OK, first thing: I'm a huge fan of this place! If anything, I would have called it something different. There is a town called Hollister, California. What if some dude wants to open a brewery there? He can't call it Hollister Brewing Company, the name is already taken. I would have called it Goleta Valley Brewing Company, or something that sounds more local to me. But what's important is: is the beer good? And the answer is an unarguable YES, at least in my opinion.
This place opened May 2007 so it is still relatively new to the area. Eric Rose, the brewer, used to brew at the Santa Barbara Brewing Company, which is located downtown SB (Goleta is about twelve miles up the road). He did fine there, but was undoubtedly more limited in what he could brew. Ever since Eric and his partners opened Hollister Brew Co, he has been doing remarkably well. Eric keeps surprising me with beers that are both creative in recipe and top-notch in quality.
I tried to pop in there about once a month or so. I'd be there more often if it wasn't so far from my house. And probably I'd be there too much, so it's probably just as well. But the point is, every time I go there, I find something new worth getting a pint of. Eric keeps it interesting.
Reviewing all the beers would just be too much work for this blog. I have yet to find one I did not like. I'll just mention a couple that have really made an impression on me. One was the Dunkelweiss upon the opening last year: a very Bavarian tasting wheaty tasty dark Weizenbier. Another is "The J", a smoked hemp ale. I also loved the seasonal Lemon Ale, made with fresh Goleta lemons. Then I became addicted to the "Hip Hop", a double IPA (9.4%) with a chewy body (that's a compliment) and a wonderfully hoppy aroma. The regular Extra Pale Ale ("White-Star XPA") is creamy and wonderful, especially nitrogen-pumped. And last summer's black IPA ("black-eye pale ale") was simply brilliant in my opinion: it tasted like a excellent full-bodied West-Coast IPA, but yet was as pitch black as a stout. Those are probably my two favorite styles of beer and a pint of this stuff was just like pure liquid happiness to me!
If you're a beer enthusiast, and you're ever in the SB area, you have to visit this place. The food is excellent as well. I personally would recommend the fish tacos, and the tortilla soup. It's all good stuff though, and the menu is definitely more creative than at the average brewing company. This place makes me proud to be a Santa Barbaran, or as I like to call myself, a Barbeerian!
Hollister Brewing Co.
6980 Hollister Ave. Goleta, CA 93117
Tel: 805-968-2810
http://www.hollisterbrewco.com/
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