Benny Boy Brewing

After a half decade of researching centuries-old fermentation techniques across Europe, Ben Farber and Chelsey Rosetter launched Benny Boy, the city's first combined brewery and cider house, in April 2022. The husband-and-wife duo use whole flower hops instead of the more widely pellet hops, which Farber says provides a smoother, less bitter flavor. Forgoing the IPA-dominant menu of so many rival breweries, Benny Boy offers an eclectic mix of crisp lagers and Belgian strong ales, as well as a Desert Champagne Gose, a tart concoction brewed with fresh prickly pear, sage and desert salt. On the cider side, Benny Boy makes their ciders with in-state apples sourced from Santa Cruz, including the spice-forward Devil's Umbrella, which comes infused with pineapple and habanero. An expansive beer garden connects a 55-foot tank bar to a 1,200-square-foot cider room, providing an urban oasis for outdoor parties with food trucks and DJs.