Farm To Tap 

Sustainable ethos, community focus and award-winning brews represent what Temecula's thriving craft beer scene is all about.

Social connection is what ultimately inspired Refuge Brewery’s co-founder and president Curt Kucera to turn his home brewing hobby into a vocation. A mechanical engineer by trade, he deeply enjoyed the communal aspect of sharing the fruits of his hobbyist labors with friends and neighbors who would gather in his garage to try the latest batch. After decades of this informal ritual, Curt decided it was time to create a sanctuary where greater numbers could congregate and experience that same sense of “getting away from it all”—while socializing over quality brews. Given his passion for Belgian-style beers, the name Refuge is a tribute to the monks who sought refuge in Belgium during the French Revolution.

Well before that prestigious endorsement, demand for the Blood Orange Wit grew rapidly. Blood oranges have a very limited growing season, so they had to get creative about sourcing the volume of fruit needed to produce the beer—200 pounds go into every batch. They discovered a third-generation citrus farmer in Hemet who had a large blood orange grove on its last legs. It was revitalized and now they buy up to 40,000 pounds from that farmer every year.

In addition to supporting local farms, the brewery makes a concerted effort to reduce waste and contribute to sustaining the community. Instead of sending their spent grains to landfill, Refuge donates it to local farmers who use it to supplement livestock feed. Wilson Creek Winery has experimented with spent grain in a mulching process for their vineyards because the high nitrogen content is good for the soil.

If you prefer to leave the driving to someone else, book a guided Van’N Boozy brewery tour. You’ll get to taste at three breweries, traveling in their whimsical fleet of modified VW buses.

You might be lucky enough to meet the brewmasters themselves. Whether you’re a beer aficionado doing some “research,” refreshing your palate after a couple of days of wine tasting or simply looking for a cool spot to grab a drink and bite, the Temecula Valley Ale Trail overflows with delicious possibilities. While in Old Town, stop by Ironfire Brewing where their ales and lagers have their own unique “brand” or sit on the patio at Stone Church Brewing for a frosty and some people watching. Getting a little hungry? You can find hand-crafted pizzas at award-winning Garage Brewing Company and sip on a local favorite – Mango Hefeweizen.