The Slough Brewing Collective opens for to-go orders

October 8, 2020

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slough-brew-(option-2) — Jorge Vazquez, Ben Ward and Erix Celis have taken ownership of the Slough Brewing Collective, formerly Elkhorn Slough Brewing, in Watsonville. —photo by Johanna Miller

WATSONVILLE—For the owners of The Slough Brewing Collective in Watsonville, beer is much more than just a drink, or a lucrative business—it’s a community.

The brewery, formerly Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company, even reflects this in its motto: “Beer is people.”

“Beer is a way of bringing people together,” said Ben Ward, who now owns the business along with partners Jorge Vazquez and Erix Celis. “Even the craft of making beer… There are people who grow the hops, who sell us the ingredients, who buy our brews… The industry is so collaborative.”

This is why opening during the Covid-19 pandemic, which prevents large gatherings, has been such a challenge.

“We definitely feel the lack of that sort of community,” Celis said. “Sure, we can go to the store and get whatever alcohol we want but what is missing is that social component. It’s really impacted the industry.”

Ward, Vazquez and Celis had all worked for Elkhorn Slough Brewing before its owners, Michael Enos and Julie Rienhardt, decided to step down and move on. Enos and Rienhardt approached Vazquez, who had been their first hire and was eventually promoted to Taproom Manager and Head Brewer.

“At first I wasn’t sure… I didn’t think I had the money or time to do it,” said Vazquez, who also co-owns Akiyama Hopyard. “But Ben was like, ‘Come on, we’ve got to do this! We’re never going to get another opportunity like it again.’”

**TAKING OFF** The Slough Brewing Collective in Watsonville has opened for to-go orders. —photo by Johanna Miller

Ward had worked for a number of other local breweries, including Fruition Brewing and Corralitos Brewing. Vazquez and Celis said that it was him who “rallied” them to join forces.

“We all had worked in the industry before, we were familiar with the business. It just made sense,” Ward said.

The Slough Brewing Collective officially opened on Aug. 28. The business is open for to-go orders of its 32oz crowlers, which are filled and canned at the time of purchase, as well as some pre-filled bottles.

For now, the brewery’s physical building will remain closed.

“What’s interesting is that now, caring for your community means not having your community around,” Ward said. “We’ve had people who drive up, looking for a place to drink… but we don’t feel comfortable opening just yet. We’re new business owners, we’re still figuring things out, so it seems more responsible to keep things closed.”

Added Celis: “We definitely want to stay alive and make money… but we are always going to put people first.”

Adhering with that philosophy, all three owners say they are committed to being as socially minded and as inclusive as possible. Ward said that he has seen plenty of injustices in the beer industry, which is predominantly owned by white, middle-class men.

“We want to help break down those walls… so that people who haven’t necessarily felt safe in those spaces can feel comfortable,” Celis added. “We want to make our stances clear. Maybe it’s the norm to be apolitical… but that just allows things to fall back into the status quo.”

**ORDER UP** Jorge Vazquez fills up a crowler at the Slough Brewing Collective. —Johanna Miller/The Pajaronian

That commitment to diversity has flowed into the brewery’s products as well. Ward said that they want to make their beer approachable, that everyone will want to drink. This means not creating brews that are too off-putting to newcomers, and utilize a variety of ingredients that reflect the community.

“There’s a lot of extreme beer out there,” Ward said. “We tend to make low ABV [alcohol by volume] beers that are thirst-quenching and easier to drink.”

One of their staples is their Con Sal Gose, a lightly crisp, slightly sour beer made with salt. Vazquez described one such variation of the beer which pays homage to his Latinx heritage, utilizing Tajín and fruit.

“We all wanted to have a beer on tap that we all like, and you can do so much with [Gosa],” Vazquez said. “The acidity of it really extracts the flavor.”

Looking ahead, the team hopes to eventually open its brewery to the public, bringing back the welcoming, relaxed environment they say drew them to Elkhorn Slough Brewing in the past. For now, however, they are focusing on kickstarting their business—and working together.

“The chemistry between us is great, it’s almost like siblings,” Celis said. “There’s a lot of bickering, but it’s all done in good faith. We have each other’s backs. We’re really on the same wavelength.”

Added Vazquez: “When you work with people you care about, doing things you care about, it’s easy. Maybe it’s become a cliche but we definitely feel that.”

The Slough Brewing Collective is located at 65 Hangar Way, Suite D. It is open for to-go orders Thursday-Friday 4-8pm and Saturday-Sunday 12 noon-8pm. For information, visit thesloughbrewing.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram.