Welcome to M. Special Brewing Company

Our Story

M. Special is a collective of friends and family from across the world of beer, food, and entertainment. Each member contributes something unique to help create a unique, fun experience, and of course some great beer.

Grandpa Emmett’s race cars from the 1950’s

M.Special...
We have a bunch of Miller and Malloys involved in M.Special so we started there. Miller was obviously taken and Malloy Brewing Co was actually being used by a guy who was brewing out of his garage so we let that go as well and settled on M followed by Special with that being the name of our Grandpa Emmett’s race cars from the 1950’s.  There were many versions ranging from Friday Night Special stock cars to even a Malloy Special that raced in the Indy 500 in 1955.  Now anyone with an M in their name gets naming credit, like our Brewers Max and Michael or our Manager Megan or even the local Mailman who stops by everyday. 

The portfolio of beers are diverse, ranging from our flagship M. Special American Lager, some amazing IPA's such as the Greatland IPA and Lazy Eye DIPA, to a rich and flavorful Dozer Brown Ale, and much more. You can find these beers at most local markets between Ventura and SLO, or you can visit us at our taproom in Goleta where you'll find a welcoming space with lot's of good times to be had seven days a week. ​​

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Our Crew

Brewmaster​:
​Joshua A. Ellis​

M.Special brewery was fortunate enough to partner with one of the most passionate and inventive brewers in the area. Josh is an award winning brewer who specializes in making beers to satisfy the amazingly complex and ever thirsty palates of todays’ Zymurgy enthusiasts. His passion for beer was born in his garage as a homebrewer, and has fueled him to literally dozens of awards, medals, and accolades.

In 2014 he had a beer entered in the prestigious Great American Beer Festival’s Pro-Am Division. He’s a former winner of the fabled Santa Barbeerians Brewer of the Year award and earned Silver and Bronze certificates at the 2014 National Homebrew Competition which, at over 9000 entries, is considered the largest brew contest on earth. Josh has made beer with and learned from, some of the best beer makers on the planet, and is now eager to apply that education to making great beer for the people in his hometown.

Josh moved to Goleta in late 1994 to attend UCSB where he graduated in 1998, and has lived in the Santa Barbara area ever since. In 2001 he married a local girl, who was raised here, and shares a beautiful daughter, 2 cats, a dog, a fish, and a home with her. Sara’s patience and acceptance of Josh’s borderline obsession with making great beer was critical to his development as a brewer and her patience and acceptance of the long hours he put in while building out this project has been critical to M. Special moving from concept to reality.
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“I love beer. Not simply the end product, but the process. I love the craft of beermaking and I love the reward of watching the happy faces of people who enjoy my beer. I have worked a desk job for the better part of 20 years, but I can’t imagine a more fulfilling life’s purpose than making beer. My growth as a brewer has been a community effort. From my affiliation with other homebrewers, other commercial brewers, suppliers, and breweries comes a feeling of community, and I hope that’s exactly what our new brewery brings to the good people who live here. If there is one immutable truth I’ve found during this journey, it’s: Good beer equals good people.”

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Title: Brewmaster/Owner
Duties: Beer brewing, Yeast whispering, Beardscaping
From: Oakland, CA
Lives: Santa Barbara CA, or on a couch in the brewery if there’s beer to obsess over.
Previous Occupation: Financial Planner
Favorite Food: Filet Mignon, Mac n Cheese. Beer.
Favorite surf spot: The impact zone during a cleanup set.
Favorite Beer: The next one.
Person he’d most like to have a beer with: Jesus or Gerry Lopez

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​Chris Miller

Title: Owner/Operations
Duties: Sales/Distribution/Ops
From: Pacific Palisades, CA
Lives: Los Olivos, CA
Previous Occupation: Selling drugs (the legal kind)
Favorite Food: Milk
Favorite Surf Spot: The one that's head high and glassy with no one out
Person He’d most like to meet: YOU
Favorite Movie: Shawshank

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​Brendan Malloy

Title: Owner
From: Los Angeles
Lives: Los Angeles
Previous Job: Film and commercial Director.
Favorite Food: Taco Bell
Favorite Beer: Lagers
Favorite Quote: Liquor before Beer you’re in the clear.
Person you’d most like to have a beer with: Alex Trabec

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​Emmett Malloy

Title: Owner
Duties: Make stuff look cool.
From: Los Angeles
Lives: Silverlake, CA
Previous Job: Co-owner of Brushfire Records and Film Director.
Favorite Food: Chips
Favorite Surf Spot: Pipeline (when it’s under-head)

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Ted Fourticq

Title: Owner/CFO
Duties: “Mind on the money and the money on his mind.”
From: Atlanta, GA
Lives: Los Angeles
Previous Job: Partner at Hancock Park Associates (A Los Angeles Based Private Equity Firm.)

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Megan Lunger

"Title: Director of Retail Operations​
Duties: Make sure as many people as possible know how great our beer is
From: Sacramento
Lives: Goodland 
Favorite Food: Pho
Favorite Beer: Anything Josh Brews
Favorite Quote: "It is better to be absolutely ridiculous, then absolutely boring" -TAO, LV

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Tori Granado​

Title: Manager, State St.
Duties: Facilitating fun laughs & good times w/ M. Special beer 
From: San Diego
Lives: Downtown SB
Favorite Food: Butter Chicken
Favorite Beer: The hoppier the better! (My go-to is the Greatland or the DIPA)
Favorite Quote:  "Let us drink with impunity, or anyone else who’s buying."
– W.C. Fields​

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