Eaters Digest: Woodhouse X STS9 Wilder Santa Cruz Session IPA

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Welcome to the Friday Eaters Digest column. Each week, Eaters Digest does three things for you. First, I’ll highlight a single dish or drink worth seeking out. Second, I’ll share the most important food and drink events in the area — and our growing list of area food guides on everything from farmers markets to the Corralitos wine trail. Third, I’ll catch you up on Lookout’s and other food stories you might have missed.

Drink This: Woodhouse X STS9 Wilder Santa Cruz Session IPA

As if anyone needed another reason to crack open a cold one during this summer heat wave, at least four local breweries are releasing special, limited-edition brews this weekend.

First up: Santa Cruz’s Woodhouse Blending & Brewing partnered with electronic jam band Sound Tribe Sector 9 — also known just as STS9 — to create Wilder, a session IPA, in honor of the group’s upcoming shows at UCSC’s Quarry Amphitheater on Aug. 4-5. This approachable, hop-forward beer has a strong resinous nose, a light body and a gentle, earthy bitterness with a long finish. The scent of pine evokes an evening spent dancing under the redwoods at UCSC’s revitalized outdoor stage, while the beer’s lowish ABV of 5.6% is meant to help its drinker enjoy STS9’s long light and music shows.

“They do five-hour shows sometimes. You don’t want a 10% stout — you want a West Coast, California-style session IPA,” explains Woodhouse manager Tug Newett.

Woodhouse will release Wilder this Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at a formal launch party at its brewery off River Street. STS9 are playing the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado that night, and Woodhouse will livestream the show at the party. This event is the public’s only opportunity to purchase the beer; the rest will be sold exclusively at the concerts in August.

And California Craft Beer Week runs July 21-30. Several Santa Cruz County breweries are participating with collaborations that celebrate and support the craft beer community, and are pairing the releases with fun events — more info on that below.

Sante Adairius Rustic Ales released CCBA Brewers Collaboration, an unfiltered West Coast IPA loaded with fruity hops, in partnership with the California Craft Brewers Assocation. It’s available on draft and in four-packs at its locations in Santa Cruz and Capitola. Santa Cruz’s Shanty Shack is releasing a hazy pale ale with Nelson Sauvin and azacca hops this weekend. The brewers are calling it Cali Friends, and a portion of the proceeds from both of these beers goes to support the CCBA.

Discretion Brewing in Soquel will release Hole 27 hazy IPA, a disc golf-themed beer, Saturday at the brewery. Hole 27 refers to the scenic disc golf hole “Top of the World” at DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course in Santa Cruz. Twenty percent of the proceeds from to-go cans of this bright, citrusy beer with notes of coconut and lime will benefit Friends of Parks and Recreation — Santa Cruz to help with upkeep of the course.

Best of the Weekend

Shanty Shack Brewing will host a special Vietnamese pop-up by Full Steam Dumpling and market with Forever Lucky Market this Saturday from 2 to 8 p.m. at its Santa Cruz brewery. More than a dozen vintage and thrift sellers and artists will be there, and Full Steam will offer banh mi, Vietnamese sandwiches. Italian bakery Emozioni Pasticceria will also offer its elegant and decadent desserts.

Also on Saturday, Discretion Brewing is celebrating the release of Hole 27, a disc golf-themed hazy IPA, with live music by local band the Paperback Ryders. The band plays in the beer garden in Soquel from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Italian eats from Discretion’s in-house kitchen, Sugo, are available and 20% of the proceeds from to-go cans will benefit Friends of Parks and Recreation for upkeep of the disc golf course in DeLaveaga Park in Santa Cruz. Don’t forget to peep the can art — the label was created by Leah Noble, “our disc golf-crazed artist,” according to owner Kathleen Genco.

Friday, July 21

• The Beer Scouts: Beer Scouts Rock | 5 - 9 p.m. @Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
• Beer tasting featuring Everywhere Beer Co | 4 - 7 p.m. @Deer Park Wine & Spirits

Saturday, July 22

• Special Vietnamese pop-up by Full Steam Dumpling | 2 - 8 p.m. @138 Fern St., Santa Cruz
• Local beer sampling while sailing | 2:30 - 4 p.m. @275 Lake Ave., Santa Cruz | $55
• Hole 27 beer release + live music | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. @Discretion Brewing
• STS9 beer release + live music | 7 - 9 p.m. @Woodhouse Blending & Brewing

Sunday, July 23

• Wharf-to-Wharf post-race party | 10 a.m. - close @Santa Adarius Rustic Ales, Capitola
• Eden Rift winemaker’s dinner | 5:30 p.m. @Persephone | $150

Tuesday, July 25

• Trivia Tuesdays | 6:30 p.m. - close @Discretion Brewing

News from the Week

ICYMI — Here are the food news stories from Lookout that you might have missed, plus important news from beyond our borders picked by yours truly.

➤ Remodeled Venus Beachside puts spirits front and center (Lookout)
➤ Soif 2.0 coming to former Caffe Pergolesi spot as ex-chef Majano plots return to Walnut Ave (Lookout)
➤ New partnership re-envisions Lago di Como restaurant, turning a hidden gem into a diamond (Lookout)
➤ Eaters Digest: Berries at Prevedelli Farms (Lookout)
➤ Here Are the New 2023 Michelin-Starred Restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area (SF Eater)

Thank you for reading!

Send me your story ideas or tips at lily@lookoutlocal.com.