Monday, July 25, 2016

Island Brewing Company Seeks Beertender



Whew! It's been quite a summer. You people are thirsty! We're looking for a beertender!

Island Brewing Company has been brewing award winning craft beer in Carpinteria since 2001. We are seeking an uncanny combination of enthusiasm, beer-savviness, and stratospheric customer service in our tasting room for a bartender position. The candidate will come pre-wired with a sense of humor and a passion for craft beer.

Responsibilities include:
-Treating customers with utmost courtesy and care.
-Setting up tasting room and patio for the day
-Maintaining neat, orderly, and clean work and customer environment
-Stocking kegs, bottles, growlers, and merchandise
-Daily heavy lifting of 5-gallon (50lb) and 15.5-gallon (150 lbs)
-Learning and operating POS system
-Accurate cash and credit card transactions
-Being intimately familiar with Island Brewing Company beers and company history.
-Knowledge of the brewing process
-Cleaning tasting room, restrooms, and patio at the end of the night
-Grace under pressure; problem solving and thinking on your feet.
-Running cash register reports and daily reconciliation.

The ideal candidate has an understanding of craft beer culture, history and its current trajectory. We're looking for someone who has previous bartending experience and a positive professional attitude that can work as a team player. Nights, weekends, and some holidays may be required as work load and staffing dictate. Most of our current bar staff are Cicerone certified; a preference will be given to the candidate possessing this credential. 

Email Laurie@islandbrewingcompnay.com

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

T-minus 48 hrs till 15th Anniversary Kickoff


T-minus 48 hrs till our 15th Anniversary Party! Friday we release this beautiful Bourbon Barrel Aged Strong Scotch Ale to commemorate this milestone.


A lot to tell: The Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce
brings out the big scissors for our ribbon cutting and grand reopening. 5:30. Wear IBC logo ware and get 10% off your purchase. Oldest IBC t-shirt contest. And it's IBC alumni night: your old favorite bartenders and brewery staff return!
Sat: Bagpipe and Drum Corps enter at 12:00. We get down to bizness with a VIP tasting and Tinas Ports of Paradise Polynesian Dance Production 2-3:00. 15th anniversary ceremony 3:00 and we'll have Nesta steel drum & Caribbean band from 4-6 and SolTree
gets us grooving 6:30-9.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday: VIP beer tasting, our first ever Conch Blowing Contest and live music from South On Linden!

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Island Brewing Company Celebrates 15th Anniversary

Island Brewing Company Celebrates 15th Anniversary

  Island Brewing Company will celebrate its 15th Anniversary with a weekend of scheduled frivolity and a new Anniversary Beer release starting Friday, July 8 and running through the weekend to Sunday, July 10.

Owner and founder Paul Wright started as a homebrewer in 1991 after his wife Cheryl gave him a homebrew kit for Christmas in Novato, CA. He joined the local brew club and started winning awards. Soon he found himself president, heading up the Marin County Fair competitions, eventually winning runner up homebrewer of California. After burning up all the burners on the stove, was banished to brewing outdoors. He decided to take it a step further and took a job at Marin Brewing Company to learn the ins and outs of professional brewing.

The Wrights were familiar with Carpinteria—their three daughters went to UCSB, so the dream to open a brewery in an idyllic spot went into motion. After years of planning and dreaming, the brewery began in 2001 in the commercial buildings on the west end of Carpinteria Avenue, first as a production brewery that only serviced wholesale accounts. Island Brewing Company began bottling in 2003.  In 2005, a space in the former citrus packing warehouses opened and the brewery moved to its current ocean-view location on the tracks and opened its retail tasting room. “It takes a village to raise a brewery,” said Paul Wright of the journey. “We love being part of this community and brewing beer for this community.”

The plan to expand the brewery was initiated in 2013. Beset by hurdles of many kinds, the expanded tasting room and patio finally opened up in 2015, just in time for Avocado Festival, and work is underway to finish the additional restrooms. “It’s been a long haul, but the future is looking good,” says Wright. “It’s been great to be able to work with my daughter, Laurie Matthews and her husband Mark on a daily basis.  Ryan Morrill is heading up our brewing team with some great beers, we’ve got a solid sales and delivery team, and the beertenders in the tasting room are doing a top notch job.”

The fun starts Friday with a special beer release to commemorate the milestone, the 15th Anniversary Ale, a Strong Scotch Ale, with a limited release of a Bourbon Barrel-aged version.  A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony by the Chamber of Commerce will follow next, celebrating what is by all respects a new chapter in the Island Brewing Company history.  Japanese Taiko Drummers will bring heart pounding rhythms, from 6:00-7:30 pm. Friday will also see a 10% discount on all purchases redeemable for those wearing vintage Island Brewing Company merchandise. There will also be an Oldest IBC T-shirt contest with prizes for our long time supporters.

Saturday, July 9 festivities begin with the bagpipe and drum corps at 12:00.  A VIP Beer Tasting runs all day, $20 for a souvenir goblet and five samples of our most special beers.  Saturday, Tina’s Ports of Paradise Polynesian dancers perform, we’ll hold our 15th Anniversary Ceremony, the Nesta Steel Drum Band brings island vibes, and SolTree brings the grooves.

Sunday, July 10th features a second round of VIP Beer Tastings. We will have a Conch shell blowing contest and live music from South on Linden to round out the weekend.

See you then if not sooner!


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Flight of the Cormorant reading; boats, beer, adventure!




We’ve got a keen interest for all things nautical, especially those that bring adventure, boats, and beer together: Christian Beamish built a boat in his garage and set off to find surf along the coast of Baja. He tells of his adventures in Patagonia's The Voyage of the Cormorant. He, and with a little finagling, the boat, and some books, will be in the brewery June 16th at 7:00 for a reading. Mark your calendars and get ready for  seafaring tales of adventure!

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Beach Day Session IPA has arrived!





Hear ye, hear ye! Beach Day Session IPA is now in bottles! Galaxy, Mosaic, and Experimental hops for 4.7% abv and 54 IBUs! Variance#12 has arrived! 

Fresh is best, turn over for the date the beer was bottled. Pro tip: best done before opening!



Monday, June 6, 2016

15th Anniversary Party! July 8-10th!



15th Anniversary Party!




Save the Date! We're having our 15th Anniversary Party July 8-10th. Music, special beer releases, celebratory ceremony. Details to follow, but to suffice to say it will be an event not to be missed! Watch this space!

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

American Craft Beer Craft Week 2016, May 16-22!

American Craft Beer Craft Week 2016, May 16-22!




It’s that time of year when craft breweries big and small embrace one week of frivolity and festivities of all things beer related. Island Brewing Company will join thousands of breweries across the US in celebrating the culture and community of craft beer. This year’s lineup at promises to be an engaging one, from a new specialty beer release everyday, tournaments to live music. In short, we’ve got a week ahead that will be one to remember. Here’s what’s on tap:

Monday, May 16: Crafting with Craft Beer: We break out the sparkles, glue, scissors, sharpies, and get crafty decorating pint glasses, making one of a kind coasters and more. You’ll be accessing your inner preschooler with a craft beer in your hand. Sounds fun, because it is. This is a kid friendly event, so come get your shellac and glitter on! Belgian beer lovers will rejoice as we tap a keg of our Belgian Quad.

 Tuesday, May 17: Beer Trivia and Live Music: Test your knowledge, or lack thereof in our annual American Craft Beer Week beer trivia contest. There’s a lot to know about beer, and what better way to learn about beer, than to have a beer while you’re learning about it. We’ll also have Carpinteria’s own Dry and Dusty serving up the Old Time music. The Belgian theme continues as we tap a keg of Belgian IPA.

Wednesday, May 18: 5th Annual Rock Paper Scissors Tournament: You already know the rules, now it’s time to apply your knowledge, reflexes and inner inscrutable force of will. This is nothing short of a hilarious, high stakes event. Hopefully you have been training for it. We’ll work through two brackets of 16 to find who will be crowned the RPS Champion for 2016. Hope you like Bourbon Barrel Aged Jubilee, because we’ll tap a keg of that deliciousness.




Thursday, May 19: Brewer’s Appreciation Night: Meet and greet the guys in the back who make it possible, our brewers. We love these guys, and have the feeling you do too. This is a great time to say ‘Thanks’ for the bottling, keg cleaning, brewing, filtering, scheduling, lifting, and on and on. We’ll also debut our first ever Open Mic Night. So that will be a great excuse for you to show the world your hidden talents. We are looking forward to that. We break out the cask engine and start pulling pints of the first sneak peak of our Anniversary Ale.

Friday, May 20: VIP Tastings We raid the barchives and open up some super select Bourbon Barrel Aged beers from yesteryear and beyond. Your palate is about to find another dimension, space is limited, so sign up early. Friday’s featured beer is the one and only almighty Russian Imperial Stout, RISistance.

Saturday, May 21: Beerapalooza: Fresh, local beer meets fresh, local, live music for a day of fun with friends new and old. We’ll have four bands, including the Ben Wilmore Quartete and Carpinteria's own Skamakazie.

How to top Friday’s beer selection? Well, it won’t be easy. But a keg of Bourbon Barrel Aged RISistance just might do the trick.


Sunday, May 22: Beer Bingo: Sit back, relax, and let the chips fall where they may. There’s nothing quite like drinking a beer and winning a prize. Live music with Rick Reeves will put the finishing touches on what is sure to be a great week. That rare animal the Belgian Quad will make a final appearance. 

So come one and all, you will be glad you did!



Monday, May 2, 2016

2nd Annual Cornhole Tournament, May 15th



Hear ye! Here ye! The 2nd Annual Cornhole is nearly upon us! Last year was a great time and this year promises to be just the same. But don't get booked out of this. It will fill up and do so quickly. So if you want to be throwing, instead of just watching, sign up here:

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Double Nut Brown Liftoff!


We have lift off! Double Nut Brown Ale is bubbling away. Next stop: aging in bourbon barrels, and then a rendezvous with your future.


Friday, April 1, 2016

InBev Acquires Island Brewing Company

InBev beer behemoth announced another craft brewery will be added to its portfolio: this time Carpinteria-based Island Brewing Company. The craft beer segment has been exceeding analysts projections through a string of consecutive quarters, and the move furthers the Belgian-based beverage giant's move into the small beer manufacturer market.

The companies signed an agreement earlier this week and the transaction is expected to close later this year; no financial details were disclosed, but sources close to the deal cited InBev investing a 50% stake in the brewery.

In a statement, Island Brewing Company said it was looking forward to working with the industry giant to expand production and manage the brewery's exponential growth.

"When we started brewing 15 years ago, we were in it for the love,' said owner and founder Paul Wright. 'We're still in it for the love, and exciting times lie ahead. There never been a better time to be a beer drinker."

The new partnership, will allow Island Brewing Company to export the exciting vibe of American craft beer globally.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

We're hiring: Tasting Room Manager!

Island Brewing Company Seeks Tasting Room Manager

 
Island Brewing Company Seeks Tasting Room Manager

 
Island Brewing Company seeks a tasting room manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The successful candidate will facilitate all aspects of running the tasting room and enhance the customer's overall experience at the brewery. 
 

We're looking for an efficient, organized person who brings an uncommon knowledge of beer and the brewing process, someone who can manage staff and increase on-site retail sales. In short, we're looking for a hands-on tasting room manager who can step in where and when needed, while bringing a passionate enthusiasm and knowledge of Island Brewing Company beer to locals and visitors alike.
 

 Job responsibilities include:
 
-Ensuring customers have a great experience
-Supervising, managing, and educating tasting room staff.
-Scheduling tasting room staff.
-Monitoring sales and making recommendations for improvement.
-Ensuring tasting room is operating at optimum performance levels.
-Monitoring inventory of all retail items.
-Managing/ increasing the Island Nation beer membership club.
-Conducting brewery tours.
-Contributing ideas to the Island Brewing team to increase traffic including, advertising, promotions, and innovative PR events.
 

Education: 
 
Bachelor's Degree preferred. Four or more years in hospitality, preferably in a setting involving craft beer. Cicerone certificate desired. We’re looking for someone with excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as organizational skills, and the ability to follow through on projects with minimal supervision, with a relaxed, friendly, and professional demeanor. The ideal candidate will bring strong analytical and math skills combined with superb interpersonal managing skills.
 

 Working Conditions:
 
-Regular working schedule will include weekends and holidays.
-Special events/peak season will require additional working hours.
-Moderate to heavy physical work (moving cases and kegs, boxes of merchandise).
-Long periods of standing (8 hours per day).
-Bussing and washing glasses to keep tasting room clean, as required.
-Ability to lift kegs (50 lbs-140 lbs).

 This is a full time position with salary and medical benefits.

 Please email resume to laurie@islandbrewingcompany.com

Monday, March 14, 2016

New hours: Open at noon!

Commander Derek would like to welcome you to the  bright side of Day Light Savings: we now open every day at noon!

Monday, February 29, 2016

How Slow Can You Go? 2nd Annual Slow Bike Race March 20th

 



Hold on to your handlebars! We're that uncommon combination of excited, pleased, and thrilled to announce the date of the 2nd Annual Slow Bike Race. Sunday, March 20 we will be seeing just how slow you can go and stay upright and inside the lines. Needless to say if last year was any indication, the laughs will be of the side splitting variety and they will come often.

Here are some of the technical details, so you can get a jump on the competition.
First, it's highly encouraged that you practice. It's harder than it looks! We have ambitions to chalk the course off early, so the next time you bike to the brewery hopefully we've done that and you can give it a go. The rules? Here they are:

-There will be three lanes, 50 feet long and three feet wide.
-You must wear a helmet while riding.
-Both tires must stay on the ground, and no other part of the bike should touch the ground.
-Forward motion shall be provided by the muscles of the rider and be maintained at all times.
-No part of the competitor's body may touch the ground.
-No touching other competitors.
-The  bicycle must remain within the boundaries of the course.
-Bike must have two rubber tires arranged in a linear fashion with normal steering function.
-Minimum wheel diameter is 1 foot.
-Maximum tire footprint is 3 inches by 7 inches when the rider is on the bike.
-No bike shoes or fixed gears.
-Costumes are encouraged and awards will be given for the best costume.

Cost: 21 and over - $10.00, under 21 - $5.00 and the proceeds will go to benefit the Carpinteria Children’s Project. Race registration begins at 10:30 am.  For each age group there will be time trials. The time trial will be run with two competitors at a time.  The three slowest competitors will advance to the finals immediately following that age group's time trials. The slowest rider wins!












 
You've had a year to practice, so we can't wait to see how you'll do this go round!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

We're Hiring: Seeking Full Time Assistant Brewer!

Beer drinking season is almost upon us. Wait, it's always beer drinking season. But things are about to get busy and we are going to need an Assistant Brewer!




 The ideal candidate will have formal brewing experience, relevant work within a production brewery, and outstanding communication and problem solving skills in addition to a keen eye for detail and working well with others. We're now in our 14th year, and this year is looking like another exciting one.

Chief duties include:
-Assisting in all aspects of brewing, from staging grain, setting up hoses and valves, mash-in, rake-out, break down, and clean up. 
- Wort production.
-Raw material management.
-CIP of fermenters, brewhouse, and brite tanks.
-Filtering with plate and frame 40 x 40.
-Labelling, bottling, kegging, and assisting with all other packaging.
-Maintaining clean and orderly work environment.

Additional duties include:
-Maintaining jockey boxes and taps for outside use.
-Cleaning in house draft lines.
-Keg cleaning.
-Maintaining keg fleet.
-Preventative maintenance and upkeep up tanks, pumps, compressors, and other machinery.
-Participate in critical assessment of beers, and aiding in developing recipes for occasional or seasonal beers.
The Assistant brewer will put a premium on working safely, have knowledge of safe handling practices for all brewing chemicals. The nature of the work is manual involving lifting of 5 and 15.5-gallon kegs (165 lbs.) and requires safe operational knowledge of both fork lift and pallet jack.

Important Skills and Abilities:
-Formal brewing experience
-Positive outlook and attitude.
-Ability to work unsupervised while maintaining safety and quality standards.
-Strong mechanical aptitude.
-Ability to multitask.
-Ability to work with other departments and work in a diverse team environment.
-Work offshifts, weekends, and holidays.

Qualified Candidates will possess the following:

-Enjoy physically demanding work environment.

-Self motivation.

-Outgoing personality.

-Hard working mentality.

-Strict attention to detail.

-Strong knowledge of the brewing process.

-Ability to understand and follow SOPs.

-Working to high quality standards without direct supervision.

-Ability to lift 55 lbs to shoulder height repeatedly.

-Ability to maneuver beer kegs (165 lbs).


Benefits include:

-Hourly compensation.

-Paid holidays/vacation (after 90 days employment).

-Monthly beer stipend.

-Employee discounts on beer and merchandise.

Please send all resumes to Laurie@islandbrewingcompany.com

Check us out here and there:

www.islandbrewingcompany.com
www.facebook.com/islandbrewingcompay
https://www.instagram.com/islandbrewingcompany

We're Hiring: Seeking a Full Time Cellar Person!

Have a unique knowledge and passion for craft beer? Consider yourself a quick learner? Detail orientated and like heavy lifting? Dream of revealing among stainless steel tanks while wafting in the artisanal glory that is a brew day? Then this could be for you:



We are seeking a full time cellar person!


Job duties include, but are not limited to:

*Cleaning Kegs

*Racking Kegs

*Assisting with bottling

*Having a positive, passion filled work attitude

*Coming to work on time, not missing shifts, covering shifts on own accord

*Performing misc. tasks suck as cleaning, stocking shelves, etc.

*Assisting on Brew Day

*CIP of fermentation vessels and bright tanks

*Upkeep and cleanliness of cellar, completing brewery cleaning check-off list

*Beer transfer

*Beer sensory evaluation


Qualified Candidates will possess the following:

*Enjoy physically demanding work environment

*Self motivation

*Outgoing personality

*Hard working mentality

*Strict attention to detail

*Strong knowledge of the brewing process

*Ability to understand and follow SOPs

*Working to high quality standards without direct supervision

*Ability to lift 55 lbs to shoulder height repeatedly

*Ability to maneuver beer kegs (165 lbs)



Benefits include:

*Hourly compensation

*Company 401K plan (after one year employment)

*Paid holidays/vacation (after 90 days employment)

*Monthly beer stipend

*Employee discounts on beer and merchandise



Preference will be given to candidates who possess the following:

*Experience working in production with another brewery

*Formal brewing education

*4-year degree in a science field

We're looking for someone with a positive attitude, attention to cleanliness, a willingness to work hard and take on new responsibilities as needed, an ability to multitask, and an eagerness to learn and continue learning.

Email: 
laurie@islandbrewingcompany.com

Thursday, January 21, 2016

World Beer Championship Gold for RISistance

One thing is for certain: the beer afficiandos at the Beverage Tasting Institute are pretty good at writing. Here's what they had to say about the RISistance, our bourbon barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout:

"Opaque brown black color. Bright, spicy aromas and flavors of raisin compote, chocolate craisin, mole, and roasted chestnuts and edamame with a supple, soft, effervescent, moderately sweet medium-to-full body and a warming, delightful, medium-long peppered greens, honeyed fruits, cherry brandy, and soy finish. A rather lively and snappy imperial stout."


WORLD BEER CHAMPIONSHIPS AWARD: Gold Medal
RATING: 90 points (Exceptional)

ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 12.2%
CATEGORY: Imperial Stout, Ale
TASTING LOCATION: In Our Chicago Tasting Room
TASTING DATE: Jan-05-2016

All of which translates to we have a few bottles left, but they're not likely to last long!