December 19, 2017 – After a one-year hiatus, Twisted Tasting is back and tickets are now on sale—what better present to give or to get this holiday season? The beer bacchanalia takes place in Santa Cruz on February 17 as part of SF Beer Week.
“Our challenge this time is to make the Civic Auditorium feel like a disco in the 70s,” says organizer Emily Thomas of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing. To help with the big hair, she is bringing in Seattle drag queen Harlotte O’Scara.
Expect mirrored balls and a Studio 54 vibe. Dress to impress and be prepared to boogie in between brews.
“In the beginning we would focus on going out and finding really mind-bending beers and bringing them back,” says Thomas, “but now there are so many local breweries, I get to focus on promoting the local beer community and creating a unique environment.”
Brewers are notoriously secretive about what kind of beers they’ll be bringing to the Twisted Tasting, where each brewery tries to outdo the others with their creativity and outrageous flavor combinations. Even Thomas would only say Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing “has some stuff in barrels.” But previous events featured wild combos like Cardamom Masala Porter and the Sriracha Pale Ale, as well as Thai and Mexican inspired brews.
Cider makers, Venus spirits and local restaurants also take part in Twisted Tasting, but the beer and food pairings are a thing of the past. “Sometimes they worked and sometimes they didn’t, ” she says. “So this time we’re not going to focus on the pairings so much and instead go for a New York street food experience.”
Among the participating food providers are: Friend in Cheeses Jam Co, Kickin’ Chicken, Home, Assembly/Picnic Basket/Penny Ice Cream and Farmhouse Culture.
Tickets are available for $90.50 at https://santacruztickets.com/Online/default.asp
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
