and ankles, bring something soft for it to lay down.

Captain Fatty’s

Enjoy Goleta’s newest brewery with the whole family — including the dog. The brewery has a certain appeal to families with young children (actually, I think Goleta in general has that appeal), so make sure your dog is good with kids before bringing them around.

Island Brewing Company

For some reason, I have a hard time heading south to Carpinteria without bringing Seamus. We’ve got friends with a dog he likes to play with (actually it’s a dog he likes to escape and explore with) and they’re welcome at all three of Carpinteria’s breweries. Island welcomes dogs on the patio, but not inside, so grab a seat under one of the umbrellas and send someone inside to get you a beer and a water bowl for your buddy.

Rincon Brewing Company

Rincon is a family-friendly brewpub, so you better bet that includes dogs. Like the other brewpubs on the list, dogs can’t come inside but are welcome on the patio. Seamus likes the high-top tables outside with plenty of room for him to stand underneath.

The brewLAB

The friendly folks at brewLAB welcome dogs to their small outdoor patio as well as inside their brewery. It can get crowded with people and other dogs from time to time, so I wouldn’t bring in a nervous animal, but your well-adjusted dog might enjoy sniffing a lot of new smells as you take in some of the best beer in the area.

Stay cool, y’all.

Pure Order begins bottling

Pure Order Brewing Company is growing up. The brewery will be celebrating its one-year anniversary in the coming months, and there will be more on that at this space later, but the news coming out of Quarantina St. is that Pure Order is putting Santa Barbara in a bottle.

At least, Pure Order is putting Santa Barbara Pale Ale in bottles — along with Red Eye Wheat and Crooked Neck Hefeweizen.

The beer is the same as what’s available on draft, but it is now wrapped in a beautiful label. Designed by brewer James Burge’s friend, artist Hunter Damiani, the stylized label and six-pack holder depicts the beauty of Santa Barbara.

“When I started, I wanted our labels to be works of art,” Burge said. “I wanted it to be something that you could put on your wall. Santa Barbara is a beautiful place, and to have anything but beautiful art would be a shame.”

Some of Damiani’s artistic label designs are on display at the brewery, which is also the primary location to buy Pure Order six-packs for now. Burge said that the brewery is in the midst of expanding its market and sales force into Los Angeles, and that introducing bottles to bars and restaurants in that market is part of the brewery’s expansion plan.

“I think the bottles are going to be the driving force down there more than taps,” Burge said. “The way the market is now, the taps are local and the bottle selections come from other spots. And I think the six-pack gives us an edge over bombers.”

Pure Order will also be releasing a new beer on March 14, which Burge described as a Pi beer. The beer, a saison, comes in at 3.1 SRM (that’s a color measurement, and a pretty light one), it has 41 IBU and boasts a 5.9% ABV in homage of the first X digits of Pi (3.14159).

The small batch likely won’t last long when it’s released on Pi day, when the calendar is at 3/14/15.

HEADS UP: Hop to it: New fall beers

Note: this column originally appeared in the Oct. 2 edition of the Santa Barbara News-Press.

Early fall in Santa Barbara is fantastic, because it’s really more like an extended summer — which, in Santa Barbara, is more like an extended spring anyway. So when my first book, “We Make Beer,” was released late last month, I wanted to celebrate at an outdoor venue.

I couldn’t think of any place better than Pure Order Brewing Co. on Quarantina Street. It has a lush grass yard and a nice hop garden growing right alongside the outdoor seating.

The only problem was those hops had all been picked.

The fall hop harvest is among the happiest times of year for a brewer and beer drinker. Many brewers celebrate the harvest by using freshly picked “wet” hops that haven’t been dried in new beers. Sierra Nevada’s Harvest Ale comes to mind, but I’m always a little overpowered by the herbal, grassy notes that shine through in wet hop beers. So I was happy to hear that Pure Order chose to dry their hops out before adding them to their product.

Before my book celebration, I sat down with James Burge, brewmaster at Pure Order, and tasted his next release. It was a lovely brown ale with a robust malt character that played alongside a beautifully fresh hop profile made with the hops grown in their garden and dried in the sun on top of their roof.

The beer is good but is only the first step for those freshly harvested hops. A brown ale is typically malt-forward, and the Pure Order version, which should be released this month, was no exception. The main purpose of brewing this beer was for James to gain an understanding of what his home-grown hops would contribute to a batch. The real showcase piece will be coming soon, as he intends to brew a black IPA using copious amounts of the Cascade hops grown on-site.

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.’s A.J. Stoll recently collaborated with Sea Smoke Vineyards winemaker Don Schroeder, as they harvested hops grown at the Sea Smoke property for a pale ale brewed at Fig’s Funk Zone location that A.J. plans on calling “Hop For Teacher.” While the name is still pending approval, the beer is already fermenting away and is scheduled for release on or around Oct. 11. It will be available at all of the brewery’s tap rooms in Santa Barbara, Buellton and Los Olivos.

What sets this beer apart from other wet hop beers is that rather than using the fresh hops after the beer is fermented as “dry hops” for solely aromatic purposes, A.J. and Don transformed the mash tun, the vessel where barley is soaked in hot water to provide the sugary liquid for the brew, into a hop back.

Essentially, after the beer was boiled, A.J. pumped the hot liquid back into the mash tun over a bed of hops, and then pumped it out from there through the heat exchanger for cooling and into the fermentation tank.

What this effectively does is extract more of the acids and volatile oils that add to the bitterness, flavor and aroma of a beer. The end result is a beer that picks up a full hop flavor and aroma. By contrast, the more common method of adding hop aroma to beer is by “dry-hopping” them, or adding hops into cool beer after it is fermented. Running warm beer through a hop bed in a hop back will add a considerable amount of flavor compared to the dry hop method.

So even though fall is here and winter is just around the corner, don’t embrace the dark, malty beers just yet. In fact, there’s no better time than now to enjoy the fruits of the hop harvest with a fresh hop beer.

Sean Lewis is a beer drinker, beer maker and the author of “We Make Beer: Inside the Spirit and Artistry of America’s Craft Brewers” (St. Martin’s Press). His column appears the first Thursday of the month. Follow him on Twitter @Sean_M_Lewis.

 

First Taste: Pure Order Viva LAger

Last summer, I was all about pilsners. Depending on where I was I drank either Trumer Pils, Santa Barbara Brewing Company’s Blonde Ale or Figueroa Mountain’s New Zealand Pilsner. At home, I drank Pivo Pils. I was pilsner obsessed, and it probably burned me out a little bit because this summer has been all about hops for me.

Until now.

I stopped by Pure Order Brewing Company on Thursday afternoon to get a taste of the brewery’s Viva LAger, a coastal lager released for Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days, or Fiesta. The beer was a revelation and one of the best lagers in town. It’s my new favorite from Pure Order.

Brewer and co-owner James Burge explains the reasoning behind the Viva LAger, which is made using agave nectar during the whirlpool — a distinct departure from Pure Order’s Reinheitsgebot roots and the first foray into a series of special releases dubbed the Chaos series.

“It was a way to launch our Chaos line,” Burge said. “We thought that such a momentous occasion as Old Spanish Days was a good fit for us to go against the grain and I’ve always wanted to do a specialty beer for Fiesta. I think Fiesta is an important part of Santa Barbara, and that’s why we chose to launch our Chaos line for Santa Barbara and Pure Order Brewing Company.”

The beer seems to fall somewhere between a Vienna Lager and a Marzen both in terms of flavor and color. It’s about as dark as a Pale Ale (it’s darker than POBC’s IPA, Santa Barbara Pale Ale) and there’s a distinct caramel/toffee sweetness that rides alongside a relatively strong bitterness. All of this is lifted off the palate by a nice, effervescent carbonation.

I haven’t seen it there personally, but it’s my understanding that the beer is on tap at Union Ale and Killer B’s as well as, of course, the brewery’s tap room.

Viva La!

Santa Barbara Beer Week is Coming Soon

Santa Barbara Craft Beer Week is Here

July 7-13

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — For the first time ever, the Santa Barbara beer community has rallied together to celebrate good beer in the American Riviera. For the week of July 7-13, local breweries, bars and restaurants are hosting events and offering specials that honor locally crafted brews and the local community.

These events include, but are certainly not limited to, rare releases, tasting sessions with local brewmasters, live music and lots of food and beer. Santa Barbara Beer Week already has events lined up from Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Telegraph Brewing Company, Santa Barbara Brewing Company, Island Brewing Company, Pure Order Brewing Company, The Brewhouse, Armada Wine and Beer Merchant, Eureka! Burger and many more, with new events still being added every day.

For more information, visit www.sbbeerweek.com and follow us on Twitter: @SBBeerWeek with the hashtags #SBBeer and #SBBeerWeek. If you’d like to add an event or if you have any questions, please email sbbeerweek@gmail.com.

Cheers!

 

Santa Barbara Deserves a Beer Week

Note: This column originally appeared in the April 3 edition of the Santa Barbara News-Press. Stay tuned to this space for more information about Santa Barbara Beer Week in July.

There have been few beers that I’ve looked forward to this year as much as Telegraph Brewing’s Obscura Peche. The peach sour ale has all the potential of being yet another great hit from brewer Paul Rey, and is due to be released soon.

The sad thing is, if we lived in Sacramento, we might have already tasted it.

Telegraph debuted the beer in early March for Sacramento Beer Week — a weeklong celebration of beer in the California capitol.

This is not to accuse Telegraph of abandoning its local market, as the Santa Barbara brewery is working to ensure a smooth release of the sour ale in bottles and on tap in its tasting room for the local community. Rather, this is an example of what Santa Barbara is missing without its own beer week.

The concept is simple — one calendar week dedicated to the promotion and celebration of beer. Breweries, bars and restaurants work together to host tap-takeovers, beer dinners and other sorts of beer-centric events.

I’m proud to say that we will soon have its own beer week, as fellow Santa Barbara beer columnist Zach Rosen (SB Sentinel) and myself are working together to organize the local beer community. The project is still a fledgling, but as it grows its wings Zach and I will fill in the details here in this space as well as others.

But this project, still in the conceptual phase, is not without its detractors.

I was chatting with a well-respected brewer friend of mine, and he told me that Santa Barbara’s beer wasn’t good enough for a beer week. He said that the consumers weren’t ready for one either.

Frankly, I had to disagree with him on both counts.

I look at the crisp and brilliant lagers brewed by Kevin Pratt Santa Barbara Brewing Company, and I see excellence. I see the same high-quality brewing at Hollister Brewing Company, where brewer Eric Rose showcases hops in a masterful way. I look at Telegraph, and I see truly fascinating and unique wild ales rivaled only by those being produced at Firestone Walker Barrelworks in Buellton, where it must be said the production budget is much larger than Telegraph’s.

I see the popularity of the Figueroa Mountain tasting room in the Funk Zone, and I know that crowds of locals and tourists are there for the wide variety and often extremely interesting beer produced by A.J. Stoll and his team of brewers. I look at the laid-back Island Brewing Company in Carpinteria, and I find great joy in pints of Jubilee Ale and Starry Night Stout.

It is still too early to assign any sort of judgment on the newest entry to Santa Barbara, Pure Order Brewing Company, but the early product has been impressive.

Add in local beer bars like Eureka!, American Ale and Brat Haus, as well as restaurants that showcase great beer like Pace Food + Drink, Olio E Limone and the Wine Cask (among many others), and Santa Barbara is rife with great options for beer.

As for the consumer, it’s likely true that wine has long been king in Santa Barbara.

But beer has always been a more plebian drink than wine, and Santa Barbarans are quickly recognizing its appeal. When I see crowds of people lined up outside of Figueroa Mountain’s tasting room, or even more crowding Barrelworks for a release of special beer I can’t help but assume that the Santa Barbara consumer is quickly learning to appreciate the value of beer.

The same is true at places like Santa Barbara Brewing Co., where baseball fans pack the lounge for games and choose locally-produced beer over the cheaper bottles of Bud Light.

And if the consumer truly doesn’t appreciate beer yet in Santa Barbara, then what better way to introduce them to everything the area has to offer than with a full week dedicated to the brew.

The brewing and beer community in Santa Barbara is young and relatively immature compared to places like San Diego, San Francisco and Portland. We are only now starting to realize the kinds of treasures we have in the local fermentors around the county.

But what we do recognize is that beer is good — and Santa Barbara beer is constantly getting better and more innovative.

I think it’s time to celebrate what we have.

Mark Your Calendars – Events with Valley Brewers

First up, The Hop Tarts are releasing Hop Tarts Saison, brewed at Pure Order Brewing Company, on April 26. I’ve tasted this beer out of the fermentor and I like where it’s headed. The beer will be on tap at Pure Order Brewing Company as well as Santa Barbara Brewing Company and will likely show up a few other places as well.

Along those lines, Root 246 and the Valley Brewers (whose co-owner, Sandy Harrison, is one of the founders of the Hop Tarts) have teamed up again for a beer dinner. This time, it will be a pairing of cigars and beer with none other than Dr. Bill Sysak.

If you don’t know Dr. Bill, he’s a Stone Brewing Co. employee, but more importantly he’s a highly-knowledgeable collector and master pairer. He’s brilliant, but not a doctor — that’s just his nickname.

Valley Brewers has some more in the works, but it’s not quite ready for print yet so that will be brought to you when it’s ready.

Here in town, don’t forget to request time off July 7 – July 13 for the first-ever Santa Barbara Beer Week. SB Sentinel beer columnist Zach Rosen and myself are teaming together to bring the American Riviera the beer week it deserves. Stay tuned for more information, as the events are just now starting to show up.

Local Women’s Brewing Group Celebrates International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day

The following is a press release received this morning.

Collaboration Brew Day for Hop Tarts is March 9, 2014 at Pure Order Brewing Company

Santa Barbara County, California— The craft beer revolution is changing the way people make beer.  There has also been a change in who makes beer.  In recent years there has been a marked increase in the number of women working and brewing in the beer industry.  The number of female home brewers is also on the rise.  Valley Brewers, a local homebrew supply shop in Solvang, has seen the increased interest from women first-hand.

“About four years ago I started going to California homebrew festivals and I was one of maybe ten women there,” says Sandy Harrison, co-owner of Valley Brewers.  “Throughout the last year it seems as though the ratio of women to men has really evened out.”

Valley Brewers and Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company have teamed up to form a women’s brew group called Hop Tarts which will meet regularly for tastings, brew sessions and field trips.  Kady Fleckenstein, Brand Director for Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company talks about the collaboration that went into forming the new group:  “Kevin Pratt, Brewmaster for Santa Barbara Brewing Company, was instrumental in founding the group with us.  Hop Tarts is truly a collaboration of different breweries on the Central Coast working together to educate and empower women in the beer industry.”

Hop Tarts will celebrate International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day on Sunday, March 9, 2014 (a day later than the official date) by brewing a saison together at Pure Order Brewing Company in Santa Barbara.  The new brewery, located at 410 North Quarantina Street in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, is opening on Saturday, March 8, 2014.  The brew day commences the next day at 8:00 am and is expected to last around 8 hours.  The public is encouraged to observe the brewing process.
The International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day (IWCBD) is coordinated by the Pink Boots Society, a beer-industry group for women, and Project Venus in the UK.  A portion of the proceeds from IWCBD beer sales will go to the Pink Boots Society as well as a local charity.  Hop Tarts is excited to debut their group during such a positive, world-wide event.

If you are a woman who is interested in joining Hop Tarts please email Kady@FigMtnBrew.com.  Breweries and businesses who would like to host a brew day, field trip or tasting for Hop Tarts can email Sandy@ValleyBrewers.com.