gonna be spending a night in SB soon. haven't been in a long time actually. i used to go to that British Pub The Press Room when i used to go there there years ago are there any good places to get some good beer? thanks in advance
Run-down on the SB scene: -American Ale: Hipster cocktail bar that plays 20's swing music too loud and serves good beer in mason jars. Probably the best taplist in town. Also serves food. -Union Ale: Same owners as American Ale, worse taplist but not as dark and loud. Also serves food. -Elsie's: Dive bar with decent beer. Good atmosphere, not worth it for beer alone. -Eureka Burger: Similar to American Ale with marginally better food and a (usually) worse tap list. Sometimes they have good stuff on, sometimes they have a wall of fairly uninspired beers. -Mercury Lounge: This is in Goleta. Used to be the same owners as Elsie's so it has a similar divey feel. Pretty legit spot - they have great bottle prices for the most part and usually interesting beer on tap. They have had BCBS, Abyss, Enjoy By, etc. on tap the last few times I've dropped in, but sometimes you won't get so lucky. Overall my favorite spot is the Mercury Lounge, but for SB proper you can hit all the other bars in the same day if you're feeling ambitious, they're all within walking distance. Also, for bottles Whole Foods is probably your best bet, or Bevmo. Sadly we don't have any great bottle shops.
Not sure how I forgot these, but Figueroa Mountain opened up a taproom in downtown SB - it's worth doing a flight or two there. I recommend the Petite Syrah Porter and Lizard's Mouth IPA, both stand out among their lineup. Also, Hollister Brewing Co up in Goleta does some good stuff.
Telegraph is near downtown as well. I have avoided the Santa Barbara Brewing Company for the past several years on quality grounds. The Brewhouse is good, but inconsistent. In town: Fig Mountain and Telegraph (if you like their beers, they don't have guest taps) would be my strongest recommendations, followed by the Brewhouse or Union/American if you're looking for a taplist that has solid, familiar beers; if you can get to Goleta and back, Hollister (rarely guest taps, but my favorite in all of the SB area) and the Merc (good and occasionally great taplist along with some excellent bottles) are the two best options. If you can get to Buellton (35 minutes north) Firestone's Barrelworks should not be missed.
