In the early 90s I lived in Boulder Creek, a refugee from the crowded surf scene in Santa Cruz. Beautiful mountains with towering redwoods and a jade green river… An incredible place with a ‘lost in the mountains’ feel only a thirty minute drive along the winding Highway 9 to Santa Cruz. And? The Boulder Creek Brewery. Back in the day? The holy grail of microbreweries in California. I know. I looked and I looked hard to find others as good as this one. In the eighties the microbrewery revolution hit and micro brew pubs began to pop up all over California. Flavorful and potent beers were all the rage and The Boulder Creek Brewery was a small gem nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I moved to the area for several reasons. One of the most important was because I could ride my bike to the brewery and this seemed like a damn fine reason to leave the coastal fog behind. The pub grub was great and the place was always festive with live music and a friendly staff. When I moved to town I really didn’t know anyone, but with access to the brewery it really didn’t matter. The brewery was, to borrow from the British, a “public house,” and felt like a warm extension of my home.
Times change and places change. I moved to San Francisco and left the bicycle rides to the brewery behind. Still, fond memories. Any time I’d pass through there would be a stop at the brewery. Warm summer days and motorcycle rides would have a very simple destination. The Boulder Creek Brewery. An hour and a half ride from my house in Bernal Heights, but absolute glory on the winding, twisty roads through the redwoods. Nothing like it and nothing like the destination waiting with cold pints of the Lompico Gold IPA and a 'Boulder Burger.'
Over time the Boulder Creek Brewery changed. The food wasn’t as good as it was in the glory days. They’d often run out of the Lompico Gold. (which, considering my long ride from the city, drove me to distraction) The Oatmeal Stout was put on a nitrous tap (bad idea) and seemed to lack that rich tang of coal coupled with the power of diesel fuel. Yes, the amazing beer had changed too. The beers were once the best in California. By far. Yes, I’d gone to Humboldt County and then driven all the way to San Diego in search of surf and in the quest of the perfect pint. Back in the day? There was no brewery as good as The Boulder Creek Brewery. It was my little secret. Sure, you could go all the way to Hopland and have a pint of fresh Redtail Ale at the Hopland Brewery. Yep, they were “the first brew pub in California.” It wasn't as good as The Boulder Creek Brewery. It was glorious and then things changed. The food wasn’t getting better, in fact for a while it was bad. But just as I was about to write them off for good? Well?
Things changed again when Judd Anthony took the reigns as their new chef. Things changed a lot. The food at the brewery took an immediate turn for the better with Judd in the kitchen. Quality. Cioppino night? Fresh sea food. Really fresh and tasting so good the other night that I wanted to order more and more and more. I was not expecting this. I had kind of given up on Boulder Creek for a great meal. The changes keep coming. The specials are luring me back. Sliders, soups, and most recently the Deep Fried Prawn Po-Boy Sandwich heaping with peanut coleslaw… This has to be one of the best things I’ve had in a long, long time. Yes, it is that good. Yes, the food is now back to the quality of “the good old days.” In fact it might even be better. This new Po-Boy reminds me of some of the food I’ve had in New Orleans. Rich, Cajun flavor enhanced by the comfort foods that often come best when they are fried. New Orleans was where I once had fried chicken, a platter of deep fried pickles and a can of ice cold beer for dinner. Deep fried pickles? Something I had never heard of before this trip to New Orleans and, frankly, thought you would only find in New Orleans. You can not imagine how excited I was to hear that Judd put them on the menu! A platter of deep fried pickles with a spicy sauce? Ahhh… a bit of New Orleans in Boulder Creek? Absolute perfection! Menu changes with creole inspiration and perfect execution? Ahhhh, it really doesn't get better than this.
So, times change and right now times are looking really good at The Boulder Creek Brewery. The food alone is reason enough to make the trip from either direction. The beer? My money is on the Dragon’s Breath IPA. I still miss the Lompico Gold, the 'old school' Oatmeal stout and the seasonal beers (like the Belgian Whit beer they used to make in the summer flavored with orange peel and coriander.) But? Is the beer good again? Yes, it certainly is good. The new brewer seems to understand that in the mountains we like our beers strong. At a bit over seven percent, The Dragon’s Breath IPA is an axe wielding and fire breathing beast. Recently 'The Winter Warmer' was a stand out as well... Cheers to that and cheers to many more moments of brewing magic that will be coming out of the stainless steel cauldrons nestled in the redwoods. If you love beer and if you’ve ever dabbled in the home brew arena you should go there mid week and chat with the brewer as that heavenly aroma of fresh wort brewing fills the room with warmth and the promise of a potent pint. You’ll know it’s “the day” when you approach the brewery and find plastic buckets of freshly spent grain outside on the sidewalk…
If you haven’t already gotten the message let me make it perfectly clear: The magic is back at The Boulder Creek Brewery! Get over there for amazing food and fresh mountain beer.
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