May is Independent Craft Beer month here in the SYV.  Wait, I thought this was wine country?  While you might not think of beer when you think of the Santa Ynez Valley, a common phrase heard among the vines and barrel rooms is "it takes a lot of great beer to make great wine".  True statement.  We dont have a brewery on every corner like San Diego or Sacramento but I'd be willing to bet just about every fridge in the valley has a beer in it.  There really isnt anything more refreshing after a hard days work than sitting down with a cold beer and with a valley filled with farmers, chef's, artisans and entrepreneurs, not just any BIG beer will do.  Ingredients matter, quality matters and supporting the little guy with a big dream matters to us.  The Santa Ynez Valley was built by people with passion, big dreams and high hopes for something better and some gave up everything, changed their direction and lives completely to do something others thought was crazy.  But it wasnt.  What seems crazy is never having tried to do what we knew we could.  Striking out on your own, trying something new or different is scary, exhilirating, exhausting, expensive and yes, sometimes heartbreaking but always an adventure.  These are the people we surround ourselves with.  These are the people who inspire us to be better and do more.  These are the people who you want to be around, who's energy and passion fills any room they are in.  They dont cut corners, they dont take the easy route, they come in early and stay late, they try again and again until what they have created is made up of the best of them and then they present it to you and hope you feel the same.  They do it again and again, every day.  

On March 15, 2020 California's Governor ordered the closure of all bars, brewpubs, restaurants and wineries.  Then on May 12, 2020, the California Dept. of Public Health issued an order stating, “Brewpubs, breweries, bars, pubs, craft distilleries and wineries should remain closed until those establishments are allowed to resume modified or full operation unless they are offering sit-down, dine-in meals.  Alcohol can only be sold in the same transaction as a meal.” 

July 1, 2020, the CDHP eliminated the need for wine manufacturers to serve meals with their wine. Specifically, the closure Guidance ordered that “all brewpubs, breweries, bars, and pubs must close, both indoors and outdoors, unless they are offering sit down, dine-in meals….”  

This is when the fight to save our businesses began for most business owners but for Independent Craft Breweries, it looked like a losing battle right from the start.  A battle that they were going to have to unknowingly fight for the next 7 months, until March 13, 2021. 

As of March 2021 there are 1100 Independent Craft breweries in the state of California, still more than any other state but not everyone made it to reopen and more still will close as full recovery is not expected until 2022 according to the Brewers Association.  There is still much work to do. 

So, this month we celebrate Independent Craft Beer and you can do your part and support the more than 61,000 workers in the craft beer industry in California by buying Independent.  How do you know if the beer your drinking is Independent?  Just look for the seal.

Now get out and grab a cold one and know that as you sip on that cool, refreshing beverage, you are doing your part to save and support a small business and while your at it, why not grab a bite to eat at your locally owned neighborhood restaurant too.  Tell'em The Good Life sent you!

Cheers!