12 Best Santa Cruz Breweries & Tap Rooms
Santa Cruz deserves to be in the spotlight for its amazing craft beer scene. Just as craft beer swept the U.S., it also transformed Santa Cruz into a beer-lovers paradise. Sip malty ambers, hoppy IPAs, seasonal specials, and more in quaint breweries or cozy tap rooms overlooking the city, the mountains, and even the sunny, sandy beaches.
Get out and discover Santa Cruz by way of its best beers. Start with these 12 breweries and taprooms.
Breweries
Corralitos Brewing Co.
Sip Corralitos Brewing Co's hand-crafted ales in their rustic tap room located in Corralitos, CA.
Discretion Brewing
There are no bad choices at Discretion, which is based on a belief in the freedom to choose.
The Slough Brewing
The Slough Brewing Collective's mouthwatering beer and cozy tap room focus on one thing: community.
Highway 1 Brewing Co.
Highway 1's tap room is quintessentially California, as are their signature brews like the Beach Blonde and Highway 1PA.
Humble Sea Brewery
Find Humble Sea's mouthwatering brews in their Santa Cruz tap room or by shipping to bring your favorites home.
New Bohemia Brewing
Sip beer and dig into BBQ at New Bohemia's one-of-a-kind beer garden, located in downtown Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz Mountain
With ten beers on tap, more available to go, and a twinkly-lighted tap room, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing is a must.
Shanty Shack Brewing
This laid-back nano brewery located just down the hill from Chaminade offers beer and food on a sunny patio.
Taprooms
Beer Thirty Pour House
Beer Thirty Bottle Shop & Pour House serves up craft beer by the pint and by the bottle in their Soquel, CA beer garden.
Lupolo Craft Beer House
Lupolo brings together traditional Belgian beer houses with Spanish tapas. Eat, drink, and be merry in Santa Cruz.
The Parish Publick
The Parish Publick House serves up local beers, cocktails in mason jars, and food like french fries and salmon tacos.
The View
The View, A Treeside Restaurant is the perfect place to sip beer or wine while overlooking Santa Cruz's Monterey Bay.
Santa Cruz Beer Trail
Taste Your Way Through Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz Beer Trail Passport is here to guide you on your journey. The Trail Passport embodies what the Beer Trail is all about, encouraging people to get out and discover!
The “First Release” Passport is focused on providing visitors with a self-guided expedition that showcases just how diverse and unique the Santa Cruz craft beer community truly is.
*Video Courtesy of The Santa Cruz Beer Trail*