Expect the unexpected at Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company in Buellton. During my last visit a few weeks ago, a big, retro school bus pulled up, decorated with a giant 30th birthday party banner. The door opened and out walked the birthday girl and a dozen of her closest girl friends, eagerly arriving at Figueroa Mountain’s taproom. (Women are excited about craft beer, too!)
The last couple times I’ve visited, I’ve witnessed a birthday cake surrounded by happy, beer mug-holding revelers celebrating with friends.
The popular brewery marks its own birthday this month; its second anniversary is Nov. 24. Instead of cake, they’ll serve a special Anniversary Ale.
“It’s a secret,” brewery founder and co-owner Jaime Dietenhofer said about the new, limited-release brew. “It’s actually going to be unique and different than our current line up and our current style. So, I think we’re stepping outside the box a little bit.”
Figueroa Mountain has really taken off in two short years. When it first opened as a 6,000-square-foot brewery in an industrial area of Buellton, the owners didn’t expect as many customers coming in to taste.
“People started showing up, so we built out a taproom, and they drove down to it and it actually turned out to be a neat area,” Dietenhofer told me.
In the last few months, Figueroa Mountain has doubled its capacity due to growing demand for its fresh, award-winning brews. It currently makes 7,200 barrels a year, using 10 fermenters and two Brite beer tanks set up in Buellton.
Over the summer, Figueroa Mountain built a beer garden in the adjoining empty lot.
“I think good weather and beer go hand in hand,” Dietenhofer said. So they added a place for customers to hang out, listen to live music, play bocce ball and horseshoes while tasting Fig beer.
Their regular line-up of craft beers includes the hugely popular Hoppy Poppy, a light-bodied, West Coast India pale ale; the Davy Brown Ale; Paradise Road Pilsner; Wrangler Wheat; Figueroa Mountain Pale Ale; Hurricane Deck Double IPA; Stagecoach Stout; and my husband Michael’s favorite beer, Danish Red Lager.
Figueroa Mountain recently released several new seasonal beers: the already well received Big Cone Black Ale, a black IPA/Cascadian dark ale; Magpie Baltic Porter; Painted Cave English Pale Ale; Red Rock ESB, which stands for “extra special bitter;” and a Fall Pumpkin Brew.
“We want to constantly be pushing the envelope on new and inventive beers, as well as keeping our core line up that people love so much,” Dietenhofer said.
The man behind those crafty concoctions is head brewmaster A.J. Stoll, originally a chemist by trade who worked at a number of Northern California breweries before coming to the “Mountain.”
“I call him our mad scientist. He has a great work ethic; he’s a perfectionist, and very creative. He’s making some unbelievable beer,” Dietenhofer exclaimed. “The response out in the field is great. I think he’s really keeping us on the cutting edge.”
The judging panel at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver must have agreed. Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. fared very well at the biggest beer competition in the nation in October, winning three medals out of 4,500 beers. Figueroa Mountain’s Stagecoach Stout, Wrangler Wheat, and Danish Red won bronze medals.
National recognition is fantastic, but local support is crucial for microbreweries. Figueroa Mountain’s goal is to make sure Santa Barbara County residents feel that this is their local pub.
“Craft beer’s true success is capturing the regional supporter,” Dietenhofer said.
That’s why all Figueroa Mountain products are thoughtfully named after the Santa Ynez Valley, with beautiful branding.
Their strategy is working; there are exciting developments on the horizon.
Figueroa Mountain is adding barrel-aged beers to the line-up, aging beer in Maker’s Mark Bourbon barrels.
“The Fig” is also expanding south. After the New Year, they’re opening another location, this one in Santa Barbara. The new, smaller production facility there will allow them to “do a lot of trendsetting and nuanced beers with a smaller system,” Dietenhofer explained.
Customers can taste Figueroa Mountain beers by the bottle, pint, or small samplers. There’s also a popular Mug Club, which is currently sold out.
“We have a 10-page waiting list of customers waiting patiently to get a mug,” said taproom manager David Esdaile.
A great option for enjoying Figueroa Mountain at home is the growler—a half-gallon bottle that sells for $21 initially, then costs $12 to refill at the brewery.
“It’s by far the least expensive way to buy our beer,” Esdaile explained.
Their beers are also available at hundreds of locations across California, including restaurants, pubs, grocery stores, delis, and liquor stores. There are many locales on the Central Coast; just visit figmtnbrew.com and click on the Beer Finder.
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company is at 45 Industrial Way, Buellton. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m.; and Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The phone number is 694-2252.
Sun food and wine writer Wendy Thies Sell is always up for trying something new. Tell her about your favorite drink, meal, or treat by e-mailing her at wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 8-15, 2012.