Events

Pouring For Neighbors is a nationwide initiative supporting the Western North Carolina breweries affected by Hurricane Helene. The impact of the storm has been catastrophic for their mountain beer community. Together, we can help our East Coast neighbors rebuild, pint by pint.

$1 from every “Pouring for Neighbors” draught beer sold this month will support disaster relief efforts through donations to relief organizations. Our designated draught for this fundraiser will be our (aptly named) “Neighboring Pale Ale” — and we’ll be donating $2 from every pint sold!

Come by the taproom and do good for your neighbors, all October long! For details and a list of participating breweries, visit here.

Next Trivia Night: 10/29 (No Trivia on Election Day 11/5)
6:30-8:00pm (Beginning 11/12, new trivia time will be 6:00-7:30pm)
Hosted by Michael Cahalan

5:30-7:30pm

Axe & Acoustic is a new local band with classic covers, fun originals, harmonies, harmonicas, all kinds of strings and drums.

5:30-7:30pm

The Dirt Rakers (acoustic trio) are an Americana band featuring Erik Rozite (guitar and vocals), Jayne Williams (mandolin and vocals), and Sean Woodward (lead guitar), a home-brewed group out of the redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains, blending a high octane / cask-fermented feel, purdy harmonies, and a deep love of all rootsy genres of music. Rock, country, bluegrass, and folk all swirl together in their magical musical brew.

3:00-5:00pm

The BACK PORCH BOYS dig into the glorious roots of American music from the Delta blues in Mississippi to New Orleans up to Memphis over to Austin and jumpin’ to Chicago. Singer-guitarist RICH COWAN and harmonica enthusiast VIRGIL THRASHER put their combined 90 odd years of playing music on display. You will hear the likes of Tampa Red, Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Fats Domino among other icons from the early days.

Every Monday our brewers select a Keg of Honor, and YOU enjoy $5 pints from it all day long (until it’s gone)!

11/4: Stay Tuned!

Movies in the Taproom Every Monday!

5:45pm start time

11/4: Rat Race

5:30-7:30pm
Every 1st Thursday of the Month!

About Matt Hartle:

As the lead guitarist for the China Cats and Painted Mandolin, Matt Hartle has established himself as the preeminent jam band guitarist for Santa Cruz and the Bay Area. You can also find him hosting a weekly deep dead jam, where he welcomes Bay Area players for Grateful Sunday shenanigans. Matt’s unique voice and intricate playing style always gets the audience on their feet and feeling their groove. You’ll be dancing to songs from legends like Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, as well as rock, blues, jazz, americana, and of course some Matt Hartle originals. Stop by for a “Thursday after work” brew and some hot hartle licks when Matt returns to Discretion Brewing for 1st Thursdays of the month this summer.

5:30-7:30pm

Live music in the Beer Garden from local surfboard crafter, Ashley Lloyd

3:00-5:00pm

They have made quite the name for themselves this year – doing 2 hour shows at breweries and wineries all over California from Sacramento to Modesto (their home town) to Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Twain Heart, and soon Olfactory Brewery in San Francisco.

Nerdy is also staying busy with new recordings on his YouTube channel: Officialnerdymusic

Nerdy describes his music as “Romantic Ambient Christian Inspired Folk Pop.”

3:00-5:00pm

Harpin’ and Clark are Jon Troutner and Peter Clark. They are a guitar and harmonica duo playing Americana, jazz, blues, ragtime, country and folk. Mixing carefully selected traditional and popular tunes with original songs, their combination of chromatic and blues harmonica and fingerstyle guitar provides a uniquely listenable musical experience. Jon and Peter have been developing their craft and entertaining Santa Cruz audiences for over forty years.

5:30-7:30pm

Progressive Folk/Americana duo bussin’ up into your town.

“Let’s dance and feel things together”

3:00-5:00pm

Rock, Americana, Jam, & Outlaw Country from the heart of the Bay Area.

3:00-5:00pm

7th Wave is a very musical, acoustic band with three lead singers, three guitars, flute and percussion. Each member is vocally featured and beautifully blended to create stunning three part harmonies backed with finely executed instrumentation. 7th Wave’s song choices span the spectrum of many decades from the 60’s to present. Together the three musicians create a synergy of harmony, charisma and fun in their performances.

5:30-7:30pm

With a big map and no planned destination, this trio of seasoned improvisers from the jazz and jam band worlds use song and structure the way spacecrafts use planets: not to land and stay, but to SLINGSHOT around and be propelled back out into the galaxy. During this mostly-improv show, a familiar song could materialize at any time. Or not. All we can promise is that nobody knows what’s going to happen.

Slingshot is:

Guitar and Vocals: Matt Hartle (China Cats, Painted Mandolin, Shady Groove, Grateful Sundays with Matt Hartle and Friends)
Bass: Pete Novembre (OM Trio, Coffee Zombie Collective, Aza, Elephino)
Drums: Bret Bailey (Shady Groove, Elephino, Cosmic Pinball, BlissNinnies)

5:30-7:30pm

Chiseled is three pretty cool guys from San Jose who play original music with some stylized covers. Call them indie folk, but you’ll also hear straight folk, country, and indie rock out of them.

3:00-5:00pm

Acoustic string band out of Marin Country drawing from traditional bluegrass and old-time, plus some country, blues, rock, and jazz to create a contemporary California bluegrass sound.

3:00-5:00pm

Lefty Rosa was born in Santa Cruz county but has traveled far and wide to perfect its dreamy brand of original Americana music. It features Ezzie DeGiovanni (acoustic guitar/vocals), Joel Murach (Telecaster/vocals/harmonica), Chris Weinress (upright bass), and Tom Murach (drums).

4:30-6:30pm

Songwriter and KPIG DJ Michael Gaither and Greg Abelar (duo mode this time out) return to Discretion Brewing for their first 2022 show at the brewery! They love this place and are thrilled to be back. Expect a fun afternoon of award-winning Americana originals, with a generous helping of cover tunes from artists who’ve influenced them (Petty, Zevon, Dylan).

3:00-5:00pm

Jazz On Tap plays jazz standards from The Great American Song Book. Featuring crooner Rocky Pase on vocals, Richard Robinson (sax, clarinet), Preston Brahm (piano) Thom Nold (Bass) and Bruce handloff (drums). Come out, enjoy a beer and swing with us!

5:30-7:30pm
Every 1st Thursday of the Month!

About Matt Hartle:

As the lead guitarist for the China Cats and Painted Mandolin, Matt Hartle has established himself as the preeminent jam band guitarist for Santa Cruz and the Bay Area. You can also find him hosting a weekly deep dead jam, where he welcomes Bay Area players for Grateful Sunday shenanigans. Matt’s unique voice and intricate playing style always gets the audience on their feet and feeling their groove. You’ll be dancing to songs from legends like Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, as well as rock, blues, jazz, americana, and of course some Matt Hartle originals. Stop by for a “Thursday after work” brew and some hot hartle licks when Matt returns to Discretion Brewing for 1st Thursdays of the month this summer.

5:30-7:30pm

Local Honey is a Santa Cruz-based band that drips with honey sweet harmony and hums with tight, inventive musicianship. Local Honey’s repertoire pays homage to some of the the big voices of the last seven decades, including Big Mama Thornton, Rachael Price, Gladys Knight, Stevie Nicks, Grace Slick, and Amy Winehouse, among other divas. They seek out feel-good songs with strong vocals and infectious beats and make them their own. Though Local Honey is a new band, all of them are veterans of the Santa Cruz and Monterey music scenes. Members have worked with Honeytone, Ten O’Clock Lunch, Come Together, Backyard Birds, Menage, and Bay Bop. Over the years they’ve played in different combinations at many venues, including Michael’s on Main, Chaminade, Davenport Roadhouse, Hallcrest Vineyards, Joe’s Bar and the Food Lounge.

5:30-7:30pm

Paul Kent is a singer / guitarist originally from Brooklyn, NY. In his acoustic shows, Paul plays heartfelt classic rock, country, pop and folk favorites – with occasional surprises of acoustic takes on new music – that provide audiences with reflections from great American artists across genres and eras. Some of the artists he covers are Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, John Mayer, Ryan Adams, Paul Simon and James Taylor. Paul’s repertoire is comprised of songs that tell the story of how we travel through life making connections and finding meaning.

3:00-5:00pm

The Trolley Drops Brass Band will be playing dance music from the 20s and 30s, hokum blues & novelty tunes on banjo, guitar & bass, trombone, clarinet, trumpet & percussion and kazoo, (jug band music without a jug)

3:00-5:00pm

“Jazz with a Twist”

The Jenny O’Leary Quartet is led by the swinging and talented vocalist Jenny O’ Leary. Jenny sings standards, blues, and bossa novas while accompanied by guitar, bass and drums.

5:30-7:30pm

With a big map and no planned destination, this trio of seasoned improvisers from the jazz and jam band worlds use song and structure the way spacecrafts use planets: not to land and stay, but to SLINGSHOT around and be propelled back out into the galaxy. During this mostly-improv show, a familiar song could materialize at any time. Or not. All we can promise is that nobody knows what’s going to happen.

Slingshot is:

Guitar and Vocals: Matt Hartle (China Cats, Painted Mandolin, Shady Groove, Grateful Sundays with Matt Hartle and Friends)
Bass: Pete Novembre (OM Trio, Coffee Zombie Collective, Aza, Elephino)
Drums: Bret Bailey (Shady Groove, Elephino, Cosmic Pinball, BlissNinnies)

5:30-7:30pm

Influenced by 70’s Funk & Soul, 80’s Reggae and 90’s Grunge, Haz Bin is a power trio from right here in Santa Cruz. Playing all original music, Haz Bin is Joe Gray on bass, Dustin DiMauro on drums, and Brent Witmer is on guitar and vocals.

3:00-5:00pm

Love Creek is a folk-rock/jam band from Santa Cruz, California. Current band members consist of Malakai Lawton (vocals/guitar), Alex Bahler (lead guitar), Ryan Jensen (bass/vocals), Ed Levy (keys), and Rob Borella (drums).

Love Creek pulls from a musical headwaters of jam band and folk rock influences, creating original material that is both heartfelt and powerful, both lyrically and instrumentally. Along with a growing repertoire of original songs, Love Creek also performs music written by artists such as: Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Jerry Garcia Band, The Cure, Van Morrison, Marshall Tucker Band, Rusted Root, America, as well as many others.

5:30-7:30pm

Joel Martin‘s Grateful Zone – Acoustic one man show featuring Joel Martin

3:00-5:00pm

Acoustic Beatles and Classic Rock Covers from Liam Gillespie, Pattie Gilbert, and Peter Stroet

3:00-5:00pm

Junebug Bayer is a singer/songwriter from Santa Cruz, California who specializes in folk-fusion fingerstyle guitar, occasionally adding harmonica, tap dance, autoharp, kazoo, ukulele, and banjo into the mix.

5:30-7:30pm
Every 1st Thursday of the Month!

About Matt Hartle:

As the lead guitarist for the China Cats and Painted Mandolin, Matt Hartle has established himself as the preeminent jam band guitarist for Santa Cruz and the Bay Area. You can also find him hosting a weekly deep dead jam, where he welcomes Bay Area players for Grateful Sunday shenanigans. Matt’s unique voice and intricate playing style always gets the audience on their feet and feeling their groove. You’ll be dancing to songs from legends like Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, as well as rock, blues, jazz, americana, and of course some Matt Hartle originals. Stop by for a “Thursday after work” brew and some hot hartle licks when Matt returns to Discretion Brewing every First Thursday!

5:30-7:30pm

Brian Fitzgerald (7- and 6-string guitars) is an active member of the Bay Area music scene. An accomplished jazz guitarist and teacher, he draws from a deep musical background and education, covering a wide range of influences. He has toured and performed extensively as both a sideman and band leader. In addition to a wealth of studio and recording experience, he is well versed in both jazz and classical theory and composition, and has had years of experience writing and arranging for big bands, R&B groups, and jazz ensembles.

A short list of the venues includes Monterey Jazz Festival, Cabrillo Music Festival, Los Gatos Fiesta de Artes, Bing Music Series at Stanford, Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, Scotts Valley Art & Wine Festival, Capitola Art & Wine Festival, Artichoke Festival, Begonia Festival, and Jazz On The Wharf.

He is the dynamo behind the scenes at Kuumbwa Jazz who handles all the education programs (including their Summer Jazz Camp) and manages all the booked artists.

“My actual bio is long and boring, but diverse and very Irish. It includes much formal classical and jazz training and education, some great programs and teachers, tons of coffee and endless hours of disciplined practice.”

3:00-5:00pm

Jazz quintet offering up swing, ballads, bossas, and standards drawn from a wide range of time periods on trumpet, piano, guitar, bass, and drums.

3:00-5:00pm

Raging Stone is a roots reggae band formed in Santa Cruz, CA in 2018. They play a wide range of different sub genres of reggae music, anything from ska and rocksteady to dancehall and dub.

5:30-7:30pm

With a big map and no planned destination, this trio of seasoned improvisers from the jazz and jam band worlds use song and structure the way spacecrafts use planets: not to land and stay, but to SLINGSHOT around and be propelled back out into the galaxy. During this mostly-improv show, a familiar song could materialize at any time. Or not. All we can promise is that nobody knows what’s going to happen.

Slingshot is:

Guitar and Vocals: Matt Hartle (China Cats, Painted Mandolin, Shady Groove, Grateful Sundays with Matt Hartle and Friends)
Bass: Pete Novembre (OM Trio, Coffee Zombie Collective, Aza, Elephino)
Drums: Bret Bailey (Shady Groove, Elephino, Cosmic Pinball, BlissNinnies)

3:00-5:00pm

Fan-coined “Americana-meets-Vaudeville” singer-songwriter trio

Original story-songs, dramedy, stellar vocals, sweet harmonies, great entertainment!

Bonny June & Bonfire are an original music trio that sing together like birds on a wire. Their entertainment style has been coined by fans as “Americana meets Vaudeville”. Bonny’s wild storytelling blends sweet & saucy, drama & comedy with fantastical characters such as cowgirls & pirates, heroes & villains, lovers & monsters. Beloved local guitarist/singer/producer Ken Kraft established popular bands Snail & The White Album Ensemble. Excellent bassist/singer Craig Owens’ varied history includes The Messiahs & Lacy J Dalton. With stellar vocals, beautiful harmonies and seasoned players, a Bonfire show is sure to have you listening & laughing, crying & drinking, singing & swaying and fully entertained!

5:30-7:30pm

Faulty Plan is an acoustic cover band out of San Jose playing a wide variety of music including Grateful Dead, Phish, Neil Young, Bowie, Stones, Clapton, The Band, Dylan and much more. Popular and deep cuts.

3:00-5:00pm

Cap Quirk is a one-man band, rhythmic story-teller. His timeless folk-americana style is embellished by his captivating lyrics and musical inventiveness. Born and raised in the small town, family culture of rural Indiana, Cap is a dreamer and a creator; someone who relates to a piece of everyone.

3:00-5:00pm

Acoustic rock trio, ranging from The Beatles to Chuck Berry to very catchy originals. You may find yourself wanting to get off your bar stool and dance.

Stormin Norman is long time lead singer for Stormin Norman & the Cyclones. Ken Kraft is lead player and singer for the Cyclones, plays with the White Album Ensemble and was formerly with the legendary Snail band. Jo Jo Fox is bass player and singer for the Cyclones and also with Karen Phoenix Band.

3:00-5:00pm

An offshoot of Santa Cruz’s iconic rock band Snail, the Messiahs’ original melodies, hot guitar riffs & killer vocals will transport you to rock nirvana. Featuring Bobby O’Neill, Ken Kraft & Craig Owens.

3:00-5:00pm

Moonshine Crossroads plays Rollicking Americana Music – everything from jazz standards and doo-wop classics to outlaw country and classic rock. With strong vocal harmonies and vibrant electric guitar and kanzoo solos, their eclectic repertoire is sure to include a song that is “your” song and will get your toes tapping.