New brewery adds to Santa Cruz County craft beer scene

Craft brew enthusiasts now have another place to go for homemade beer on the Central Coast.

The Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company is the new kid on the block. It’s the second brewery in Watsonville to make waves and suds on the south county craft beer scene.

“It’s a great, convenient, delicious place to stop on the way home,” said customer Tom Spaulding.

“It just has a smooth flavor to it,” said Helbard Alkhassaheh.

Run by husband and wife Michael Enos and Julie Reinhardt, the small brewery housed in an old warehouse is whipping up unique and balanced flavor profiles. Wild ales are their specialty.

“We feel like our beer is the taste of Watsonville and this area,” said Reinhardt.

That’s because each small, crafty batch is made with local ingredients. From hops from Akiyama Hoypyard to the unconventional.

“We had customers bring in peppers and we just said oh let’s put them in the barrel,” said Enos. “We just chopped them up and put them in the barrel that day and we just put it on tap today.”

They’re fermenting beer with kettles and inside barrels, which is more of an old school approach.

“Sometimes it can take as much as six to nine months for the beer that’s in the barrel to come to fruition,” said Enos.

But their small, three barrel system is part of a bigger movement. An emerging craft beer scene on the Central Coast and nationwide.

According to the Brewers Association, craft brewers produced 24 billion barrels in 2015 and California is among one of the top states.

“Because I think people are just bored with the mega corporation beers that just seem to go for quantity and not quality,” said Alkhassaheh.

Elkhorn believes it’s not just about the taste, but also because tap rooms provide a place of community.

“We just really started having people come in and connect with one another,” said Reinhardt.

The brewery is open Fridays and Saturdays from 1pm-6pm.

ORIGINAL STORY: Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company is the latest to join the emerging craft brew scene in Santa Cruz County.

The small brewery is located in Watsonville’s industrial park, helping to fill the void for homemade and fresh suds.

The new brewery is part of a bigger movement, taking over not only the Central Coast, but throughout the U.S.

KION’s Maya Holmes will have the full story at 5&6!