Best beer in Humboldt County in my opinion. Â The Jamaica Red and Steelhead Extra Pale ale are my favorite. Â It doesn't get better than sitting outside on a sunny day in Blue Lake sipping a beer. Â There's a great view of the surrounding mountains. No food served here, but I think they have little munchies and food trucks on a lot of evenings. Â I like that they focus on beer... maybe that's why it's the best! They allow dogs on leashes in the beer garden too!
Review Source:Mad River Brewing Company really blew me away! I went with two friends on a random Monday afternoon, and we really enjoyed ourselves.
After a few hours laying by the Mad River, we walked inside this joint to a deliciously air-conditioned, well-lit tasting room, which consisted of a bar, tables, a refrigerated food case, and clothing merchandise. Leading up to the tasting room, they have an outside beer garden. I LOVE beer gardens! They have a nice bar with two huge chalkboards indicating what brews they have on tap. One board listed their House brews that they have mostly year-round, and the other had their Seasonal Specials. I am a huge fan of their House brews, so I was hoping to try something I hadn't before. The Specials variety ranged from pale ales to dark stouts, including a blackberry cheesecake cream ale that sounded very interesting.
My friends and I were looking for something to quench our post-river thirst, so we all got a pint of the Humboldt Haze. It seemed to be a very light ale, and easy to drink. We took our brews outside to the beer garden to drink in the sunshine, and we were the only ones out there. There were at least 15 tables to sit at outside and about five or so inside.
They don't serve food at this establishment, but they do have regular food trucks outside Wednesdays to Friday 5-close, and Saturday all day. Overall, it was a wonderful, relaxing experience nestled in the tiny town of Blue Lake.
Came here on a tour of breweries up the coast, and this place did not disappoint!
Located in a tiny town, and definitely a regulars hang out, but honestly the quality of the beer heavily outweighs the uncomfortable out-of-towner stares we got walking in.
Seriously, where else can you get blackberry cheesecake cream ale? Or a nice mild black cherry stout? Yummmm.
There's also a nice outdoor patio area with a band setup that is dog-friendly, and the hot dog cart guy even came to give our pooch an organic, natural, gluten-free hot dog he had leftover at the end of the night!
Ended up being a highlight of our trip :)
Located in serene Blue Lake, CA. This is one of the Best Microbreweries in the Pacific Northwest, and possibly the U.S. They have a large variety of styles of beers from light to dark, and mild to bitter.
This is the spot to go to avoid the ultra liberal and immature crowd that can often be found in bars and other establishments in and around Arcata. This spot is usually full of working class and mature individuals. It gives you a less superficial view of Humboldt county.
The staff are helpful and friendly and usually there is a band or some kind of entertainment each night. The brewery itself doesn't serve food, but often there is a food truck outside to fill than hole.
This place is for beer lovers. This place is also someplace to begin the quest to become a beer lover. Â Go here, you won't be disappointed.
We arrived expecting to have an appetizer and sampling of local craft brew. Even though they don't sell food (except some cheeses and burritos out of their cooler), the bartender offered up a menu from a cafe down the street. We did that and ordered a great pizza and brought it back.
Clearly, this is a local hangout with regulars. Their mugs hang on the way and their conversation indicated they all know each other well. I'm sure they knew we were outsiders (midwesterners) but we were always comfortable.
As for the brew, very good. They had 13 on tap and amongst those, about 4 or 5 were seasonals including an oatmeal chocolate porter. WOW. That was amazing. The double IPA was also precisely what I expected and very good. The bartender offered to make any size flight I wanted, to include all 13! That's a nice option to have that isn't offered at other craft brew bars that I've been to. All in all, I recommend Mad River. If you go hungry, I recommend you bring your own food.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, a food truck parks outside. Tuesdays are gourmet hot dogs, Wednesday is Mediterranean, and Thursday is Mexican.
The beer is great (each and every one of them!). Humboldt treasure. I am so sad I will no longer drink this beer.
I was so excited to be invited out to one of our local brewhouses for some bar comedy tonight. Some local laugh fest I'd missed out on hearing about. Several of the comics on the bill were folks I've seen and really enjoyed. Good beer & good performers in my backyard... what could be better?
It is small, quaint, clean and cute here. Very unassuming.
The built environment was super low key... yet, somehow I still came very close to accidentally getting decked in the face by one from a group of comedian hecklers.
The bar crowd here was far from open to good comedy & it created an unsafe, unsavory, plain awful experience for me, my date, and two young women at the table next to us who had also shown up for the show.
Based on what I am able to tell from one never to be repeated night: If the people who frequent here know you, you're good to go. It would probably also help if someone who knows people here brought you here. However, if you are perceived to be an outsider... well... it appears the dynamic is as fair game as a coin toss. Whether you are actually an outsider or not.
If you're an unknown person to the local crowd here... there is the chance you'll be well received here (as it appears others have!). If you "look" a little different, reek of a city, or have any other identifiers which might signal cultural difference... well, what can I say? It got ugly.
... and... if someone says small towns don't need yelpers... well, I'll consider this one reason why some people argue that it's actually important when a sister gives a safety shout out.
This was an unsafe environment. For me, for others, and for some comedy dudes who came to do what they do. If the reason for one star was "bad service", or a possible fluke that didn't involve well being, I'd give this place I've heard great things about another go. Sometimes first impressions just suck. But when your first impression involves poor sports and dynamics turning into fistacuffs... anger that somehow you're stuck in the middle of because the room is so small... and then people are angry and yelling and start touching each other... well, no second chances there.
Yes, the bartender noticed.
Yes, she did eventually close down the show (the same show I'd driven to see!).
No, it didn't make the space any safer.
We loved this place. Similar to Mt. Shasta Brewery in Weed, we not only got great & friendly service from the ladies pouring, but also got the scoop on all the other local breweries from the friendly regulars at the bar. When we were there they had 11 taps so we elected to do the 10 beer sampler (opting out of the double IPA as we're not generally hoppy beer folks). My favorites included the extra pale, the apricot lambic, and an extra-special barrel-aged stout (not available in bottles OR growlers!! GRRR!!). Still, just about everything was great and I would definitely encourage beer nerds to make a stop if they're in the area. Â Some small bites if you're peckish, and a nice outdoor patio area you can take advantage of if the weather is good.
Review Source:Probably my favorite of the several quality Humboldt breweries. Excellent variation in beer styles and great, if inconvenient, location -- great place to stop on a Saturday afternoon bike ride through the hills and just chill in the patio. Their porter is my go-to beer whenever I can find it in the Bay Area.
Review Source:We came to visit friends in the Humboldt area and asked which breweries/brewing companies we should see. Â Mad River definitely came highly recommended.
I really liked this place!! Â Friendly service, and a great outdoor patio. Â My bf and I shared a sampler of all the brews. Â My favorite ended up being the Steelhead Porter, which surprised and delighted me because I just recently began getting into beer and already my tastes are broadening. Â The Porter was seriously smoky and delicious and I loooooved it! Â
Mmmm... beeeeeer.
This microbrewry is my second favorite in Northern Cal. --- and that is saying alot. The service is great, staff helpful and friendly. Crowd open and fun. Great location in which to sip their great suds indoors and outdoors. Worthwhile for the sunlight alone, but their beers are seriously good.
Happy Hour is from 4-6pm and pints are $2.
Also FREE WIRELESS!!!!!
What's not to like? Only way they could improve would be to increase food offerings. Really terrrific!
Awesome beer in an awesome place. Â My favorite go to beer is made here (steelhead extra pale ale) so that makes this place pretty special to me. Â Only been here a couple of times but wish I had been more. Â I will coming back here for a long time and am lucky to have this hidden gem in my backyard. Â They have special brews that you can only find here at the brewery so get ready to sample and have a designated driver.
Review Source:Humboldt Brewery Tour Stop #2
We were excited to visit the brewery after hearing that they were awarded Small Brewery of the Year! The beers were delicious and the tasting room had a great vibe. It was all about the beer and it shown through in their sampler.
Steelhead Pale Ale
Jamacian Red Ale
Steelhead Douple IPA
Steelhead Porter
Steelhead Stout
ESB
Super Chili Pepper Madness
Defiantly the best thing in Blue Lake is their beer. The bottle most of their beers so you can take some to go. They even offered a mixed case so you can recreate the tasting at home. Stop on by anytime!
This is a great little brewery tasting room in a very small town outside of Arcata/Eureka, California. Â During a trip through Northern California I discovered their Steelhead Extra Pale Ale at a bar in Arcata and came out to check out the brewery. Â I love love love this beer and each of the others I tried at the tasting room, including a crisp ESB, a solid IPA and a very interesting chile-infused beer that was quite delicious, Â both light and spicy. Â The young woman tending bar was incredibly friendly and made the experience that much more enjoyable.
Review Source:My sister and I frequented this joint as we relived our college days during a recent trip to Humboldt Co. Â This was my first time to this brewery, and I slap my self silly for not going here sooner. Â We stayed at the Blue Lake Casino/Resort nearby, so we could have actually jogged here (that would be a mental note for next time!).
The tasting room is fairly big with a nice wooden bar, lots of seating options, and has a very open and bright character due to the huge windows which surround you. Â Outside was an even larger patio which was also very cool, and highly populated with happy faces and a leashed dog or two (who I think also had smiles).
I went with a sampler, and immediately discovered the genesis of the smiles. Â With their Steelhead, Jamaica, and Artisinal ales, you run across a wide spectrum of great tasting, unique, and complex brews. Â Everything else adds to it, but it really is the beers that make this place what it is. Â So, if you want to escape the hippie dippie-ness of Arcata, take the short jaunt up the Mad River valley to to the MRBC!!
came here while touring other breweries in the arcata area, and i fell in love! it's small and quaint, and i felt like i was in the middle of "cheers" where everybody knows your name. ok, maybe because it's in a town that i think has a population of 30, but still. the bartender was really sweet and managed to strike up a conversation with anyone that passed through.
we tried the sampler of ten beers and i think it was about $10. i enjoyed all of the beers that i tasted, however when i tried their raspberry beer i stopped in my tracks!! it was amazing! fruity! luscious! i knew i had to have it. but noooooooooooooooo. they dont sell the raspberry since it is limited supply. i ended up settling with their jamaican sunset ipa, but will forever long for the beer of my dreams!
Coming through the area on my way up to the coast, I made it a point to stop here again. Â (I came through last year too.) Â The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Â Like other reviewers have said, this isn't a restaurant, it's a tasting bar. Â They have snacks for sale, but why lie, we're here for the beer. Â It was amazing. Â I was lucky enough to be there when they had their Bourbon Barrel Stout. Â It was one of the best beers I've ever had.
I was unaware that local eateries delivered to the bar, but after reading about it in other reviews, I might give it a try next year.
The atmosphere is relaxed, mostly locals with a few tourists thrown in. Â All in all, a cool place that I'll gladly visit any chance I get.
OK so a little biased because it is in my hometown, but this place is great and relaxing. Seriously I strongly recommend it to everyone. Â Go to Six Rivers Brew for an uncomfortable loud obnoxious time, come to Mad River for a relaxing outstanding brew sipping time! Â
Set up: Â beautifully hand-crafted wood bar and doors, comfortable chairs and stools. Â Plenty of bathrooms (three I believe) that are unisex. Â You can get mad river paraphernalia here as well (t-shitrs, pint glasses, Â etc...)
Outdoor seating: Â A must on a warm or overcast day. Â Exquisite views of the Mad River valley, with Liscom hill, Angel Ranch and Titlow hill outlines. Â Can be sunny and warm in the summertime but dress in layers in case the fog rolls in.
Food: Â Nothing much available due to it being a tasting bar, however they allow you to bring your own appetizers and snacks. Â There is also a great local food place called "Stardoes" that will deliver to the bar for you. I guess Big Petes Pizza will do it as well. Â What can be better than bringing homemade bread, olives, cheese and sipping the best brew in town!!
Great place for beer! Stopped here for a couple of pints on our way back to Truckee and I really liked the Jamaican red ale! My husband had the double IPA and liked that, as well. There is no food here, but we ate on their little outside patio the cheese and crackers and smoked salmon we had with us....
Review Source:
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