BARLEYWINE WINNER - HOMEBREW TO PROBREW CONTEST

LOCAL BREWER WINS SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN HOME-BREW TO PRO-BREW FOR THE SECOND TIME

Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, an all organic brewery located on the West Side of Santa Cruz, hosted their second home-brew to pro-brew contest on Sunday, July 1. The contest judged Barleywine recipe entries from local home-brewers. The winning recipe will be brewed and served at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing next winter.

Dave Bossie, a home-brewer from Ben Lomond won the contest in a close finish with fellow brewer Larry Lynch-Freshner. Judge Emily Thomas stated that Bossie's entry was "a perfect match to an American Style Barleywine with well-rounded hop components."

This American Hombrewers Association (AHA) sanctioned contest was judged by a small panel, and the honorable judge John Watson was present for the event. John Watson has judged hundreds of amateur and professional brewing events as well as helped organize the Samuel Adams Longshot Competiton.

The home-brew to pro-brew contests gives Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing an opportunity to involve the community and fellow brewers in their small, family owned business. The winners of the contests get the opportunity to name their beer and brew the first batch in the brewery's 210-gallon system. This is quite an experience for most home-brewers who generally brew in 5-10 gallon systems.

Bossie, who is no novice to brewing beer, remains humble about his victory. He is the previous winner of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing's first home-brew to pro-brew contest, and the story for his "Wilder Wheat" can be read on the label which is available at stores and restaurants throughout the state.

Barleywine differs from other beers mostly in terms of its alcohol content, which is how it got the name "wine". Most microbrews range from 5%-8% alcohol content, whereas Barleywines begin around 8.5% and can go as high as 12% alcohol.

Ladies Night

Poverty Porter

Poverty Porter – Coffee Infused Beer

The coffee roasters of Coffee Cat/Lulu Carpenters and the brewers of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing teamed up in a new organic beer adventure. The new beer, Poverty Porter, is available for tasting at the brewery's tasting room. The brewers' claim, 'if money's got you down, you can get your coffee fix and your beer in one pint sized punch with the Poverty Porter!'

Emily Thomas and Tom Perozzi first brewed a test batch at the National Homebrewers, 'Big Brew,' the first Saturday in May, in a 10 gallon kettle in the alley behind the brewery with eleven other homebrewers. Everyone loved the small batch so much, brewer, Chad Brill went ahead with a full run production.

The sweet aroma and spicy flavor of the Fair Trade, Organic coffee beans are definitely present in this subtle porter. The beer has a crisp dry finish with a nose that will make you think you are sipping on a cup of coffee. The body is deep and rich with a hint of sweetness, but the smoky overtones of the Guatemalan coffee beans are clearly there.

Beer loving folks can get a sample of it at the Brewery's new tasting room in the Swift Street Courtyard, 402 Ingalls Street, any day between noon and ten.

The coffee beans come from the Finca Vista Hermosa farm, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Shade grown on steep hillsides, the family farm has been producing one of the most elegantly processed beans for three generations. They are then expertly roasted at the Coffee Cat shop in Scotts Valley, by Rory Phares and Roman Bondarenko.

Coffee Cat is located at the Mt. Hermon Shopping Center in Scotts Valley. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing is located in the Swift Street Courtyard, Santa Cruz, California.

Tasting Room Expansion