Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Boulder Creek Brewery continues its rebirth by staying in the community’s eye with a series of events.
One of the events that took place last weekend was their Father’s Day Feast and Craft Beer Tasting at Roaring Camp.
Boulder Creek Brewery Owner Stephen Wyman, said approximately 150 people attended.
“It was an awesome, beautiful day and everybody had a great time,” he said.
At the tasting, patrons were able to sample not just Boulder Creek Brewery’s beer, but also brews from as far away as Belgium. Overall, there were more than a dozen different microbrews showcased, as well as samplings of hard cider and wine.
Mo Moscoe, a Boulder Creek Brewery employee of 20 years, attended the event and said he enjoyed all the beer and food choices.
“It was a very esoteric selection of beers, in my opinion,” Moscoe said. “I think people were very entertained. It was a great opportunity for brewery staff to be reunited.”
Wyman said Boulder Creek Brewery has relationships with distributors and other brewers, which allows them to procure so many specialty choices.
The libations were accompanied with what the brewery staff called a “fantastic feast,” and live gypsy jazz from Hot Club Pacific rounded off this family event with entertainment.
“The food was amazing,” said Wyman, who credits Chef Louis Repucci for the menu. Some of the menu items included fresh wild caught salmon, buffalo meatballs, and smoked duck, along with many delectable types of meat, appetizers, salads, sides, and desserts.
Many wondered what would become of the popular pub after it was consumed by fire earlier this year. Lucky for fans and patrons, Wyman and crew were able to salvage nine oak barrels of beer from the basement. One of those was a Cherry Sour, which was served at the Father’s Day event.
“It’s hard to know until we actually extract the beer to see how it held up,” said Wyman, but if all goes well, each barrel holds approximately 31 gallons of beer.
And while the existing beer still flows, Wyman already has plans on where to serve it.
“(What) we decided right after the fire was that we would do one event per month to keep ourselves alive in the community,” he said. “We try to bring our crew back together and our customers, and try to keep our spirits going.”
Currently, Wyman is working hard to promote the upcoming Santa Cruz Mountains Sol Festival, which takes place on July 11 and 12 at Roaring Camp. This event is expected to have a huge draw, as Michael Franti from the band Spearhead is the headlining performer.
At the festival, Boulder Creek Brewery plans to serve a beer they made in collaboration with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Brewing together with others allows everyone to expand on their wisdom as brewers.
“We have a 27 year book of recipes that were added to and changed over times,” said Wyman. “ Each person brings their love into the book.”
In addition to brewing with Sierra Nevada, Boulder Creek Brewery also brewed more than 100 kegs of their flagship beer — the Redwood Ale — at Uncommon Brewers in Santa Cruz.
Collaborating with others is also a way to have supply meet demand until the actual brewery in Boulder Creek is rebuilt.
The demand is unlikely to go away. Wyman expects to do a beer and burger event with the Boulder Creek Rec Department in July as well. Also catch the brewery at the 24th Annual Hat, Hops, and Hucks ultimate Frisbee event July 18 and 19 in Boulder Creek.
As far as the actual brewery building goes, Wyman does not have a set date for when it will reopen. Currently, engineering plans are being drawn. Should everything go smoothly, Boulder Creek Brewery could reopen at its popular location on Highway 9 as early as next spring.
Wyman and Moscoe said that it’s possible that the Brewery Outpost in Boulder Creek will reopen soon. Located at the old Boulder Creek Music site in downtown, the location briefly opened and then closed while plumbing improvements are being made. Once that’s settled, expect to have a pint there while waiting for the brewery to get rebuilt.
Keep up with the brewery’s events by visiting their Facebook page.
