SANTA CRUZ, CA, 2013-05-29 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing unveiled a new Boardwalk beer for the 2013 season. “Casinos IPA” is the result of a unique collaboration between the two Santa Cruz companies. The Boardwalk worked with Mountain Brewing on the style and flavor of the beer and will now sell it though the Boardwalk’s various food concessions.
Casinos IPA marks the first time a local beer will be sold in cans at Boardwalk restaurants. The beer will also be available at Mountain Brewing’s taproom on the Westside of Santa Cruz, and through their other retail outlets in both traditional bottles and cans.
“We got to know Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing through our annual Clam Chowder Cook-Off,” said Boardwalk vice president Marq Lipton. “They participated for a few years, and we really appreciated their creativity and community spirit.”
The name of the beer originates from the name of the Boardwalk’s 1907 event facility, now called the Cocoanut Grove. (The word “casino” was once used for grand entertainment facilities. The Boardwalk’s Casino Arcade still retains the name.) Named after the building, “Casinos” is the name of a rare surf break in front of the Boardwalk. The Casinos beer label includes a 1950s photograph, of Santa Cruz lifeguards posing on boards in front of the “Casino” taken from the approximate location of the “Casinos” surf spot.
Casinos IPA is a “British style India Pale Ale with a blend of Organic Fuggle, Kent Goldings, and Magnum hops creating a classic, well-balanced, malty beer,” according to Emily Thomas, Mountain Brewing’s owner and brewer.
A 2012 collaboration with Mountain Brewing won the Boardwalk a Brass Ring Award for “Best New Menu Item” at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo (IAAPA). “The idea to work closely with a local micro brewery to produce a custom beer was new to the amusement industry,” said Marq Lipton vice president of marketing and sales at the Boardwalk. “Our idea was very well received.”
The relationship between the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing started in 2011 with Horse Tale Ale in honor of the Looff Carousel’s 100th anniversary, followed by Boardwalk Blonde in 2012. The Boardwalk series of labels all feature a vintage image and a little Boardwalk history.
Boardwalk and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Unveil New Beer for Summer