Brewing Beer and Community in Watsonville

August 18, 2020 – Tides of change ebb and flow not just on Elkhorn Slough’s marshlands, but on the neighboring craft beer scene in Watsonville. 

This week, Ben Ward, Erix Celis and Jorge Vazquez prepare to debut The Slough Brewing Collective, a reimagining of local favorite Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company. 

Michael Enos and Julie Rienhardt opened Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company in 2016 and the brewery became a popular community watering hole. But balancing a full-time job alongside a bustling brewery became increasingly challenging and the pair looked to hand over the beer biz to a new team. Ward, Celis and Vazquez—all three former employees—have stepped in with a promise to preserve the brewery’s commitment to community.

“We want to make a communal space that’s welcoming and inviting just like Micheal and Julie made it,” says Vazquez. 

Ben Ward hails from upstate New York and landed in Santa Cruz eight years ago. Working at Seven Bridges Organic Brewing Supply helped open the door to the local brewing community and Ward has a resume that includes stints at Humble Sea Brewing Co., Shanty Shack Brewing, Brewery Twenty Five and Fruition Brewing. “I thoroughly believe in the community aspect of brewing and how beer brings people together,” says Ward. “I see it more as a medium for building community rather than just a product, and that’s how I’ve selected places I worked for.”

Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company landed a special place in Ward’s heart. “It really had the community vibe I wanted in my own business—a relaxed and unpretentious approach to beer.” He credits Enos and Rienhardt for fostering a welcoming space for Watsonville locals to gather, “They were very caring people when it came to community. On any given night, the tap room was very diverse, relaxed and welcoming.”

While working in the tap room, Ward teamed up with Celis and Vazquez.

Originally from the Los Angeles area, Erix Celis came to Santa Cruz in 2009 to pursue a passion for teaching at UCSC. By day, he’s a kindergarten teacher in Watsonville, but started cultivating an interest in beer on the side. 

Like Ward, Celis enjoyed the camaraderie that coalesced at Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company. “It was a very unique experience that I wasn’t used to when it came to tap rooms. There were a lot of quirky personalities and a wide range of demographics and I felt very welcome from the owners.” Eventually, he landed a side gig here and in his free time began brewing at home to understand firsthand what went into making beer.

Jorge Vazquez has deep roots to Watsonville—he was born and raised in the city and his father owns Joe’s Carbon Solutions that’s been in business here for 35 years. A passion for home brewing landed him a job at Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company. He was the brewery’s first hire, working his way up from beer tender to assistant brewer and taproom manager then ultimately head brewer.

There Vazquez struck up a friendship with Sam Akiyama, who was transforming his family farm from cultivating carnations to growing hops. Vazquez partnered on the project and the pair revived Watsonville’s historic hops heritage. 

“Watsonville used to be the number one hop grower for California, growing 70% of hops for the state until Prohibition,” explains Vazquez. Akiyama Hopyard now grows 12 different varieties of the bining plant whose conical flowers give beer its signature taste and aroma. Akiyama and Vazquez supply hops for the burgeoning craft beer scene not just in Watsonville, but across the Monterey Bay area.

The third-generation family-owned and operated farm focuses on hops, growing 12 different varieties of the bine plant whose conical flowers give beer its signature taste and aroma. Akiyama Hopyard supplies for the burgeoning craft beer scene not just in Watsonville, but across the Monterey Bay area—including Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company, of course. 

“When Michael and Julie said they were selling the brewery, we were the first people they had in mind,” Ward recalls. Funding was a challenge at first, but with perseverance, the trio were able to secure purchase of the brewery. “We were the people they wanted to pass the legacy onto.”

The trio sees The Slough Brewing Collective as a natural progression. “Of course we want to have good beer, but we want the beer to be a vehicle for people to come and gather and build a community,” explains Ward. The team seeks to create an open and accessible environment to connect with peers over a pint.

Ward recognizes that while this has been a hallmark for Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company, it’s not necessarily the norm in the industry. “Anyone who’s familiar with the brewing industry knows beer isn’t the most welcoming and diverse industry. It’s a very white, middle-class industry. You can’t have a real community without including everyone.”

“Michael and Julie disregarded the conventions of the craft beer industry and dropped the pretensions. They weren’t trying to sell beer, they were selling a welcoming space,” he adds.

Vazquez says the demographic diversity of Watsonville will guide efforts to make The Slough Brewing Collective welcoming to beer enthusiasts of varied backgrounds. Menus, signage and social media content will be in both English and Spanish, reflective of the area’s large Latinx population. “It’s about accessibility,” emphasizes Celis. “Defaulting to English will already exclude certain people or turn people off. We’ll focus on Spanish because that’s a big part of the demographic, but ultimately the goal is to add accessibility.” Celis will also lead the charge in the brewery’s social justice initiatives to foster a more equitable and inclusive industry.

Ward bemoans customers feeling put off by craft beer. He doesn’t want anyone to feel intimidated by beer, “It’s just beer!” He and Vazquez are taking the lead on brewing operations with a focus on easy-drinking beers.

Expect selections to change frequently, “We’ll have staples, but we’re going to focus on different beers so people don’t get bored,” says Ward. 

Vazquez teases one of those staples—the Con Sal Salted Gose. “It’s a light, crisp beer, but what will make it stand out the most is what we’re doing with it.” He describes variations that tip the hat to his Latinx heritage—mango, pepino (cucumber), fresa (strawberry) and watermelon. “It’s an homage to my heritage—like throwing Tajín (chile/lime seasoning) and salt on fruit.” 

And some of the signature selections from Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company may find a new life at The Slough Brewing Collective too.

With city permitting in hand, The Slough Brewing Collective will start stocking wholesale accounts this week and plans to open the tap room for to-go service as early as next week. Ward asks for patience as operations get underway while the brewery also navigates a complex field of coronavirus regulations, “We’re in no rush to open. We want to do it in a very thoughtful and slow way, which I think may be frustrating to some loyal customers, but we have to do what we have to do to make sure our community is safe.”

Follow @thesloughbeer on Instagram for updates.

The Slough Brewing Collective • 65 Hangar Way, Suite D, Watsonville • thesloughbrewing.com