Atascadero’s Gold Rush

Wild Fields Brewhouse Wins Big at International and National Beer Competitions

By Myles Jeffrey

Driving into Atascadero, you might think that the grass on its rolling hills represents the most gold you’ll see in the city. However, just a few hundred yards north of the intersection of Highways 41 and 101 sits the real motherlode: Wild Fields Brewhouse.

At this popular, family-owned establishment, the ales and lagers sport a color Scrooge McDuck would enjoy diving into, and their trophy case could be mistaken for Michael Phelps’s. Last year alone, Wild Fields won a record-breaking four gold medals at the World Beer Cup and three golds at the equally prestigious Great American Beer Festival (GABF), where they also took home the awards for Brewery of the Year and Brewer of the Year.

These accolades added onto 2021’s haul of two gold medals and three bronzes at top competitions in just their second full year of operation. Many breweries find that just one gold medal at either competition can put them on the map as a malty Mecca for beer enthusiasts to seek out. Wild Fields has won eight in the last two years.

Behind this fermented force and impressive hardwarecollecting is the husband-and-wife team of Ryan and Jacque Fields, each of whom made names for themselves in the craft beer industry before starting Wild Fields in late 2018. Brewing at Southern California institutions like The Lost Abbey, Pizza Port, and the Beachwood Blendery (Ryan) and working at Beachwood BBQ, Pizza Port, and the Orange County Brewers Guild (Jacque) helped these two acquire invaluable skills that have served them well when navigating the complicated task of opening a brewery from scratch.

Some medal-winning breweries enjoy unsustainable, flash-in-the-pan success, but Wild Fields was built to last.

“Jacque and I have over 30 years of combined professional experience in the [brewing] industry,”

“It’s a win-win situation when your kid is begging you to go to the brewery to have their birthday party.” — Ryan Fields, Brewmaster

Ryan said. “We made sure we were experts at what we were doing before we went for it and definitely got to learn from some of the best in the business.”

For Ryan, this has meant brewing a wide variety of styles— for which he won some accolades prior to Wild Fields— and picking up all kinds of tricks of the trade. Jacque’s experience bartending, running a restaurant, working in the nonprofit sector, and serving as executive director for a local brewers guild were all stepping stones to her role as president of Wild Fields.

Here she can be found heading up the operations, marketing, kitchen, Human Resources, and more. Along the way, the two have also hired and cultivated new talent to help them carry out their vision, which is all about creating a community space where everyone feels welcome.

Despite creating one of the most decorated breweries in the country, the duo behind Wild Fields hardly rests on their laurels. The recent awards may have increased their visibility, but winning has not altered their accessibility in the slightest. With indoor picnic benches, an abundance of arcade games, and a giant Connect 4 set all occupying the dining area of the brewery, the Fieldses are intentional about welcoming people and choosing family and fun over opulence and exclusivity. Perhaps fittingly, the building they occupy used to house Creekside Lanes, a 30-lane bowling alley that Ryan remembers from growing up in Templeton. A bit of that essence lives on in the brewery’s popular two-lane mini bowling alley, which had long been a dream of Jacque’s to include in a future project.

But all the frivolity hardly means the Wild Fields team doesn’t take what they do seriously. On the contrary, it’s the hard work behind the scenes that has led to such outstanding results. Beyond the decades of experience that help distinguish Wild Fields from other similarly sized breweries around the country, Ryan attributes much of their success to executing good brewing technique.

Unlike winemakers who hunt for the best lots from the best vineyards, most brewers have access to the same grains, hops, and yeasts. So the difference between a good product and a gold-medal-winning one comes from the deft hand (and mind) of the brewer. For example, Ryan says that they have been “geeking out a lot on water profiles” lately by blending reverseosmosis-purified water with carbon-filtered municipal water and different salts to build the perfect base for each style of beer.

When it comes to their Pine Mountain Monolith English Brown Ale—or any other restrained style not bursting with hop bitterness or yeasty esters—the right water helps the nuances shine. This attention to detail extends to rigorous cleaning and sanitization protocols that eliminate any unwanted microbes that could wreak havoc on an otherwise well-brewed beer. In comparison to many brewpubs, the brewing space at Wild Fields is immaculate.

Racking up medals has placed Wild Fields in the spotlight, but they have no plans to abandon their image as a hometown brewery. So, what does the newfound recognition mean for the growth of the brand? Ryan says that they have plenty of room to expand in their current space but will let it happen naturally.

For now, that means catering to Central Coast locals and visitors at the brewery and thoughtfully distributing to markets in Southern and Northern California. One luxury they have found on the Central Coast is a clientele more interested in brewers’ opinions than market hype.

Rather than seeking out the hoppiest IPA or the most fruit-laden sour (though Wild Fields unsurprisingly excels in these styles), locals who sidle up to the bar tend to ask for the beers that excite Ryan and Jacque the most. That openness to both traditional styles and trying new things keeps people coming back for more.

The Fieldses also know that not everyone is there for the beer and have taps dedicated to cider, seltzer, and wine, as well as a food menu accommodating a wide range of dietary preferences. Building a space that is truly for everyone is no small feat, but the gold rush of medals has certainly helped make converts out of skeptics.

Noting that some people “walk in, see the video games and the kitchen, and think, ‘Oh, it’s just another person just making beer alongside food,’” Ryan admits the gold medals quickly help patrons “realize that we’re actually a legit brewery.”

Those who won’t need much convincing—at least once they turn 21—are all the kids who enjoy a trip to Wild Fields just as much as their parents. Ryan and Jacque have noticed a common refrain from other local moms and dads who chat with them while ordering a beer: “It’s a win-win situation when your kid is begging you to go to the brewery to have their birthday party,” Ryan said.