February 10, 2015 – The term “geek” has blossomed in different directions over the past few years—at least within food culture—moving away from associations with awkward kids on computers and morphing instead into expert territory, people who are so passionate and knowledgeable about their interest that they hit geek-dom status. There may not be a topic as worthy of this semantic evolution than beer.
A pioneer in the local craft beer scene, Emily Thomas of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and Cremer House, is one of the geeks in our midst. Not only does she know a whole lot about beer, she works tirelessly to promote the community that surrounds it.
Four years ago she launched the first annual Twisted Tasting event in conjunction with San Francisco Beer Week. It was a way to showcase the interesting, experimental flavors and styles of beer that fellow producers in the industry were concocting and attract beer geeks from the broader public into the fold as well. “It is a unique way to educate people about beer and about community,” she says.
Since then, it is undeniable that the craft beer movement has taken over the world.
Locally, we have well over 40 breweries and tap rooms, with new ones opening up almost every day and we certainly have our fair share of beer geeks around the Monterey Bay. Thomas says that a lot of those folks want to start a Santa Cruz Beer Week, splitting off from the larger SF Beer Week engine that grows larger and stronger every year, with countless events for one week each February. But “why reinvent the wheel?” she asks, when SF Beer Week has already created such a successful marketing approach that can only help expose our area’s beer riches by aligning with it. That was the drive behind starting the Twisted Tasting, which always falls on the second weekend of SF Beer Week when South Bay events are taking place.
But along with the growth of breweries in town comes a much different reality in terms of distribution. Everyone is ordering from similar places, so “I kinda have to step up my game,” admits Thomas, researching and sourcing near and far to keep her finger on the pulse of what is happening in the beer world. Which is also why she took two major trips this year solely dedicated to acquiring beers directly for Twisted.
Emily’s extra mileage is a boon for all of us, resulting in some really special specimens for the event. Her two good friends, Adair Paterno of Sante Adairius and Fran Fitzharris of Brewery 25, are well connected and were hugely helpful in finding the hidden gems. In fact, the three of them went on a road trip, gathering cases along the way.
One surprising stop was at Libertine Pub in Morro Bay where the brain behind the barrel-aged wild ales may be part mad scientist. “Imagine three levels of a defunct old embarcadero restaurant, packed to the gills with brewing equipment, barrels and every imaginable solution for making it work,” Thomas says. “Brewing with hot lava rocks instead of boiling wort, moving barrels to various levels of the building without a forklift, bottling in the middle of a restaurant, and barrel-fulls of every imaginable creative concoction you can imagine. Grapes stomped by his daughter’s toes, wild yeast, a dank basement full of barrels, fermented pomegranate juice, it was impressive. Tyler showed us a great time and set us up with Framboise and Coffeeteine for Twisted. Twisted Tasting 2015 might just be the first time anyone in Santa Cruz has ever tasted Libertine beers…”
Another stop was at Monkish Brewing in Los Angeles, started by a PhD theologian who loves the ancient connection between monks and beer. They list over 35 beers on their website, with names such as Feminist, Vigil and False Prophet. Their Shaolin’s Fist, a Belgian dubbel spiced with sichuan peppercorns will appear at this year’s Twisted. As of this writing, Emily and staff were in the process of trying to coax Mortal Dumpling to pair their Asian dim sum with this beer.
These two breweries are just the tip of the iceberg. Breakside brewing in Portland will contribute the La Tormenta, brewed with peppers and lychee fruit to create a sip akin to “pop rocks in your mouth,” she says. Ground Breaker, also in Portland, is known for using only alternative ingredients and made in an entirely gluten-free brewery. Santa Cruz will get to try their IPA No. 5, brewed with roasted chestnuts and lentils. And for the second year in a row, the farm-driven beers from Agrarian Ales near Eugene, OR, will make an appearance at Twisted. Their ¡Poblamo! is an Amber Ale infused with their own farm-grown and fire-roasted Poblano chiles.
Back home, our beloved beverage producers are upping the ante as well. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing took their very last batch of Dippa Double IPA, created as dedication to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s 100th birthday, and threw it into bourbon barrels with a bunch of apricots. Emily’s sister, Maggie, has brewed up some special Cardamom Masala Porter, and the Sriracha Pale Ale and an Amber Ale brewed with Jasmine flowers will also be on tap to pair with el Salchichero meats.
There are some trends happening in the beer scene, which will definitely be apparent at Twisted this year. One being the prevalence of hot peppers, but another being, what Emily calls “an anti IPA shift,” moving in the direction of wild and sour beers that offer the connoisseur a more complex tasting experience. But beer isn’t the only thing on tap. We are seeing an upsurge of ciders hitting the market, a very old tradition made in new ways. Nicole Todd’s Santa Cruz Cider Co. is really pushing the envelope, and her unusual Kung Pow Cider, Prickly Pear and Smoked Apple Ciders will be paired with another local company doing innovative things to heritage items, Farmhouse Culture. They will be making a special batch of Wild Mushroom Kim Chi and a Chapuline Curtido, using spiced Mexican crickets in the Salvadoran Sauerkraut
Bonny Doon Vineyard will make an appearance, presenting their line of ciders as well. The quince kissed Querry Cider and Winter Nelis Pear Cider are on offer along with Friend in Cheeses Jam Company’s fun, if mysterious, tidbits. Mastermind, Tabitha Stroup, provides a hint, “a Goldfish cracker, a ewe and a tomato walked into Twisted Tasting. The shipwreck will be in full effect.” Her nautical reference is not random, it happens to be the theme of this year’s event. Being that Twisted is the very first happening to light up the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center across from the Santa Cruz wharf, plus the fact that it falls on February 14th, the organizers decided to combine the special Valentine’s Day date with a maritime influence. They landed on the epic, romantic tale of the Titanic. And even if the theme doesn’t float your boat, Thomas reminds us that: “Food and beer is the main show, but it’s Valentine’s Day and it’s a great night out!” So order your tickets here, grab your Rose or Jack cohort and get ready to be twisted.
About the author
Amber Turpin is a freelance food and travel writer based in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
