From Garage Brewers to State Street Tastemakers

How Longtime Friends Mike Weyandt and Eric Drew Turned a Home-Brew Hobby into Casa Agria

Casa Agria | Photo: Courtesy

When Mike Weyandt and Eric Drew, founders of Casa Agria, were roommates at the University of Oregon, they developed a penchant for beer. But not cheap, throw-it-down-the-hatch-as-fast-as-you-can-type beer like other college kids. No. They liked the good, high-quality beer, the kind you swish around in your mouth like wine.

That appreciation only deepened during their college years as they immersed themselves in Oregon’s craft beer scene. In 2008, a few years after they graduated — Weyandt in 2002 and Drew in 2004 — Weyandt’s uncle, taking note of their interest, presented them with an offer they couldn’t refuse: Do you guys want to learn how to make beer?

Having brewed in the early ’80s, Weyandt’s uncle knew his stuff. “And so, my uncle took us under his wing, taught us everything he knew,” explained Weyandt. “And then, you know, all of us were brewing every single weekend.”

At the time, both Weyandt and Drew were working in architecture. Brewing remained a side project — one they took seriously. They built a modest setup in Weyandt’s garage, complete with six fermenters, and began experimenting with flavors. Once they got the hang of it, they started sharing their beers with friends.

They primarily made mixed, fermented sour beers, which became their specialty — the name Casa Agria translates to “Sour House” in Spanish. Hoping to gain a larger reach, they set them off to beer bloggers to review and received glowing feedback.

As buzz around their beers grew, something unexpected happened: People began emailing, asking to join a membership club. In 2015, they set up their operation at another brewery, and 500 people showed up to sign up for their $300 membership. “You know, they just had faith that we were going to make good beer,” Weyandt recalled, “And they were going to get their $300 worth back at the end of the membership.”

In December 2015, they opened their first location in Oxnard. They didn’t own a brewhouse the first year in business. Instead, they would do “tenant brewing,” which involves brewing in another company’s brewhouse and then transporting it back to their own facility for fermentation. Just before COVID lockdowns, they expanded their Oxnard space from 1,600 to 8,600 square feet. “We’ve been supported by the Oxnard community since day one,” Weyandt said.

Casa Agria at twilight | Photo: Courtesy

When they were just starting out, they won national home brew competitions. Now, as an established company, they’ve taken home awards such as two Great American Beer Festival (GABF), medals (the most significant American award for beer) and one World Beer Cup medal.

Even as their Oxnard roots deepened, the idea of expanding was never far off. One day, Weyandt; Drew, who is also Casa Agria’s head brewer; and their third partner, Ryan Exline, were sitting on the patio of what was then Modern Times in the back of Kim’s Service Department on State Street, when Exline had a thought: “How cool would it be to have a spot in downtown Santa Barbara, you know, a location like this?”

Little did they know that in November 2024, they would open their second location in that very spot. At Casa Agria, their passion still lies in sour beers, but they also brew a variety, such as barrel-aged stouts, lagers, pilsners, and seltzers. Their newest and possibly most tasty seltzer I’ve ever consumed, the Casa Blast, is inspired by Taco Bell’s Baja Blast.

On Untappd, a beer-rating app, Weyandt noted that Casa Agria is the only brewery in the area with a rating higher than 4.0 — a reflection, he said, not just of their high-quality beer, but of the supportive, loyal community behind it. But for all the growth, the heart of the business remains unchanged. “I still think of us as that small, little start-up company that I did with my best friend.”

Casa Agria Taproom & Beer Garden; 418 State Street, Suite C; casaagria.com.