Show notes
Episode 186 of the Tap Room Podcast with host Mike and guest Miguel Santoyo of The Bear Trap Beer (Big Bear Lake). Miguel shares the family-driven origin story of turning an abandoned steakhouse into a celebrated taproom, the role his wife, brother and father played, and the legacy of his late mother as the taproom’s spirited hostess.Topics include craft-beer discoveries, sourcing rare cans (Monkish, Highland Park, Harlan), collaborations and can releases, taproom operations (line cleaning, hand-washed glassware), menu highlights like the Spice Mountain pizza and smash burgers, and the challenges of staffing and running a seasonal mountain business.Listeners can expect warm family anecdotes, practical lessons on launching a taproom, beer style talk (pilsners, hazies, West Coast), and why The Bear Trap has become a must-stop in Big Bear.

