After visiting the freshly opened Bear Roots Brewing Co. twice in the last month, it made sense that I address the reason why I needed to come back. I will reveal that reason in a moment, but first let me describe what were the first few things I noticed. The enticing smell of brewing and lumber when I first entered the door, and like with any new retail space there are some decorative features that have been nicely attended to. I like what they have done with this otherwise generic space that makes it so warm and rustic inside. 


Something about sitting with a beer in hand and your eyes gazing over brewing supplies that just gets those creative brewing juices flowing. So on a convenience scale Bear Roots is right up there, because you can shop and drink all at the same time, perhaps even on the same tab!  I didn't ask but I would love it if that is the case!  This store is top of the line in C02 fills, tank exchange, grain choices and a special water program for specific water profiles. 


I had tasters of everything my first visit and my second stop in I knew exactly what I had to have more of..... drum roll please.......  it was the Peanut Butter Milk Stout!  I am not the only person that is crazy for it. While watching the crowd and ease-dropping on what they were ordering, I was validated in my favorite by listening to one person after another come in to order exactly that!  Such a gorgeous cocoa nib aroma and the flavor was a combination of peanut butter, vanilla and coffee. What sold it for me was the bitter finish which had me wrapped around its little finger, that must stem from my love of IPAs.  Just talking about this stout makes my mouth wanting for more, and I have a good feeling that Bear Roots Brewing Co. knows exactly what a little gem they have with this one!  GO!  GET IT!  But maybe call first and make sure all the other folks haven't drank it all up!  Cheers!  

My friends Aaron, Tom and Aleks have often suggested I pay Acoustic Ales, a brewery that they have all been a part of, a visit.  Although Tom has moved on to What's on Draft, and Aleks is our assistant Brewer at Culture Brewing Co.,  Aaron is currently on board as the Head Brewer.  I had the privilege to run into him this day and see a bit of the operation!  


The first and most humbling fact is that Acoustic Ales is comfortably settled into the original Mission Brewing location that was built in 1912, even before Prohibition!  We didn't get into to pros and cons of being in such an old historic building, but my guess is that the whole crew has nothing but mad respect for the obvious history here.  How could you do anything else but appreciate the amount of beer that has left this holy ground over the last 100 plus years!   


We already know how solid the beers are and I enjoyed each one I sipped!  Luckily they already bottle, with distribution into Los Angeles, Orange County, Northern California, Arizona and Oregon.  The two bombers I chose were the "Live in Berlin-er" Berliner Weisse and "Unplugged Kopi Luwak" Chocolate Oatmeal Stout brewed with Kopi Luwak Coffee!  I will preview each of these bottles on my IG feed soon @womensbeercollective......Cheers!  

If you come through Carlsbad California, or already live here, then by all means stop into the freshly opened Culver Beer Co.!  Be sure to congratulate them and even "high five" for all they have been through to see this to fruition.  What I hear is that Carlsbad is not the easiest or most accommodating city to take on starting up a brewery in, so do ask them for the full story!  

Originally planning to use the name of Palomar Brewing, circumstances required them to go in a different direction which I think turned out quite well!  The definition of "Culver" is Pigeon, and myself being a bird lover I very much love the logo they have designed!!  I can't wait to see all the finishing decor touches they have planned completed!  The Women's Craft Beer Collective will be having an event there soon so be on the lookout for the details!  ​

I am very impressed with the Vanilla Stout on Nitro that they had on tap when I visited, only regret is that I didn't have a full pint of it. Also pretty amused by the interesting and vast style choices that aren't even IPA's!  Well sometimes it's nice to leave our comfort zone, but I do hear that one will be debuting soon!   Cheers!  KB

Having finally visited San Diego's own Coronado Brewing Co. on Knoxville Street, I was disappointed in myself that I hadn't been in sooner!  Maybe I didn't realize that it isn't necessary to actually go onto Coronado Island to get the experience that this brewery has to offer.  In fact this is where the majority of the beer is brewed and bottled, and there is no escaping the exciting sound of the bottling line the second you walk in!    Of all the brewery's I've visited in San Diego and North County I haven't had this "part of the action" experience since visiting Colorado and the many large brewery's there!  

We all know that Coronado Brewing makes an exceptional product and that after 20 years of brewing in San Diego we all know their name, but now I'm aware of how accommodating they are to everyone who walks through their doors. The crew is absolutely delightful, and although the space is large and loud I felt very comfortable in this environment!  Almost honored to have a front row seat of the conception of bottles that will journey to many happy customers!  

Cheers!  KB
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The Aliens recently decided to expand their minds and joined the Women’s Craft Beer Collective for a night of barrel aged beer and knowledge at Green Flash Cellar 3 located in Poway, CA.  

We began the night by grabbing a beer at the bar. Many decisions were presented but our taste buds were drawn to the Natura Morta brewed with Tangerine, a deliciously tart beer with a slight hint of tangerine. We mingled with our human tour mates for a bit and then headed back to the barrel room to start the tour. The tasting room manager and Certified Cicerone, Jesse Smith led the tour of Cellar 3 and gave us an in depth look at all the happenings at the Green Flash barrel project. Throughout the tour, various tasters were rolled in paired with a mini lesson for each style. This may have been the most extensive brewing tour we Aliens have ever taken, Smith gave a full lesson on all things yeast and barrel aging. He informed us of the various barrels on site ranging from whiskey to red wine and also shared how their house hold yeast strain came to be. The house hold yeast straing began as a contaminated wine barrel from Temecula and was then cultured at White Labs for use in all the Cellar 3 beers. The tour ended after about 45 minutes of tasting and learning, and we celebrated with even more beer while humans also enjoyed their favorite brewery hopping pizza truck, Red Oven Pizza. If you haven’t had a chance to head down to Cellar 3 yet we definitely recommend you make the trip humans and if you are lucky you may even get the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look like we did.
Big thanks to Cellar 3, The Women’s Craft Beer Collective, Jesse Smith and all the awesome beertenders that helped out along the way! We can’t wait to invade again! Cheers!

- Kelly Cashman

Check out the portfolio of charming pictures from Macrame and Beer last Thursday! Studio Matsalla was our host in the quaint Carlsbad Village...more similar events will be upcoming! Follow @studiomatsalla and @womensbeercollective for details! Cheers! KB
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If you have been wondering where the Women's Craft Beer Collective has been lately and if we had been drinking any beer,  well we most certainly were!   Although the setting has been the same, the content has been quite different.  What?!... not a brewery tour or beer pairing event? We have had a pint of beer in our hands alright, but the other hand was full of rope as we learned the flashback art of Macrame!  

After having three extremely popular Beer and Macrame events over the Summer, the need and desire to do more crafting and beer events has been strong. October 1st will be a crafting/bottle share event outside of a brewery, something that rarely ever happens!  It will be a scaled down macrame project... a simple plant hanger. Along with that there will be a air plant terrarium building station!   All in the quaint setting of Studio Matsalla. Vanessa Matsalla is a local Interior Designer who has the most darling space in Carlsbad Village, and I love that we both have come together for this unique night of crafting, shopping and beer tasting. Many pictures from this enchanted event will follow in the month of October!  

So what's to be concluded with this popularity in crafting?  This generation has a strong desire to actively participate, to create and value the process.  With sites like Etsy and Pinterest where DIYers can showcase and sell their handmade products, there is also a myriad of ideas for those looking to be inspired.  But it's really not that new at all!  Many of us can recall being taught a skill or craft by a grandmother, it's just simply come "back in vogue". That explains why these "Crafting and Beer" events are a natural fit for me!  I was raised around every art and craft imaginable and never ever stopped doing them; so beer is actually my newest craft as of the last 6 years!  Therefore combining the two into an opportunity to bring women and men together to create, drink delicious beer, make new friends and spend time with old friends... AND still leave with something that you have hand-made makes me beyond excited!!  I hope that this continues for quite some time and that my inspirations are many!  Join us and get in touch with your crafty side!

Maybe when you first saw the title to this recent event, you asked yourself "what does that even have to do with beer"?  True we didn't have a beer style lecture or brewery tour this time, but we did learn a crafty, hip, art form, that has been in the past for too long!  We learned to macramé a groovy wall hanging!  And all though, we all followed the same knotting order together as a group, and a very large group at that, our final pieces were as different as each beer loving women herself!!  

This event is my spin on the ever abundant "oil painting and beer" classes that many brewery's have as a monthly women's night out choice.  However, I knew that even though I loved the idea of crafting in a brewery setting, I simply was certain that I would stink very badly at painting and would never actually hang the hideous painting up.  Therefore this event started with simply a craft that I wanted to learn to make myself. 


We were fortunate enough to have had our maiden run of Macramé and Beer in the new wedding venue at Booze Brothers Brewing in Vista, with all the gorgeous rugs provided by Witty Rentals. To say it was well received, and a success, would be an understatement! Everyone went away with a piece that they were very proud of, and with the knowledge of a new (yet old) art form who's possibilities are endless! If you happened to miss out on this particular event then I have good news.....two more are scheduled for July 2015! Cheers! KB

- July 2nd 2015 at 6:00 pm Culture Brewing Co. Solana Beach CA
- July 26th 2015 at 3:00 pm Culture Brewing Co. Ocean Beach CA

Tickets can be purchased for either location for $25.00 under "events"