Beerland

Santa Cruz Beer Trail

07.14.2016

Looking for true hoppiness? The Santa Cruz Beer Trail has microbrews popping up all over town, and makes a great thirst-quencher post outdoor adventure. (For the best savings and deals on these microbrews, purchase a passport and beer map online and pick it up in person at Seven Bridges Cooperative.) Seabright Brewing Company, Santa Cruz’s oldest brew pub, has frothy libations from one of the area’s only female master brewers. Munch down on a couple of fish tacos (they claim to have the best in town!) and don’t miss the Double Maple Bacon Stout.

New Bohemia offers a complimentary tasting of their refreshing German-style summer brews. Sip their Orange Crush, made with Valencia oranges. Discretion Brewing Company has an eclectic array of creative brews and a sunny, dog-friendly back patio. The Hibiscus Wit can’t be beat, and the beer-braised pork sliders are delicious. Sante Adairius, in the heart of sea-side Capitola, has elegantly crafted, malty, and refreshing beers richly steeped in the Belgian tradition.

BONUS BEACH STROLL: New Bohemia is within close walking distance to Pleasure Point, one of California’s most iconic surfing coves and a terrific spot for a beach walk (sunsets here are gorgeous). The beach views will fill you with warmth, happiness, and serenity. Or maybe that’s just the beer!

NOTE: Whether you sample from all of the breweries or select just one or two, be smart about your transportation choices and know your limits. Designate a driver, or call Go Green Cab, (831) 246-1234, for a taxi service offering vintage biodiesel sedans to drive you around.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Man hiking up a trail at Montara Mountain, with a view of the Pacific and Grey Whale sand beach in the background

    From Beach to Summit

    No need to decide between a beach and a mountaintop—this hike includes both! Explore the stunning coastal scenery on this 6-mile out-and-back up Montara Mountain and into Rancho Corral de Tierra.

    View

  2. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View

  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View

  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Woman walking in the Venice Canals of Los Angeles County

    Canal Contemplations

    With its incense-scented boardwalk, bohemian shops, skateparks, and abundance of body builders, Venice is happily eccentric, and artistic. Exhibit A: Its network of European-style canals with charming bridges, offering a tranquil tour of the town’s history.

    View

  2. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View

  3. What's Up, Winthrop!

    It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View