THE LAMA STORY

The idea for Lama Dog Taproom + Bottle Shop developed while the owner, an assistant winemaker at Carr Winery at the time, developed a love for craft beer during a grape harvest many years ago. Although the Lama Dog team loves wine, the craft beer scene really excited us, and they saw a glaring unfilled niche in the Santa Barbara beer scene for a bottle shop/taproom. To keep the love of wine alive, Lama Dog carries a selection of small lot wine, including its own label made by the owner. Are you wondering who Lama is? Once a regular at the taproom, Lama was the owner’s dog, a Tibetan Mastiff who passed away in the spring of 2020.

WHAT MAKES THE LAMA DOG TAP ROOM DIFFERENT?

Draft beer is revolving. The list changes daily, and there is always something new to try. Lama Dog doesn’t rely solely on beer distributors—the team actually makes trips to breweries throughout California to pick up and build relationships. By doing that, Lama Dog is the only taproom/bottle shop in the area with access to those particular beers. The diverse bottle selection focuses on hard-to-find beer and consists of roughly 350 different kinds of bottles. The brewery also has a revolving wine tap list that serves small lot and local wines. Lama Dog also carries its own wine label that is enjoyed regularly by wine lovers.

WHAT’S LAMA DOG’S VISION?

To provide the largest variety and highest quality beer in the county. Lama Dog wants to continue to be the store that people think about when they are searching for an interesting beer. Since opening in 2016, the brewery has consistently won “Best Beer Selection” and “Best Funk Zone Spot” in the Santa Barbara Best Of yearly awards.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT WHEN YOU COME?

You can expect a wide variety of craft beer being poured by highly knowledgeable beer experts. The staff can answer any questions in regards to what we have on tap and can point the customer in the right direction. Lama Dog also has four wine taps and plenty of wine bottles. Any of the bottles can be had either in-house or can be taken home. Gluten free and non alcoholic options are available as well. 

WHAT KIND OF EVENTS DOES LAMA DOG HAVE?

Lama Dog offers Beer Education Classes throughout the year covering a variety of style and brewing techniques. It hosts tap takeovers from various breweries every month. Lama Dog has been collaborating with Topa Topa Brewery, the neighboring brewery, for the past three years hosting an art market that is full of local creators and makers. This art market is curated by Chelsea Willett, Lama Dog’s very own artist and graphic designer. If you are interested in participating, email her here. This Funk Zone brewery also rents out its space for private events. Click here for more.

WHERE DO FOLKS COME FROM TO VISIT THE LAMA DOG TAP ROOM?

The brewery get folks from all around the country that specifically come to visit the taproom when in Santa Barbara, but our primary clientele are folks from in and around the Santa Barbara area—including Santa Barbara proper, Goleta, Carpinteria and Ventura. Lama Dog strives to provide a varied flavor packed variety of craft beer from around the world to share with all of you.