Co-Owners Brandon Padilla & Nathan Van Zandt first met while Brandon was working at 7 Bridges, the homebrew supply store in Santa Cruz. Nathan would come in to purchase ingredients, and he and Brandon would talk-shop, discussing different recipes. A few months later, they recognized each other in a business class at Cabrillo College. By chance, they were both there because they wanted to start a professional brewery one day. The two quickly became home brew partners. 

 

   Nathan lived in a dilapidated shack on Chanticleer Avenue where they first began brewing and the name "Chanti Shack" naturally came about to describe their brews. Meanwhile, Brandon lived in a run-down church on Pennsylvania Avenue which was coined "The Beer Church". They threw parties with live music & burlesque dancers to showcase their beer, as well as catering their unique creations for weddings. What started as a hobby swiftly blossomed into a business. They formed a Community Supported Brewery, and their neighbors and friends called them the "milkman but for beer" as they delivered different flavors of beer directly to doorsteps on a bi-weekly basis. 

 

   After searching for a location for several years, they found a perfectly sized warehouse with two large roll-up doors on Fern St. in Santa Cruz's Harvey West neighborhood in May of 2015. Brandon and Nathan worked day in and day out transforming the space into a comfortable, functioning brewery. Shanty Shack Brewing officially opened for business in December 2016. You can now find a space full of vibrant art, local music, and a community of people happily enjoying Brandon and Nathan's craft.

 

   They established Shanty Shack as a community hub where creative beer and a love of the brewing tradition collide with local music to provide a gathering place for beer and music lovers alike. Nestled into the heart of Santa Cruz, the team planted fruit trees, hops, and herbs to create a backyard vibe that reflects our homebrew roots. The world of beer is far greater than most people recognize and it’s our mission to bring the rich, diverse methods and history to the forefront of people's lips.

 

   Shanty Shack is a casual, local watering hole where people can meet up after work, on a trip to Costco, or after a long bike ride and experience great beer, delicious eats, friendly staff, and live, vibrant music. 

 

   At its essence, our goal is to bring people together and celebrate life through beer.