What kind of a beer drinker are you?
I’m not asking if you’re a fun drunk or an angry drunk, I’m asking your preferred brew: Is it light beers? The hoppier Indian Pale Ales (IPAs)? Or maybe you’re like me, and you go for something dark and smokey, like a stout?
Maybe you don’t know because you haven’t tried the whole range, or maybe you just haven’t put that perfect pint to your lips yet. If you’re one of those, Santa Maria Beer Fest was designed for you.
Celebrating the event’s third year on Oct. 6 in downtown Santa Maria, Beer Fest organizers Jamie Flores and Josh Snow put the festival together initially to introduce an “educational process of beer” to the valley. Snow owns O’Sullivan’s Pub on Main Street, where he’s served up craft brews for years, and Flores is a friend and volunteer with the Santa Maria Kiwanis Noontime club, which is the beneficiary of the event.
“It starts with exposure, just getting people in Santa Maria a chance to try a lot of different things that they normally may not purchase looking at it on the shelf or if they go to a club or a bar or a restaurant,” Snow said. “And they don’t buy it because they just don’t know.”
Beer Fest is designed to give attendees all the chances they could hope for to try anything and everything, they explained. At least 35 breweries, including local craft outfits, will be there pouring bottomless tastings from 1 to 4 p.m. Brewing companies like Firestone Walker or Figueroa Mountain will serve suds alongside famous California brewers like Stone Brewing, Ballast Point, and Lagunitas. But there will also be representatives from national brands beloved in Santa Maria.
Last year’s event included tents for Corona and Modelo, they explained, both Mexican-style beers that sell well in the valley.
“It’s not just a craft beer fest, it’s a beer fest,” Snow said. “If you’re going to a beer fest outside of this area, people go, ‘What, really? Corona?'”
“Yeah, but you know what?” Flores added, “They’re good beers and they’re huge.”
The festival welcomes swillers of all persuasions, they said, so they wanted to make it a destination to enjoy the work of big-name beer companies down to the little guy.
Flores and Snow said they hope that Santa Maria Beer Fest can help put the city “on the map” to be “taken seriously” in the beer industry’s eyes. There has already been some progress on that front, Snow explained.
“I know that in the beer business, I don’t always get that first opportunity to have something rare or something cool because I’m in Santa Maria, and people are like, ‘Oh, your market, by the numbers, statistically doesn’t support that product,'” he said. “When you look at Beer Fest, it wasn’t really on any of these breweries’ radar to do anything in Santa Maria. I’ve been informed that, just after a year or two, there was a dramatic uptick in certain beer sales after they were showcased at our Beer Fest.
“And again, I think it’s just about exposure and education,” he added.
Beer Fest has seen growth itself over its relatively short life. The first event was at the Veterans Memorial Hall in the North part of town, but moved last year to Elks Baseball Field downtown. That second year saw hundreds more attendees, and they’re ready for a similar spike in visitors this year.
The festival happens in early October as well, they explained, so it wouldn’t interfere too much with Oktoberfest events on the Central Coast. This year’s Beer Fest has a theme: Reliving the ’90s.
“Last year was kind of an ’80s theme, so we’re moving forward a decade,” Snow said.
Flores called on local band the Molly Ringwald Projectāknown for their repertoire of ’80s coversāand programmed their side project, a ’90s cover band called Flannel 101.
Locals are encouraged to dress to the theme, they said, and certain attractions at the event will be geared to it as well. Snow said he planned on having ongoing Nintendo 64 competitions at the O’Sullivan’s tent.
“I think it’s just the attire, the haircuts, the look, the flannel shirts wrapped around your waist, stuff like that,” Flores said.
Pub games will also be a part of the leisurely event, they said, like beer pong, cornhole, and oversized Jenga.Ā
While the event features breweries big and small, Flores and Snow really wanted to highlight local craft brewing companies as well. For instance, Naughty Oak Brewing Company created a signature beer that will be available just for those who purchase VIP tickets to Beer Fest. VIPs can also try the ale at Naughty Oak at a pre-festival party at its Orcutt location on Oct. 5.
Other local breweries will have some surprises too, Snow explained.
“There’s going to be a lot of cool stuff to try; our friends at Firestone are bringing out some super rare library releases of barrel-aged goodness. Sierra Nevada is doing the same thing,” he said. “They’re pulling out some stuff that they’ve sat on that’s unobtainable. Even I can’t get it.”
Snow and Flores said that the whole point of Beer Fest is for locals to have a positive experience with new beers in a celebratory setting. Safety is a paramount concern they said, so they’re offering shuttle service and discount tickets for designated drivers.
The event is a benefit for a local charity after all, Flores explained. The Noontime Kiwanis used to host the Grapes and Grains festival, which ran for decades each year thanks to several local organizations, and Beer Fest is in that same vein for Santa Marians.
“You know, a lot of people can’t make a big, significant donation on a regular basis, but they like to do fun things,” Flores said, “and so this is kind of their way to come and donate to a great cause and get rewarded with good beer and a fun time.” Ī¼
Managing Editor Joe Payne always has fun at Beer Fest. Tell him your favorite brew at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
ā¢ I’m filling in for Rebecca Rose once again, but I swear she will be back next week to fill you in on what she’s been eating and drinking. For now, here’s what I’ve been up to:
ā¢ I’m a sourdough bread fanatic, and that’s why I have to let you know about Grover Beach Sourdough in, you guessed it, Grover Beach! The newish bakery is owned by Chef Jacob Town and his wife, Brooke, the same folks who run The Spoon Trade right across Grand Avenue. My buddy Drew Araujo is one of the main bakers there (his work pictured), and is always ready to tell you everything about their artisan bread and biscuits, and don’t leave without trying the brown butter cookies.
ā¢ I’m a regular at North China in Santa Maria (if you aren’t, I pity you), but just tried something there I’d never had before: the barbecue pork ribs appetizer. The party I went with swears by them, and now I see whyāsuper sweet and sticky but tender with a strong umami to cut through all the sugar. Get those during your next visit and you won’t be disappointed.
ā¢ It can be easy to pass by the same place again and again before finally visiting, which is what I’ve done my entire life with La Simpatia Cafe in Guadalupe. So many years wasted! The restaurant serves up Mexican food with a unique Spanish twist, and has done so for the better part of a century. There are many standouts on the menu, like the strong-flavored cheese enchiladas, but just take a look at how they approach refried beans and you’ll keep coming back for more. Visit the vintage-style diner at 827 Cabrillo Highway, Guadalupe.
ā¢ Don’t forget, Growing Grounds Farm in Orcutt opens up its farm stand to locals on the Second Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. They have fresh produce and fragrant flowers for sale for a good cause, so check them out at 820 W. Foster Road, Santa Maria. Their next sale is Oct. 13. More info: (805) 934-2182.
ā¢ The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature will hold a flavorful fundraiser on Oct. 14 titled The Art of Brunch. The event will include live music, art demonstrations, a silent auction, and the famous bloody mary bar. Louise’s Kitchen Table is catering the event this year. Cost is $85, $75 for members. More info: wildlingmuseum.org or (805) 686-8315.Ā
This article appears in Oct 4-11, 2018.