The Beer Guy is Back

Where was I…? Oh yeah, last time I was here clacking on a keyboard at a brewery bar (currently, Validation Ale) as the woots, cackles, and calls rang out around me – the world had just started opening up again. The pandemic was lessening but the Santa Barbara Sentinel was closing. For those unfamiliar, “The Beer Guy” column ran in “The Sentinel” from the beginning of 2013 to the end of ’21. 

When I learned the paper was closing, I texted Tim Buckley that I wanted to talk. He responded, “Funny, I want to talk to you.” I had worked my way from suds scribbler to Features Editor for The Sentinel. I got on the call, ready to fight for the paper and even take on running it. Before I could begin my well-constructed argument (or get my poster board presentation setup – that I had spent all weekend working on too…), he prefaced, “No. We need you for the Journal.”

Since stepping in as the Managing Editor for the MJ, it has been, well… busy. But now with over three years under the metaphorical (and never-expanding) belt, it feels right to bring back The Beer Guy column (or maybe I just need a drink).

So that’s where I was – but where was Santa Barbara beer? 

Darwin and a Brewer Walk into a Pub

The pandemic was no joke… affecting everyone in infinite ways. In the beer world, it was interesting to watch the natural selection that took place: How each brewery survived, possibly thrived, or even took an unfortunate dive. 

Darwinism is not about “The Strong” surviving – it is the most adaptable, and sometimes… just the darn lucky ones best suited for the unexpected challenges that Nature throws our way. This is what we saw in beer during the pandemic. It wasn’t the top breweries that weathered the storm with the most ease. Sure, it helped to have good beer, but what helped more is how a brewery had invested in its revenue streams (and of course, its looming overhead). Even the randomness of its architecture and location became a factor of how well the brand adapted to the frothing, tumultuous market during that time. 

The main revenue streams for breweries are on-or-off-premise sales. For a brewpub (think Montecito Street’s The Brewhouse), the beer is generally not distributed elsewhere and only sold onsite. A brewery, though, (think Goleta’s M.Special) will often have a tasting room within the space – and now more commonly they have satellite tasting rooms (think M.Special’s State Street location) that act as separate distribution points. This allows them to sell direct to the public in multiple locations. This is in addition to the kegs, bottles, cans, growlers, crowlers, and any other form of packaging that the brewery can sell to bars, restaurants, liquor stores, bodegas, or the occasional malt monger. 

(I know this is technically not how the industry uses the on/off premise terms so don’t write a Letter to the Editor… or do… [email protected]) 

As the pandemic first hit, brewpubs and breweries (or retailers they sold to) were able to use their space to distribute packaged beer. Buy a 6-pack, support local beer. As things opened up, they could use existing outdoor spaces or build parklets to sell on-site, and really just provide the public with a much-needed drink. 

This is where the Darwin’s randomness came into play. Does that beer spot have an established outdoor space? What is its square footage? (That will dictate throughput of patrons – at a six-foot spacing of course.) Okay, you don’t have an outside area… well, let’s go parklet. What street? What is the ability to establish a parklet? Oh yeah, what does that construction cost? Wait, how much do we have in the bank? What’s rent again…? One other angle to measure, among many more … how many tasting rooms do you have? What do each of those cost!?

Look, is any of this fair? Or equal?… ask Nature for an answer. 

Opened, Closed, Yet Beer Still Flows

To answer the previous question: Who knows? But here is what happened here …

Local beer legend and co-owner of The Brewhouse, Pete Johnson, retired in 2022 with the popular Montecito Street spot changing ownership but keeping the menu, local charm, and longtime brewer Casey Smith shackled to the brewery equipment. Validation Ale opened in July of the same year and have since been serving up a wide range of styles – I even hear they throw a pretty good block party…

In case you haven’t heard, Third Window Brewing Company now sells smash burgers!? What began as a means of getting through the pandemic has put Third Window on the national smash map (I think that’s a thing) with throngs of people lining up for a bite of burger and some Belgian fries. So more specifically, did you know that Third Window serves some really good beer to go with their smash burgers!?

Naturally, there was some closure of breweries around town. Many of the local beerdos still lament the sale of Telegraph Brewing to Epic in 2017, which began a downward spiral of the company – Epic officially shuttering the iconic spot in 2020 as things were starting to open back up. On a positive note though, Ian Cutler moved into the historic WWII-era Quonset hut at 418 N. Salsipuedes St. and has opened a truly stunning Distillery & Public House that brings solace to the old Telegraph space. 

Nearby, Pure Order Brewing Company quietly drifted off as well. There was no official announcement – just the charming outside tasting garden slowly being filled with construction equipment and work trucks. The San Diego-based Modern Times closed down its Academy of Recreational Sciences tap room next to Shaker Mill. Fortunately, Oxnard’s Casa Agria Specialty Ales filled the void with its fruited sours and hazy-hopped brews. 

Satellite tap houses seem to be the trend for established breweries both in- and out of town. Draughtsmen Aleworks, M.Special, and Rincon Brewery all have their downtown Santa Barbara tasting rooms now. The Upper State Street area gained a few more spots with Brass Bear Brewing Co. and Validation Ale opening up tasting annexes near Los Positas. In addition, the popular Lama Dog partnered with the just-as-admired Sama Sama for the fun, hybrid spot – Lama Sama.

Did I get everything? Honestly, probably not. But that’s what the next column is for. (Editor’s Note: This sentence ends in a preposition… whose runnin’ ‘dis ship anyways?)