It all started in the early 1990s in Colorado when Stephen Kitts’ parents were home brewing their own beer. That’s when he caught the bug. Being in an Air Force family, Kitts eventually moved to the Santa Maria area as teenager and attended Righetti High School.
Even after earning his pilot’s license and a commission in the Air National Guard working in satellite command and control at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Kitts’ curiosity for beer remained. He took a class on home brewing at Allan Hancock College and everything made more sense to him.
“If you come at it with an approach to learning, you’ll never stop,” Kitts told the Sun.
And he hasn’t stopped yet. After learning the ropes on a larger brewing system at Rooney’s Irish Pub, 33-year-old Kitts is embarking on a journey to open Naughty Oak Brewing Company in Orcutt later this year.
Here, Kitts will create traditional brews such as lagers, an India pale ale, a porter, blonde ales, stouts, and what he calls a few “new age” kind of beers.
All of this will be brewed on a seven-barrel brewing system with six 15-barrel fermenting tanks and a carbonation tank—just enough to distribute locally at first. Rooney’s will be one of the first places where you’ll eventually find Naughty Oak brews on tap.
The brewery is still in the “rough phase” of construction, Kitts said. Before Naughty Oak, there was a Mexican restaurant there. Since buying the place, he’s been tearing down walls and has done anything he could himself before he has to start shelling out money to pay for plumbers and electricians.
The place looks barren at the moment, as you’d expect, because it’s completely under construction. But it’ll be utterly transformed when finished.
Included in the 2,400-square-foot space will be a bar with 12 Naughty Oak taps—with eight flagship beers and four rotating—and the brewing operation will be open for all to see Kitts and an assistant brewer working their magic. There won’t even be a glass window separating the taproom.
Kitts’ wife, Emily, will be handling the quality assurance and lab-duties part of the operation. To get up to speed on the particulars of brewing, Emily will be taking a few courses at UC Davis—one of the few colleges in the U.S. to offer such courses.
There’s also a spacious porch where patrons can drink a beer and enjoy the scenery. All told, the brewhouse can seat 89 people.
Other than light snacks, food won’t be served. However, a menu with specials from nearby restaurants will be provided to have food delivered to the brewery. Customers can also bring their own food, too. Naughty Oak will also be a venue for live music.
Despite a few setbacks, Kitts is still on target for a December opening, the exact date of which has yet to be determined. He said it has been relatively smooth getting the place open thanks to the trail blazed by the wine industry, and good timing.
Kitts credits his two business partners, Foster Reif and Mason Frakes, for helping him navigate the government aspects of opening a business as well as knowing what to expect from the bartending end of things.
As the brewery gets closer to opening, Kitts will be looking to make a few hires to help out with bartending and managing.
How did Kitts come up with the name Naughty Oak? According to Kitts, the “oak” portion of the name symbolizes the Central Coast, where oak trees are abundant. The “naughty” part represents his mischievous approach to brewing—by making beer however he wants to make it.
“This county is very attuned to craft,” Kitts said. “I’m hoping the beer will be the center of the community.”
Highlights
• On Aug. 22, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold a public a meeting in Santa Barbara regarding the change in the 805 area code. The 805 area code is expected to use all available prefixes by June 2018. Pursuant to Federal Communications Commission rules, the CPUC must adopt a plan for additional numbering resources in the 805 area. The meeting will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Eastside Branch Library located at 1102 E. Montecito St. in Santa Barbara. For more information, call 963-3727.
Staff Writer David Minsky wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Aug 11-18, 2016.