Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/759555
1 12 / the tasting panel / december 2016 SLO Brew This vanguard brew pub has been brewing in SLO for nearly 20 years and is home to San Luis Obispo's most storied music venue, where stars like Neil Young have been known to drop in and jam. This fall, SLO Brew won a Bronze Medal at the Great American Beer Festival for its oatmeal stout, Feelin' Your Oats. What to sip: Wave Wrangler, a beautiful full- flavored low-alcohol "session" IPA; slobrew.com SLO Brew's Lead Brewer is 27-year-old Luis Lapostol, who's been at it for three years. "I got into the business by accident," he told The Tasting Panel. "I was actually working in viticulture, and I met SLO Brew's Brewmaster Steve Courier. He asked me if I was willing to work long hours, which I was. He taught me well and is a wonderful mentor. What do I like about making beer? It's a faster turnaround time than winemaking." Libertine's founder and Brewer Tyler Clark. Central Coast Brewing Helmed by Master Brewer Brendan Gough, who earned his beer chops at Firestone Walker, CCB has been racking up gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival for years. While they produce several traditional American IPAs, Gough has been mastering the more difficult art of lager here, making it a trailblazer among California craft brewers. What to sip: SLO Blonde, a Munich-style Helles Lager; centralcoast- brewing.com Libertine Brewing Co. Award-winning crafter of sour and wild ales and an industry-leading innovator in the art of barrel-age brewing, founder and Brewer Tyler Clark is by far the funniest beer maven on the Central Coast. His massive brewery in Downtown SLO greets guests with a hand lettered display spanning the entire width of the tasting room that declares, "Yeah, we know it's sour . . . " Clark's wit is matched only by his drive and passion. A brewer who loves wine (and drinks it while brewing), Clark has collaborated with some of the most vanguard winemakers in the region, hosts a regular costume surf contest for charity and will soon have three tasting room sites throughout the Central Coast. Libertine is a brewery on the rise. What to sip: Halter Saison, a saison fermented with Picpoul Blanc grapes from nearby Halter Ranch Vineyards; libertinebrewing.com Tap-It Brewing Located in a nondescript industrial section of town, Tap-It's tasting room and massive patio are seemingly dipped in bright burnt orange, at once representing the trademark colors of Harley-Davidson and the San Francisco Giants. And while it may draw a blue-collar crowd, it brews top-shelf stuff—the reason it won a Gold Medal for its IPA at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival. What to sip: Continuum, a German-style Pilsner that may be San Luis Obispo's best burger beer; tapitbrewing.com