This brewery is genuinely "local" and in Santa Cruz, that's a good thing. Â Whether you read the names of their beers "Boardwalk Blonde" or marvel at the club of supporters with lifetime memberships with their honorary mugs hanging behind the bar, its very clear that Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing is the place to hang with friends on your way back from Steamers Lane, or as you're taking your dog out for a walk. Â Yes, the dogs are a big draw here. Â But not as big of a draw as the beer, because it is good. Â It is also often for a great cause as they support local nonprofits with the sales of their beer. Â Every neighborhood deserves a brewery like SCMB.
Review Source:C and I were doing our third NYT's 36 Hours weekend: Â a road trip to Santa Cruz from Los Angeles. Â Our first stop? Â Swift Street Courtyard's Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing.
Upon arrival, we were pretty perplexed. Â Here's the cute quad... where are the fine alcoholic establishments we wished to patronize?
After traipsing back and forth like a pair of short-term memory deficient freshwater fish, we found it. Â This closely-guarded secret is around the corner (say what? Â Swift Street Courtyard is more than a... courtyard?), in an almost-alley. Â More tips - it's cash only, and happy hour is from 5-6pm Sundays through Wednesdays (all day on Mondays and Tuesdays; Fridays from 5-7pm). Â You're welcome.
After deliberating the specialty offerings in the Tap Room, we ordered a stout with the highest alcohol content (don't judge - it was a long drive and this place was playing hard-to-get); the $6 Black Swan.
"The darkest organic malts dance gracefully with organic rye and hops to create a seductive elixir, luring you into the tangled underworld of stout heaven," beckoned the unusually verbose, yet highly-informative Left Menu on the wall.
With aromas of chocolate and toffee, this seasonal 8.5% Imperial Stout was one of the highlights of our trip, and has introduced Cameron into a new category of adult juice: Â dark beers.
We paired it with a gigantic cheeseburger with an onion bun ($14), delivered from Kelly's French Bakery, and played Ms. Pac-Man (guess who won!). Â When I opened the cylindrical Jenga carton, I was greeted with patron-illustrated blocks. Â We had to oblige: Â try to find ours when you visit! Â Hint: Â Caulfield.Co.
P.S. Â I'll be honest - that awesome stout crept up on me and had me pretty buzzed. Â Granted, I had an empty stomach. Â But then again, I only had half a pint. Â Damnit! Â I'm such a cheap date!
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza."
~Dave Barry
My dad would always grab a beer on Saturday afternoons and pour it into a frosty mug fresh out of the freezer. He would slowly pour the golden liquid from the bottle and I'd watch as the foamy head would form. It all looked so elegant. He'd often pour the beer, take it into the living room and put it on the table next to his chair and then make himself a snack or a sandwich. I remember the day I stole my first sip, my mom and dad were in the kitchen and I sneaked over to his chair and grabbed the mug. I slowly lifted it to my lips and took a small sip. The cold liquid hit my taste buds and (let me digress for a moment...FUCK THAT WAS AWFUL!) I spit it out on the living room carpet and ran back to my room hoping to not get caught. How did he drink that shit?
Fast forward to the present day and I've now had my fair share of beer-fueled evenings/ mornings. Some beer is good, some beer is so bad I'm embarrassed to be seen drinking them. SCMB falls into the good category. The brewers here love beer- plain and simple. They start with organic grains and hops and brew seven flagship ales for your enjoyment; Dread Brown Ale, Amber Ale, Pale Ale, IPA, Wilder Wheat, Devout Stout, and The Peoples Porter. I've had most if not all their flagship brews and they are spot on. Sure they might be different than you're used to, but isn't variety the spice of life? If every IPA tasted like every other IPA then why bother trying anything new? SCMB also rotates at least three specialty ales each season. Check out their website for what they're pouring when you visit.
I love the vibe of SCMB. It's not a bar per se, and it's not a restaurant. It's a tap room. Quite literally a room with taps that highlight the beers a brewery produces. They offer food from other restaurants in their complex, but they do not have their own kitchen. The main room is tiny and almost always packed when I've been there. Which is good because I prefer sitting outside int heir beer garden anyway. From the heated patio, one can sit and people watch, view the brewing process at work, play with local dogs (it's a dog-friendly patio), and get comfortable with people you just haven't met yet.
So next time you're in Santa Cruz, check out SCMB and go have a beer, just keep it away from the kids!
PROST!
I lived in SC for 20 years and really really wanted to love this place as it's within walking distance from my house. Â But...as a beer connoisseur and brewer I have only found one single beer I actually really enjoyed but it was a seasonal brew and I've never seen it again. Â Some beers are undrinkable and the style of barely carbonating the kegs is very odd to the palate. Not sure why so many people claim this place, I think it's because it's convenient and an alternative for wine tasting and easy to find for visitors. Â The food is great but is coming from the spot next door so expect a decent wait for it to be walked around the corner to you. Â On a good note, the bartenders are very friendly (as is everyone) it's very cozy inside and has a pretty cool patio down in the parking lot which is very dog friendly. Â Wish we had an actual good brewery in SC!!
Review Source:Chad & Emily are not only great at what they do, but they're pretty awesome people regardless. Lots of unique brews to try here and they get refreshed on a regular basis. The vibe is rather chill and the outside patio is very dog/cigarette-friendly. Some might view that as a drawback (not me), but it warrants mentioning. Food can be gotten here as well whether it's pretzels, homemade jerky from Salchichero, snappy dogs or ordering a sandwich from Kelly's bakery next door (they bring it right over to you). Â The westside was really struggling to have an option for grabbing a few heady pints until these guys came along.
Review Source:added santa cruz mountain brewing company to our custom list for a friend's "beer tasting birthday". although the bar is small, there are stools around the bar and a couple communal tables.
there is a GREAT selections of beers on tap, along with many seasonal brews. they have a wonderful tasting selection for under $7. that was my favorite part of this place. definately start with their tasting sampler and choose one you loved for your pint to follow.
i'd definately come here again.
I purchased a beer making kit from these guys for a Christmas present and was told it could be returned if wasn't needed.
Today I tried to return and they said no. They said that is their policy and that there is no way for all the employees to know their policies. Â Lame answer!
The manager wouldn't talk to me.
Don't buy their products.
There are consistant though. Â Lousy beer and lousy service.
Micro Breweries are amazing and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing is top notch! No only does the beer taste spectacular the brewery itself is fantastic. When you go to the actual brewery tasting room you get real local Santa Cruz feel.
What makes a Micro brew so good is that they do not make the beer a a mass scale, instead they are able to focus on the quality of the beer. My favorite part of going to the Brewery tasting area is that they sell pints of the beer for $5 and they also sell a Beer Boat. You are able to sample all their beer in 2oz glasses for $7. I really enjoyed this because it allowed me to taste everything and order what I really wanted.
If you have not stopped by Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing make sure to check it out.
+ tasty brews,
+ cozy atmosphere,
+ patio,
- packed on weekends
The Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing is a hidden gem in Santa Cruz close to West Cliff Drive but far off busy Boardwalk! It is located within the re-vitalized industrial quarter along Ingalls Street that is popular with wineries.
Besides the small pub upstairs you can enjoy their organic brews downstairs on the patio assumed you find a spot. The brewery is very popular and usually packed during the weekend or happy hour.
However, if you like industrial architecture and are a fan of great microbrews you will love Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing. For the hungry they also sell some pub food until 7pm.
A pint is about $5, during Happy Hour $3.50 (Mon+Tue all day, Wed-Sun 5-6pm). On Wed they also have Weenie Days with one liter of beer and a pretzel for $8.
SC Mountain Brewing is a great location after a ride along West Cliff Drive and Wilder Ranch, after a day of wine tasting at the wineries close by or just to hang out off the beaten path in Santa Cruz.
We tried the Devout Stout and the Boardwalk Blonde. Both were quite tasty; I'll go back just to try the rest of them! I do wish the outdoor seating area was more conducive to lazy-afternoon hanging out. But, the small area was adequate and the other patrons were friendly as we shared a bench area. They do allow dogs on the patio and that's always a bonus.
Review Source:I don't drink beer, so I wasn't too excited about coming here with my family.
+5 stars: My husband brought me a giant glass of delicious ROOTBEER. *drool* I was in rootbeer heaven. The flavor was great with just the right amount of fizz.
-2 stars: My family disliked the beer. They all said that it was very flat and the flavors were off.
+1 star: There is a seating area outside that is dog-friendly, so our pups were able to relax while we had our drinks. :)
I really wanted to like this brewery. I read up on their beers before going and it sounded like they had some really good flavors. Since it was a small place focused on brewing, I expected the people serving me beers would have sufficient knowledge of their beers.
My friends and I arrived just in time for happy hour. They gave people the option to get the beer downstairs from the brewery itself in a plastic cup (for some odd reason) or upstairs at the bar in a glass. I got their IPA from the taps downstairs. When the beer was poured, it was incredibly hazy. I sipped at it and tasted a lot of the alcohol, but not a lot of the hoppy flavor I was hoping for. I hadn't read about this beer being unfiltered and I was hoping the haziness would settle and that the alcohol taste would mellow out. I was incorrect and about five minutes later, I approached the bartender to see if there was something wrong and if he could perhaps repour the beer, which is common if your beer seems off. The bartender was EXTREMELY RUDE and told me that they didn't like to "give away free beer". I am an extremely slow beer drinker and anyone looking at my glass would probably wonder if I had drank anything from it at all. When I explained to the man that I simply would prefer a new glass because that may have been shaken or have been the yeasty bottom of the keg, he proceeded to DRINK FROM MY BEER and told me that it tasted fine to him before handing it back to me.
I walked away from the bar at that point. I was so shocked from him blatantly drinking out of my cup that I couldn't really figure out what had happened. I ended up tasting the coffee infused porter my boyfriend ordered and it was pretty damn good. Not wanting to waste the beer trip, I ordered a glass of the porter and it was then that the bartender let me switch my hazy IPA (it looked like a Hefe if that gives you any idea) for the porter at no charge.
That porter is what merits a 2 star rating rather than a 1 or 0. I wouldn't make another trip out there, particularly because of the rudeness I faced, but if I found the porter at Bevmo, I would probably pick up a bottle.
I used to like them, back before I knew that their customer service is subpar & that they'll sell you beer that will skunk.
Long story short, I moved from San Francisco to PA in March. I made a special trip to SCMB to buy beer for my brother (a special request from him) & had it shipped back to PA. Upon hearing my plans - of storing then shipping the beer - the lady behind the bar still proceeded to sell it to me INSTEAD of refusing because she knew the product would go bad & I'd have WASTED over $50 on a case of beer. My brother wrote an email, they responded with a "sorry, that's why we don't ship beer; too bad for you" (WHY WAS I ALLOWED TO PURCHASE IT THEN?). After receiving the response, I emailed the company explaining the whole situation & still haven't heard from management. Their customer service is HORRIBLE. I will never go back there when I'm visiting my friends in Santa Cruz. There are other bars which offer good, local microbrews in which I'll spend my money.
Oh how I really want to give you 5 stars, SCMB. I can't do it because...you need more seating.
If you're going with one or two friends, it's fantastic. Any more than that, you may want to find a different spot to go to. But hey, besides the seating problem, the beer is absolutely amazing. After a long day, you deserve something from here.
Good but not super impressed, just had the root beer, which I thought was made there, but it was not- though it was delicious!
My dad who had a sample of eight of there beers said the porter was too dark for his liking and the seasonal summer ale was a little watery.
On the positive side it's a really cute place with a super friendly bar tender! Stop by of you have an interest in brewing for sure!
This is a nice spot to stop and relax with a pint on a sunny day. Â The bar inside is really cool, and there's a big outdoor patio as well. Â Prices are actually really good, and the varierty of beers on tap is great. Â I particularly enjoyed their Hefeweizen. Â
Cash only, so be warned! Â There's an ATM inside the bar area, as well as another in the middle of the parking lot next to Kelly's Bakery.
LOVE how this place is dog friendly! It is CASH ONLY but if you have an ATM card, they have an ATM machine right by the bar. Environment is always chill, friendly and fabulous! Interior design is exactly what a bar should be. Semi clean, hip and has its own flavor.
Tried their local cider and it was da-bomb. I'm not a huge fan of alcohol unless it's in a prissy mixed drink or I'm trying to get courage juice in me to dance but but theirs is great! Would recommend taking your friends or someone special here for their beer sampling-- great deal for the number and amount of samples you get.
What a cool place to hang out! Â We've been wine tasting here in the Courtyard fairly often over the past few years, but hadn't yet made it in to the Brewery. Â Won't make that mistake again! Â
Love Potion may not work on that sexy guy or gal you desire but it WILL make you fall in love with the Santa Cruz Mountain Brew Company! Â That's for sure! Â Too bad they don't bottle it because I'd clear the shelves! Â
We spent a couple hours in here last Saturday trying to make a dent in their supply! Â I love how you can also order a Big Juicy Burger (WITH BACON!) that's delivered from the amazing Kelly's Bakery around the corner! Â You just can't beat that! Â
We took home a few giant bottles of Amber so we can still have the SCMB touch our lips while we are at home over the hill. Â
The staff is friendly and as fast as they can be. Â The place was PACKED and that is a major understatement! Â We were half-cheekin the bar stools trying to pack our group in the back around the Ms.Pac Man machine! Â While you're back there - don't forget to check out the $5 bin of t-shirts and zipper hoodies! Â Hoodies for $5? Make you HOLLA!
After our first beer standing a table cleared out and we were able to all pile in the window seating and inhale our giant Burgers and Fries from Kelly's. Â A Great afternoon spent here, indeed! Â
We'll be back to experience the outdoor patio area too very soon! Â Anybody know when it's NOT crowded out there? Â =0) Â Enjoy!
REALLY AWESOME hidden brewery! I have been in SC for almost 4 years and I am so surprised that I have never heard of SC Mountain Brewing. My boyfriend loves beer so this is the perfect spot to spend a nice, sunny afternoon. The brewery is really cute and homey. There is outdoor seating which is perfect for children and doggies! The actual bar is really small and there are tons of locals! It seems like all the bartenders knew their customers by name which is really welcoming and friendly.
The brewery serves a variety of different beers to satisfy all beer drinkers. A pint is $5.50, but if you are a new visitor you can try a flight of different beers (including their seasonal selections) for around $7. I also saw people bringing in jugs and buying packs of beer which was around $46. We tried the flight and it was a good way to figure out which type of beer you prefer before you commit to a pint. I would suggest the Amber ale! It is really smooth and not as strong as the others.
I am definitely coming back here with my group of friends. It is so relaxing and a great place to come to socialize!
Watery beer? Booooo! The IPA is decent, but it isn't as hoppy as I'd like.
Things I do like:
-A cozy (though crowded) indoor atmosphere
-A patio (new since last time I was there) where you can sit with your dog
-Good food selection, homemade mustard with pretzels
-Sipping beer at a local brewery... even if the beer itself isn't amazing
I can't believe it took me this long to check this place out. First time with brother man for birthday beer weekend. Had the mini flight which has their standard options: Pale Ale, IPA, Amber Ale, Heffe, Stout and Porter with one seasonal addition, which this time was a Pumpkin Ale. Loved it.
Next time was a stop with friends Paul and Tamela and had the Amber Ale, Great time hanging with friends. Need to try the bar menu next time. The tacos look amazing.
Only reason I gave this place 4 stars is because I wish they had more seating outside but when I am lucky enough to score a couple seats for me and a friend I'm set for the evening. I highly recommend Devout Stout but all selections are excellent. Â
The staff are a very friendly and service is always with a  smile. It may be a cash only establishment but they make up for it in quick service. Oh and getting a hamburger and fries delivered from Kelly's Bakery is a definite bonus.
Oh Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery! Â I don't even know where to start! Â
Cash only? Â I don't know about anyone else, but I rarely ever carry cash on me and if i do happen to have cash its never any more than 20 bones. That being said, I can easily build a tab far larger than $20. Â Cash only is lame! Â Also, I talked to someone who said the ATM fee was $2.50! Â Fuck that!
I ordered a flight, thinking after tasting them all I'd find one that I really enjoyed and would order a pint of something. Â It was painfully difficult trying to get through all of the different beers. Â I was disappointed with every single one I tasted. Â The Porter and the brown were tolerable, but everything else was shit. Â Not really feeling like downing a pint of the porter or brown, I hesitantly ordered an IPA. Â The IPA was orange and tasted nothing like an IPA, very disappointing since I love IPA's! Half way through the beer I decided it would be better to just chug it and end the torture as quickly as possible! Â
Maybe one day they'll figure out how to make good beer.
What a fantastic place! We went to try the Black Swan stout this past Friday night. It was a bit crowded but we managed to find some open spots at the bar. We ordered what we came for and were both very impressed. The beer was smooth and went down so easy, that I caught myself off guard when I looked down and the majority of my drink was gone.
Next, we tried a sample of the Witches Wit, which was light and refreshing and then a full sized Chile Chocolate Stout. The latter was not to my liking, but not everything is for everyone. It had an intense smoked chipotle flavor that I could taste for a while after. I opted for another Black Swan instead.
I loved the design of the place and inquired about the giant copper tree with personalized mugs hanging from its branches. The woman behind the bar, who was extremely nice, let us know that it was for members of the Copper Club. For $1000, you get a beer everyday of your life as well as happy hour prices on refills. Now that's cool! Â
AND, something that makes it even better for me, is that from what I gathered, women have a pivotal role in the whole operation. For a brewery, that's not something you find every day.
To echo what Tiffany N. said a few weeks back, a place like this makes me wish I lived in the area. Perhaps then I could get to know the fine folks here, and maybe, just maybe have my own mug hanging from the tree.
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing is one of those places where you want to become a regular. Or at least I do. I very much wish this spot was closer to my house than it is because I would be there weekly at least.
This smallish brewery hosts several types of beers, but they also have Kombucha on tap! You know for your non-drinking friends, or just day time visits when you may be working. They also feature free Wi-Fi and a most delicious cheeseburger. I enjoyed both over a work lunch the other day.
All the beers are organic, they allow doggies, and they have a little patio area for you to enjoy the sun while it's out. Seriously, what's not to love?
Sitting here trying the sample board. Â So far total disappointing. The pilsner is sad. The wheat was really bad. Pale was pretty good but not great. Amber was also sad. The IPA well, it would be good if it tasted like an IPA, the worse of the bunch. Â Brown wasn't to bad. Â Porter was a little grainy (texture) and had to much coffee flavor. Stout was thin tasting. Â
On a whole I am probably being too critical but there is nothing I would say gosh I want a pint of that.
Would have given two stars but I will add to the complaints that a $50 min for cards. Just stupid! Â My little hole in the wall place doesn't even care about that!!!
Fun, very laid back and even ordered a pizza while we where there cus the food place at the end of the warehouse wasn't open any more.
Tried a slew of beers, all good. I favor dark beers the best, so they weren't offering a wide variety in that regard tho. ;-( But all they had were good!
They don't stay open too late tho and the location's a bit removed from everything. But maybe that keeps it so low key cool.
I'm finding out that I'm preferring beer over wine the older that I get.
S found this place on Yelp mobile - so to try something different, we decided to take a chance and dine here for the evening.
Trying to find this place from our bed and breakfast was like a rat trying to find a piece of cheese in a maze. The directions took us into an industrialized area of Santa Cruz where I saw nothing but warehouses and few open businesses.
However, tucked away behind a winery's warehouse, we found the brewery.
Can't say that this was a happening place. There were a few people at the bar and they all seemed to know each other.
The sample, like Noelle Q. mentions, is $7. However, you can ask for a taste, which the barkeep will give you a smidgen in a shot glass as a pint is $4.50. I'd rather just taste and get a full glass of what I thought tasted the best.
Downside of this place is that if you arrive after 7pm, they stop serving food. They rely on Kelly's Bakery next door for their sandwiches - and if you're expecting to eat and drink, you're out of luck, unless you're into filling up on potato chips.
Since S and I didn't have dinner, we shared a stout and ended up chatting with another fellow (who was a Santa Cruz local) who was sitting at the bar. He gave us some good ideas on where to find dinner later that evening.
The Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery is open until 10pm - so make sure that you eat dinner before you arrive.
Note: There's a minimum $8 charge if you wish to use your credit/ATM card.
I really wish I liked Mountain Brew's beer better because the place seems really relaxed and low maintenance. I just think that almost all of their beer is either watered down or smoky as hell. Some of them taste like cigar ashes.
I went here with a friend and we ordered the sampler platter. It came with 8 different beers which is certainly a feat but I wouldn't want a whole pint of more than 3 of them I think. But that's also just my opinion. I loved hanging out at the bar. It's a really down to earth kind of place with a dart board, good music and a decent menu. I didn't end up eating there but I wouldn't mind going back to try some of their food.
A big plus for me was that they had many different options for different size beers. You could obviously get pints but they also had 10 oz, 22 oz, growlers and three different sized kegs (5 gallon, 13 gallon and 15.5 gallon. Don't ask me why I remember that). How's that for service? If I were into their beer more I'd be all over it. Still, it was a nice enough place that I'd go back to try it again.
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