Third Window Brewing Co
Brews and burgers with a connection to the land
Since opening in 2016, Third Window Brewing Co. has become a beloved destination for craft beer enthusiasts and food lovers alike. Co-founded by Kris Parker, the Santa Barbara brewery blends old-world, Belgian craftsmanship with a locavore ethos, driven by a desire to craft exceptional beer and create fantastic experiences around it all.
Growing up in a wine family, Parker learned the importance of terroir and artisanship from a young age, instilled by his winemaker father, Eli Parker, and grandfather, actor-turned-vintner Fess Parker. In 2006, eager to explore the art of brewing, Parker received a gravity-fed all-grain home brew system as a birthday gift. He soon set up a makeshift brewery in an abandoned winery, where he and a friend experimented with brewing Saisons and obscure German beers, laying the groundwork for his future in craft brewing.
Now, at Third Window, Parker continues to hone his craft, producing a diverse range of acclaimed brews from inside The Mill, a historic barn and feed mill from 1904. For Parker, the brewery is more than a business; it embodies the pursuit of perfection over profit, with a constant focus on enhancing the quality of the brews each year. “I love Belgium’s Trappist breweries and the ethos around their work, making beer for hundreds of years from a viewpoint that isn’t strictly about optimizing profit,” says Parker. The name “Third Window” is a nod to the legendary story of St. Barbara, symbolizing a spirit of defiance and staying true to one’s beliefs. This philosophy is evident in Third Window’s commitment to crafting unique, high quality beers using foraged ingredients and grains grown on the Parker family ranch. “We’re dedicated to pursuing terroir in beer, growing our own barley, wheat, and soon, hops,” shares Parker.
In addition to Third Window’s diverse beer selection, ranging from lagers and hoppy Pales to IPAs, Lambics, and Witbiers, visitors will find a variety of beer-friendly dishes to enjoy within the airy indoor-outdoor space. On the menu: Texas-style smoked barbecue beef, oak-fired sourdough pizza, and the brewery’s iconic smashed cheeseburgers, featuring Wagyu beef raised by Parker’s sister. “During the pandemic, my wife and I made smashed cheeseburgers at home using Wagyu from the ranch,” shares Parker. “When we reopened the brewery, we started serving these smashed cheeseburgers. We worked with chefs Nicholas Priedite and Adam Shoebridge to refine our recipes. Like most things, they evolved a bit and became our own.”
The legendary story of St. Barbara depicted on the Third Window Brewing Co.’s labels. From right to left: St. Barbara as a young woman; St. Barbara locked in the tower by her father; St. Barbara’s father beheads her because she put a “Third Window” in her tower representing her faith; St. Barbara’s father is struck by lightning for his injustice; St. Barbara is bestowed into sainthood.
Though Parker aims to “make the best beer in the world,” it’s his connection to the land that truly defines his approach and commitment. “Making these beers with grains we grow on the ranch and using those grains to feed the Wagyu cattle, creating flour and sourdough from the ranch’s microflora, and utilizing downed red and white oak for our barbecue and pizza—this participation in what feels like a family evolution is why we do this,” he says. “The terroir of it all is what keeps me coming back every day.”