I’ve seen some environmental friendly breweries before, but nothing quite compares to the level of commitment to sustainability that 7Sisters Brewing has. The moment you walk through doorway you see a tasting room filled with repurposed materials. My favorite piece is their bar. It was built from school lockers and topped with zinc-wrapped wood from the shipping crate the lockers arrived in. Throughout the tasting room you will see lighting made from Cal Poly lab lamps and tables that used to be shop benches from LA technical college. Heading out to their patio you can see the patio railings that were repurposed from the wood forms used when pouring the concrete.

With a background in environmental engineering, owner Steven Van Middlesworth wanted to create a space with a focus on reducing waste, conservation, and sourcing locally. On average, breweries consume between four and six pints of water for every pint produced. Steven re-engineered their system to use only about two pints of water per pint of beer. Composting is also a huge component for 7Sisters Brewing with all of their waste sent to SLO’s community compost program.

“I started brewing 27 years ago when I couldn’t afford good beer and it wasn’t readily available. Back before the craft beer explosion that we see now.” explained Steven. Coming up on retirement from his engineering career, Steven is looking forward to this next chapter in his life.

7Sisters Beer & Food

If you’re local to San Luis Obispo, then you know 7Sisters Brewing gets its name from the seven volcanic peaks that are iconic to the area. Using this theme the seven main beer offerings include, Morro Rock Kolsch, Bishop Peak Blonde, Hollister Peak Belgian, Cabrillo Peak Amber, Islay Hill IPA, Black Hill Pepper Stout and Cerro San Luis Spiced Imperial Stout.

Steven likes to add a little extra touch to his creations, “The IPA is floral, fruity and has pepper for a slight bite.” Other additions include sage and lemon in the Bishop Peak Blonde, pink peppercorns in the Hollister Peak Belgian and piri piri peppers in the Black Hill Pepper Stout.

Locally sourced is a huge component to the food offerings at 7Sisters. Their food is house-made from scratch and includes cheeses from Central Coast Creamery, salumi from Alle-Pia Fine Cured Meats, bread from Back Porch Bakery and Edna’s Bakery and spices and herbs from Spice of Life.

7Sisters Ambiance

Following suit with a trend seen at more and more breweries, 7Sisters Brewing is kid and dog friendly. You can find root beer listed as one of their tap options and a dog friendly patio to enjoy a beer with your furry friend. Weekly entertainment includes music every Wednesday and Thursday, comedy every second Saturday and open mic night every Sunday.

While Steven is the engineer and head brewer behind 7Sisters Brewing, he credits his girlfriend Emily for the ambiance of the brewery, “I refer to her as the VP of the feel and vibe for this place.”

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