Sante Adairius Rustic Ales

Vanilla Joe FTW. Intriguing saisons, too. (Anais, Bernice.) I’d have liked to try more, but had to drive.
Busy, stylish taproom. They need a bigger space with more seating. This place will be too crowded in summer, for sure. Maybe they can do outdoor seating then.
I only wish they had tasting flights and growlers. I’ll definitely go back to try more and get another taste of that delish Vanilla Joe.

I know a lot of locals don’t want the secret to get out, but it’s hard to quiet the buzz that Sante Adairius is causing. And I’m sure another Five Star review won’t help the cause. Oh well. They specialize in an assortment of Sours, Barrel-​Aged Beers, Porters, Saisons, IPAs, and more. Half and full pours are available from a tap list of about 10 beers, plus they have a couple Bottled Beers and Growlers to take stuff on the go.
I recommend this spot to all beer enthusiasts out there. Even newcomers to the scene can sit back and enjoy a few rounds with friends.

My cousin who is one of those rate all the beers he’s ever drunk on a certain website came to visit us in SF. Luckily his wife is not big on drinking beer. We rented a car & hit PCH 1-​south headed down to Capitola, CA. Aint gonna lie, I had no idea where Capitola was. Once we got off the freeway, I was shocked to see that we were going through residential area; none the less, the suburbs!
We got there 15 – 20 minutes before they opened, and were chilling in the car in front of their location. One of us didn’t eat, so we left to go grab something quick & promptly came back about 10 minutes after they opened. Their small parking lot was packed & there was only 1 parking space left in front. It was pretty much full!
We got a seat & 3 of us had almost everything they had! Things were tapping out within an hour, so do some research & try their saisons that are highly desired. They’re good for a reason & will tap out!

Phenomenal! You won’t find another brewery with as exceptional saison/​farmhouse ales in California. Their brewery is situated in Capitola and is a bit out of the way from all of the typical Nor Cal destinations, but you should make an effort to drive out here. The town is also beautiful and near the coast so while you’re at it, you should make it a day trip to explore Santa Cruz and some of the surrounding wilderness (very green trees await you!).
Their brewery was tucked behind some buildings and their tasting room was somewhat small in the front, but they had extra benches located in an open back area, so somehow there was just enough room for everyone. No tasters are served here (for various cost/​business reasons), but you are allowed to get half pours (as the smallest pour at least)! I would suggest doing this then getting some bottles to go at the end of the drinking day. They seem to always have two beer options for bottles, but set the limit at 2 bottles (per day, per person) for the newer releases and extend it to 4 bottles after some time. Don’t hesitate to get your hands on Cellarman if they have it!
They are dog friendly! You are also able to bring your own food and I hear you can order from next door to have it delivered. We went on New Years Day (thank the heavens they were opened!), so that option wasn’t available, but sounds convenient for other days.
Great little brewery in an obscure, random town but worth your time and money!

Lots of fun having the opportunity to finally make it down here after having some of their IPAs on guest tap at The Rare Barrel. Out in the outskirts of Capitola just a short drive East from Santa Cruz, the taproom is very straight forward — main bar and a handful of benches, tables and barrels to perch your beer.
Only half and full pours are available, though you thankfully can’t go wrong with anything here. Fans of hops and/​or sours will love the line-​up and notables like Brackish and Love’s Armor were mad derricious. Certain beers are available to take out or drink on site depending on the time of year.
Staff’s pretty friendly and outside food is welcome given that there’s no food truck or kitchen on site.

Definitely my favorite brewery in Santa Cruz and in the running for my top five in the Bay Area.
In a sucker for Saison and wild ales both of which they have a wonderful selection of.
Super friendly staff, very busy tap room but they still manage to make you feel at home.
Always had a fresh beer when I was ready for one, had some great conversations with other staff and patrons. Will be back…

The first time I visited Sante, something had just kicked and they put on the Strawberry Solera as I walked through the door. I took it as an omen and ordered one.
That is the closest I’ve come to having my eyes roll back in my head from drinking a beer. I’m pretty sure I moaned at least once while tasting the first few sips.
Cantillon Schmantillon (ok, not really hehe). Sante has world class sours with a signature mineral character. I think they are California’s best brewery (and for sours, easily the best America offers). I only wish they sold more bottles.
Also, Aptos St. BBQ delivers here on Saturdays until 5. If you’ve never tried them, they are awesome.

Great beers and a chill ambience. If you get hungry, they get delivery from Aptos St. BBQ twice a day which is another five star Unilocal review. I thoroughly enjoyed their IPAs, as well as the Dog Disco, which I may or may not have ordered for the name. Speaking of dogs, they’re welcome inside. Overall, this place is a fine establishment.

The beers here suck, the workers here surly, and the clientele sketchy.
All right, definitely not on all counts. But I don’t want this secret to get out any more than it already has. Sante Adairius had already made it on my must-​do list because it was recommended to me by several (!) craft brewers in the Bay Area. Indeed, all the brews I tried here were first-​rate knockouts. And despite the huge lines and crowds here on the weekends, I managed to get some quick questions about the offerings in while still being served fairly quickly and efficiently. Perhaps the only drawback is that it does get so crowded that there’s little room to hang out.
If you’re from the Bay Area and need a good way to pass the time while sitting out all the traffic heading back north on the weekends, this is a great spot to check out. Just don’t tell anyone else.

Sara is a pretty chill place to experience some awesome micro brew. The people are friendly and they welcome dogs whole heartedly. There’s no food at this joint but if you want some healthy vegan options, you can always get it from the place next door or order some bbq from Aptos bbq. Downside: they close pretty early for a tasting room so come early :)

Good spot with good beers. Typical «garage» brewery. They don’t do flights, only full pours, so choose wisely. They have growler fills, but were out of their own branded growlers when I went. Missed a bottle release, so if you’re into that keep up to date with their social sites.

One of the best breweries in the Bay Area. The tap room is a little out of the way but well worth a visit.
They do not serve any food but you can order it from a restaurant nearby.
Whenever I’m in Santa Cruz, I stop by at SARA. Highly recommended!

Beer selection is always impressive. I love the atmosphere; very relaxed and no tvs in the background blaring. It’s a dog friendly and kid friendly business (which is big for me). There are games there to play. The beeristas don’t really chat much. They will give a sample or two prior to your order if you’d like, but that’s about it. Maybe we just have gone on off days. I’ll continue to come back. For you beer geeks out there– when it’s available, but Saison Bernice and Farmhouse Noir. Two beautiful beers!
Note– no food served here, so don’t come hungry.

Yum! This is one of our go-​to places when we come over the hill. The service is superb, it is dog friendly, and the brews are tasty! There is no food, but they do not scrutinize against those that bring in food from the outside. While there is no outdoor seating, there is plenty of seats inside. Parking lot is plentiful and if it were ever full there seems to be a ton of street parking in the area. We’ll be back many more time to come.

My review is a bit round-​a-​bout, so bare with me. The first part is NOT about the beer, read below for that.
I recently did the New Bohemia Brewing Company Kickstarter and I bought the «Free» Santa Cruz Brew Cruz reward tier, which was good for a bus tour of Nubo and 2 other breweries. We signed up to go last Sunday (April 19^th, 2015), and chose Corralitos, Sante Adairius, and Nubu as our 3 stops.
After our stop at Corralitos, where I was super impressed with the beer, and marginally miffed about the reception, we got back on the bus and headed to Sante Adairius, a place that my friends have been begging me to visit.
Like our visit to Corralitos, we get off the bus to what we expected would be a warm greeting, maybe a tour or some questions answered. Unfortunately, the bar was a bit busy and no one seemed to know what the Brew Cruz was. We grabbed our beers of choice and grabbed a seat in the bustling corner.
I have to admit I kind of knew what to expect. I had heard that SA is a bit of a cramped space with amazing beers, and I was not disappointed with the beer I ordered The Anais (
), and they had a limited edition bottle that I was able to try and quickly snatched up a bottle for later, but that was it.
Like Corralitos I didn’t feel like I had to try anything. I guess after I left I thought about it and was wondering why when a tour bus pulls up to your brewery with a dozen or so people who’ve never been to your establishment wouldn’t you at least offer more tastes, discounted merchandice, or at least ask if we had any questions.
Maybe I wasn’t in the right attire or something.
I love the 2 beers I tried, and I was having a great day thanks to the Santa Cruz Brew Cruz, but overall disappointed that I didn’t get to try everything.
I’m sure I’ll return, but I’ll probably set the expectation bar a little lower.

I’m getting in trouble from Unilocal again, so I’m going to start this off right to make sure I’m writing about my «firsthand experience here.»
I got in my car and looked up the address for Sante Adairius on Unilocal and put the address into my trusty GPS. I drove all the way there (697 miles) and parked my car in front of a building with the address:
103 Kennedy Dr, Capitola, CA 95 010
I got out of my car and walked up to what appeared to be doors. I wanted to walk in, but I had to make sure I was at the correct place. As I looked up I saw a sign that said Sante Adairius Rustic Ales. I thought to myself, «Holy Moly, now I can experience this first hand! Yay!»
I walked up to the bar area and asked the guy behind it if I was at the right spot because I needed a firsthand experience here. He nicely said I was going to have a firsthand experience inside Sante Adairius Rustic Ales and not to worry.
To make this firsthand experience even better I ordered some… shall I dare say it? Beer! Yes I tasted some beer here first handedly! OMG and it was so good! It was so good I had to Unilocal it to let the people know I experienced it firsthand.
Beers I’ve had: Maiden Fields, West Ashley, Saison Bernice, 831 IPA, Simpleton, A Door Ajar, Little Quibble, and plenty more… I could go on forever.
As I was sipping and dissecting my Saison /​Farmhouse Ale I noticed something odd. There were people with tattoos and dogs, which some confused Unilocal reviewers seem to call «hipsters.» Oh Phooey, there’s «hipsters» here. Jumpin’ Jiminy, he has a dog, tattoos and glasses! Hipsters! Stay away from this place at all costs if you’re hipsterphobic. I sat comfortably next to the barrel table combing my beard wearing my bright blue skinny jeans, vintage plaid shirt and suspenders while reading my books with poetry in it. I don’t see what other reviewers are seeing. Ah! Maybe I forgot my glasses because my ²⁰⁄₂₀ vision isn’t good enough.
Later on I’ll upload some pictures to show that I had a great firsthand experience here, but then again Unilocal might flag my pictures saying that it caught a «personal experience» at a business (whatever the flaming heck that means).
Tip for Sante: Keep doing what your doing.
Tip for Unilocal: GEAD
Another tip for Unilocal: GFY
P. S. Do not use your trusty GPS going here because it’s going to get you lost into a neighborhood. Do it old school style and read a map.

We tried to find this place three times and one day we got an insider tip as to where it was actually located. Out behind a random neighborhood lies this little brewery. The place is «rustic» like the name states. Everything was redwood and it was dank and dark. They had games to play though, which is a plus.
We came on a Friday night and it wasn’t too busy. We had 4 beers a piece:
831 IPA: Hoppy and not too intense. A solid IPA.
Saison Bernice — Mmmm tasty. I really enjoyed the yeasty dryness of this one.
Anais — Another saison. Very citrusy.
Tripod — Super yum! Oaky goodness.
No food or snacks here, so bring your own. Maybe a headlamp too if you’d like to see your drinks or friends if you’re there at night.

If I only had one word for this brewery it would be «hipster». But this is my Unilocal review and I have many words.
Yeah I’m old, kind of opinionated and really like a good beer. So why only 3 stars and a just OK? Nothing at all wrong with the beers, the staff was great with the time they had to give. There really busy. Maybe, it’s the layout or the seating. Somewhat uncomfortable for me.
Going back? For sure, nothing there is a deal breaker.
Last words… fresh beer is always good. There beer is always fresh.

«Ich bin ein hipster!»
What else could I say, really? The beer nerd friend, while lamenting the Reinheitsgebot, had already made the accusation as soon as I admitted to liking Sante Adairius Rustic Ales. To like Sante Adairius is to be hipster, apparently.
Yeah, I think it’s fair to associate hipsters with a decent percentage of the fans of this place. Even the name of this place itself… Sante Adairius. Rustic. Ales… could be construed as being conspicuously hipster.
But, you know what? Whatever.
Sante Adairius makes some damn fine beers. No, I don’t have an ironic moustache. No, I don’t wear skinny jeans. My legs are too big for that nonsense. No, I don’t ride a unicycle or have a top hat. Come to think of it, most folks I’ve seen in the taproom don’t do any of that either.
& even if they did, it’s all good. Service has been fine & all the beers I’ve tried so far have been excellent to exceptional. My only gripe is that I wish they did tasters & flights. A full pour, or even a ½ pour, is just too much to drink when I want to try everything on the chalkboard.
That aside, ultimately, it’s all about the beer. & with that, I’ve been pretty impressed up to this point. So if saying I like Sante Adairius Rustic Ales means someone proclaiming, «du bist ein hipster!» There really is only 1 thing I can say…
«Jawohl!»

It would’ve been 4.5 stars but West Ashley is so good I’m that I’m willing to overlook a few things.
Though Sante Adarius is a small-​scale operation tucked away in a little section of Capitola, this brewery is nothing to scoff at. There is a reason why they have a cult following. That reason is their high quality brews. Tim takes pride in his beers and if anything doesn’t meet his standards, he will toss the entire batch. I’ve never ordered a beer here that I didn’t enjoy. Here’s what I’ve had.
BOTTLED BEERS
–West Ashley — SWEET BABY JEASUS! This is a saison aged in Pinot Noir Barrels with apricots. Fruity. Sour. Elegant. I just. I can’t even. The nice guy in me wants to share this beer with you and recommend you stop by when they have a bottle release, even if it means I have more competition for parking. Oh yeah, there is a bottle limit and they only have so much to go around. Get there early.
–Farmhouse Noir — dark farmhouse ale aged in petite Syrah and Merlot barrels. Interesting.
ON TAP
–Vanilla Joe — Porter with verve coffee and vanilla beans. Smelled heavenly. Taste followed the nose. Beautiful balance of coffee and vanilla. I’d definitely order again if it’s on tap!
— Joe Chavez — Porter with verve Coffee. Great beer but not as good and Vanilla Joe. I’d still order it.
— 831 IPA — Danky IPA. Aggressive with the hops. Every time I’ve come here, this has been the growler fill. If you’re a fan of Danky beers, give it a shot!
–Notches In Your Spine — Belgian blonde ale with spices. Tastes like yeast and bananas. Still enjoyable but I like their other beers more. I guess their other customers felt the same because I don’t see it on the menu anymore.
–Anaïs — house saison. Pretty solid
Despite these awesome beers, Sante does frustrate me a bit. First off, they allow you to bring in food but they don’t offer any. I understand that they are a small operation and there isn’t a kitchen in the back, but at least some breweries have food trucks on occasion. Also, they do not offer tasters. You either order a full pour or a half pour. I think what upset me was the price increase for growler fills. When I first started coming to Sante, growler fills were $ 8 for 1L and $ 15 for 2L. Not it’s $ 10 and $ 18 respectively. Womp… At least they will let me fill any growler.
If you like craft beer and are willing to overlook the high price, and lack of food and beer flights, then I suggest you stop by. I know I’ll be back.