- The Museum hosts its second annual Mission Creek Beer Festival on Oct. 18.
- Beer enthusiasts and nature lovers alike will appreciate the new concept: A Flavor Field Guide.
- Creative consultant and Certified Cicerone® Zach Rosen is collaborating on the event concept.
- One hundred percent of the net proceeds of this event will go toward the Museum’s science and nature education programs.
SANTA BARBARA, CA — Beer enthusiasts and nature lovers, mark your calendars. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is thrilled to announce the bigger and better return of one of its newest and most exciting fundraisers: the Mission Creek Beer Festival, coming to the Museum’s oak woodland on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Building on the success of its inaugural year, the Mission Creek Beer Festival is back with a bold new concept— The Flavor Field Guide. This intimate tasting experience will be an immersive journey of taste exploration among four distinct flavor zones: Bitter, Sweet, Sour & Salty, and Umami & Beyond. Attendees will sip and snack their way through artisan beer and local food pairings, following their taste buds and feeding their curiosity about the science behind this wild expedition of flavor.
And here’s the best part: 100% of the net proceeds from the event support the Museum’s science and nature education programs. That means every pour and bite helps foster excitement about science in thousands of guests each year, including many local schoolchildren. Yes, drinking great beer can make a positive impact on the world.
“Mission Creek Beer Festival is like the cool younger sibling of our 38-year-old Santa Barbara Wine Festival® tradition,” said the Museum’s Director of Marketing and Communications Jonah Haas, “It brings a fresh perspective, a sensory twist, and lets us play creatively with beer, food, and flavor in a way that both tips the hat to a tradition of science programming around food and beverage the Museum has been offering for decades and reflects where Santa Barbara’s culinary and craft beer scenes are headed.”
That creative flair is fueled in part by local beer impresario Zach Rosen, a Certified Cicerone®, beer writer, educator, and beer festival designer who is collaborating with the Museum to shape the vision for the event. Known for crafting immersive beer experiences that combine taste, art, performance, and education, Rosen brings his signature experimental style, background in chemistry, and love of nature to this Museum fundraiser.
From curating boutique festivals like the beloved Beer Garden at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden to the unique ShakeSBeer, to designing beer programs that explore everything from maritime brewing history to theatrical pairings, Rosen is passionate about elevating beer culture in Santa Barbara. His work blends storytelling, sensory exploration, and exceptional beer curation, a perfect match for the Museum’s mission to connect people with nature and science.
“I’m so excited to share an afternoon with everyone over extraordinary beer and food,” says Rosen. “Let’s explore the nature of our senses through the lens of beer in the incomparable environment of the Museum!”
The Museum would like to acknowledge and appreciate the support from early sponsors. Sponsors help underwrite the cost of the event so that ticket sales can go directly to the Museum’s educational programming. Thank you to Frank Schipper Construction Company, Hutton Parker Foundation, Flowers & Associates, Inc., HUB International, and Mission Wealth.
Tickets for the Mission Creek Beer Festival can be found here:
Purchase Tickets to Beer Festival 2025
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About the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Powered by Science. Inspired by Nature. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History connects people to nature for the betterment of both, drawing on collections that preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Central Coast and beyond. Founded in 1916, the Museum is a private nonprofit supported in part by philanthropy, membership, and visitors. Members visit free. For more information, visit sbnature.org.
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