Drink This Beer: Mammoth Brewing Company
A long time ago (like 2010!), I took a "Yay, you're done with grad school" trip to Mammoth Lakes, California. We had planned to go mountain biking, but it had been a good winter and the vast majority of trails were still snow covered. We still managed to find things to do, including my first trip to Yosemite and my first trip to Mammoth Brewing Company. At the time, it was just the front room of a warehouse and the tastings were free. I fell in love with their delicious beer and friendly staff. Now they've moved to an amazing location with food, outdoor seating, and a great view, but they still brew awesome beer and are staffed by friendly, knowledgeable locals. Their tastings aren't free anymore, but they're cheap and the growler fills are still an amazing deal!
Mammoth Brewing Company
Mammoth Brewing Company offers two different sampler choices - their "regulars" and their "seasonals". They always have something I like in their seasonal selections, so I think it's usually worth going for both sampler options. Since their seasonal offerings change so often, I'm only going to review their regulars below. All descriptions via Mammoth Brewing Company website, unless otherwise obvious.
Golden Trout Pilsner (4.25/5) Native to Sierra Nevada mountain waters, the elusive golden trout is a brilliantly colored prize for any fisherman. Grassy and crisp like a Sierra stream, this pilsner pours as gold and vibrant as the fish it’s named for. A Sierra-born beer worthy to be named for a Sierra-born fish. Vienna malts give Golden Trout a full body and flavor, while Saaz hops take it downstream to a softer, more floral place. Pairs well with Sierra sunshine.
Paranoids Pale Ale (3.25/5)Paranoids is named after a double black diamond ski run on Mammoth Mountain; the slope is flat… only on a 40 degree angle! This is a classic American pale ale, featuring a piney citrus hop nose, a full malt body and a clean bitter finish.
Real McCoy Amber Ale (3.75/5)A Mammoth Brewing Company original inspired by another original, the man himself: Dave McCoy, founder of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. Pilsner malt, dark Munich malts and Palisade hops combine to produce a smooth, velvety malt character and a balanced hop finish.
Double Nut Brown (4/5)This is basically the only brown I've ever really enjoyed, and I love it!Few things satisfy like crawling out of a tent for a cup of coffee warmed over a fire in the Sierra wilderness, but Double Nut* Brown comes close. Its deep nutty flavor and mild sweetness begs you to stay cozily flannel-pajama-clad all day. Wake up and smell the beer. Double Nut Brown strikes a perfect balance between coffee, chocolate, roasty flavor and a clean finish, making it very flavorful and drinkable.*No nuts were harmed or used in making this beer!
Wild Sierra Farmhouse Ale (2.5/5)The Sierra spring is alive in this brew. Our twist on the Belgian farmhouse ales of the Wallonia region, we flavor this beer using local Piñon Pine needles to create a refreshing farmhouse saison. Wild Sierra is brewed with Pilsner malt, Rye malt, Vienna malt, lightly kilned Crystal malts and fermented using a blend of Belgian ale and Saison yeasts.
Epic IPA (4.5/5)Fearless and bold, our Epic IPA earns its name vanquishing hops at a rate of no less than two pounds per barrel. And yet, this heroic outlaw still achieves a noble balance of clean bitterness, smooth malt, and citrusy hops, making it the perfect sidekick for your next wilderness tale. Not for the feeble-hearted, Epic IPA charges valiantly at your taste buds. Two pounds of Horizon, Citra, and Amarillo hops gave their lives for the greater good in each barrel of this gallantly balanced American IPA.
IPA 395 (4.5/5)This is probably Greyson's favorite beer of all time. I love it too, just not as much as he does! It's got the flavors of the Eastern Sierra - juniper and sage. Just smelling it is enough to transport me there. My recommendation is to drink it as cold as possible, preferably cooled in a snowbank or mountain stream.It’s 5 o’clock Friday and your pilgrimage begins. Echoing the route of past adventurers, you press upward into the altitude. This is Highway 395. A celebration of the finest road trip in California, IPA 395 showcases mountain juniper and local sage, hand-picked from the 395 corridor. Brewed to evoke the spirit of a High Desert rainstorm, IPA 395 compliments wild Great Basin Sagebrush and juniper berries with sweet ESB and crystal malts and, of course, plenty of Centennial hops.
Other Eastern Sierra Breweries:
Mountain Rambler Brewery - Bishop, CA
June Lake Brewing - June Lake, CA