Humble Sea Brewing Co: Santa Cruz, CA

Humble Sea Brewing // tahoefabulous.com

After our hike in Big Basin Redwood State Park, Greyson and I headed back into town to meet Lexi, Chris, and Nori at my favorite Santa Cruz Brewery, Humble Sea Brewing Company.Humble Sea is located on the west side of Santa Cruz, not too far off Highway One. It has a large beer garden and a small inside seating area, and it's often packed. They have a small menu, but the food they do have is delicious. Greyson and I have been a couple of times now, and, this time, their beer menu was heavy on the IPAs.

This time I got the Socks and Sandals (4.5/5), a hazy, New England style IPA that Humble Sea describes as "One part fashion statement, two parts comfort. Three parts embarrassing the kids. We named this beer after our favorite Santa Cruz tourist phenomenon, in hopes that our beer might someday be just as popular. An unfiltered IPA made with oats, Citra, Centennial, Simcoe, and Chinook, using less traditional hopping techniques. More juicy and aromatic with less bitterness up front." Greyson got the California AF Pale Ale (3/5), which I didn't like quite as much, but he really enjoyed.

Humble Sea is a great brewery - check it out next time you're in Santa Cruz!