Perfectly situated between the award-winning Island Brewing Company and the “world’s safest beach,” Carpinteria’s Surf ’n’ Suds Beer Festival kicked off its third year this Saturday, August 15, on Linden Field in the little seaside town just south of Santa Barbara.
With close to 60 breweries represented, the sunshine-soaked summer event boasted beers from as close to home as Carp’s Island Brewing Co., Rincon Brewery, and brewLAB and as far-flung as Delaware’s Dogfish Head. Also on tap was a smorgasbord of side attractions, including surf and merch booths, food-truck fare, games of cornhole and oversized beer pong, and live music from area psych-rockers Afishnsea the Moon and others.
The spotlight, though, remained on the beers, and there was a wide enough variety to keep both the hopped-out bro and snifter-sniffing beer nerd abuzz at what’s shaping up to be one of the best beer festivals on the South Coast. Of the many suds sampled, here are a few standouts to seek out: