BUSINESS

Leashless Brewing brings organic brews to downtown Ventura

Leila Gonzales works with her husband John Gonzales, who is the head brewer at Leashless Brewing in Ventura.

There is no shortage of places to grab a drink in downtown Ventura, but Leashless Brewing has carved a niche for itself thanks, to its organic and gluten-reduced beers.

Leashless Brewing, which opened at 585 E Thompson Blvd. in July 2017, is as much about promoting an organic lifestyle as it is brewing good beer, according to John Gonzales, who founded the business in July 2017.

He claims to run the only certified organic brewing business between Santa Cruz and San Diego, and his enthusiasm for living an organic lifestyle was and continues to be a key part of running the brewery.

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“Just growing up a mile from the beach got me connected to nature and living a healthy, natural lifestyle, and you can’t do that without going organic,” Gonzales said. “I thought if I were going into business, I’d incorporate things to show other people how easy it is to go organic and the easiest way was (brewing) beer. It’s the idea that maybe you don’t care about being organic, but you like the beer, so you drink it.”

Gonzales worked at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Hawaii prior to opening Leashless Brewing Co. Although he spent some time learning the tricks of the trade at a Colorado brewery before venturing out on his own, Gonzales said he is primarily self-taught and serves as his business’ main brewmaster.

The brewery’s Belgian Blonde, a light beer with 6.8 percent alcohol by volume, is one of its most popular drinks, according to Gonzales. He noted that people typically drink American or German blondes, which are less potent that Belgian brews. Other popular offerings include Leashless Brewing’s Hazy IPA May Grey, which has 5.7 alcohol by volume and a grapefruit juice taste, and the Tri Fin Belgian Tripel, which has 8.7 percent alcohol by volume and a slight citrus taste.

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Leashless Brewing’s organic and gluten-reduced options make it an important niche for local beer lovers who otherwise would have limited drinking options, said Roy Fishell, who performed with his reggae band The Expanders outside of Leashless Brewing on the business’ opening night. Fishell, who has since become one of the brewery’s regulars, added that he enjoys all of the brewery’s offerings, regardless of their gluten contents.

Leashless “is the only place in Ventura County brewing fully organic beers and also has gluten-reduced options,” Fishell said. “Some of my friends can’t consume gluten, so it’s nice knowing they can come here and enjoy beers without worrying about having an allergic reaction or getting sick. I don’t have those problems, but I enjoy the beers here just as much as those that have gluten.”

Gonzales aims to continue expanding his clientele by participating in The Star’s Wine & Food Experience on Nov. 10 at the Camarillo Airport Hangar. Participating in community events helps spread the word about the brewery and the value of going organic, according to Gonzales.

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“Ventura is turning into a mini San Diego, with all these breweries popping up,” Gonzales said. “But it’s still a super quiet little beach town, and just getting involved in something like this helps to get the message out that we exist. The more our name is out there, the more people will know Ventura has an organic brewery, which makes the town even more special.”

More information about Leashless Brewing is available on the business’ website: http://www.leashlessbrewing.com.

For tickets to The Star’s Wine & Food Experience, which will feature dozens of restaurants, caterers, breweries and wineries, tickets and information, visit https://wineandfood.vcstar.com.