Naughty Oak Brewing Company gets nutty with new squirrel mural, affogatos, and soda floats

“There were brief moments that I worried that a 25-foot-long painting of a rodent might be a weird thing to hang in front of a business,” Naughty Oak co-owner Emily Kitts said. 

Her doubts were laid to rest, however, once the finished product was revealed on the façade of the Naughty Oak Brewing Company taproom in Old Town Orcutt. 

“But once it was completed, it was just a perfect fit. … My first reaction when the mural was hung up was it looks right at home,” she said in an email interview.

The large-scale mural, created by Kitts’ mother and Naughty Oak’s official resident artist, Janis Rockwell, debuted in late March and depicts the brewery’s beloved mascot—a mischievous squirrel—with wholesome, family-friendly intentions.

Cleverly layered into the nutty mural’s framework are 29 hidden images, patiently waiting to be discovered by viewers of all ages. Anyone who’s able to correctly identify each of them can record their findings via an entry sheet for the chance to win a gift certificate ($100) and a bundle of Naughty Oak merchandise.

Depending on age, palate, or both, one person’s $100 worth of craft brews could be someone else’s $100 worth of house-made root beer floats.

“We definitely enjoy our family-friendly atmosphere, especially since our kids basically grew up there. So having nonalcohol options available is important to us,” said Kitts, who opened Naughty Oak with her husband, Steve, in 2016.

The brewery currently carries two house-made soda options (root beer and berry cream soda), “and since we’re lucky enough to have Orcutt Ice Cream Kitchen’s amazing ice cream at our place, we can make a really awesome root beer float,” Kitts said.

However, her personal favorite vehicle at Naughty Oak for ice cream is a different nonalcoholic option, she revealed. Kitt loves adding “a Little Moo”—aka 4 ounces of ice cream, in Orcutt Ice Cream Kitchen speak—of vanilla to Naughty Oak’s cold brew coffee, for an even colder brew affogato. 

Aside from the affogato route, there’s a rotating lineup of seasonal cold foam flavors to pick from.

“Kids and adults also like our hibiscus tea lemonade,” Kitts added. “We haven’t ventured into brewing our own [nonalcohol] Naughty Oak beers, but we keep a selection of popular brands like Athletic Brewing and Patagonia Kernza available.”

Before Naughty Oak’s new interactive mural was completed, Kitts got ample behind-the-scenes access while her mother painted the large piece—which would have given her a big head start if she wasn’t already ineligible to enter the scavenger hunt herself.

“I did know what many of the hidden items would be and got to see the painting as it progressed. There were [still] a handful of items though that I definitely needed help finding,” Kitts said.

One hint Kitts revealed about the 29 hidden images is that each one represents a certain aspect of the Central Coast. The deadline to participate in the contest is April 15 by 9 p.m. Among the pool of entrants who correctly identify where all 29 images can be found, a grand winner of the gift certificate and merch bundle will be announced on Thursday, April 17.

Over the course of her prominent art career, Rockwell has painted five murals. Those who frequent Santa Maria’s Mobile Nature Center and Observatory, located at Los Flores Ranch Park, become immersed in one of her largest pieces, sprawled across multiple walls and the venue’s ceiling.

“She was always into the arts: performance and visual. She began her visual art career as a sign maker,” Kitts said about her mother. “Figure painting definitely became her thing, and whimsical, realistic paintings of animals became her primary subject. Her paintings were featured in several galleries before she decided to retire, which was a little bit after the brewery opened up.”

Rockwell also designed all of Naughty Oak’s menu signage, added Kitts, who described the business as a family affair, in the strict sense of the term.

“She—along with my whole family—have been heavily involved and so helpful at the brewery since day one,” Kitts said. “My brother and dad got us set up with our tank temperature control and automation system. My parents built our taster flight boards and most of our tables, and my sister-in-law creates all of our can labels and digital graphics.

“[They’ve] all had a huge part in making the brewery what it is.”

Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood will take a dozen Little Moos. Send comments to cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.

This article appears in Apr 3-13, 2025.