I was head writer and photographer for a travel magazine called Scenic 395. The goal was to create interesting articles about various travel destinations along the Highway 395 in California along the Easter Sierra Nevada Corridor. The below samples include one article I wrote on taking a brew tour of HWY. 395 which included images and information on 5 breweries along the corridor
IN SEARCH OF BREW ON U.S. 395
By Cheryl McDonald
On Father’s Day 25 years ago, two guys started brewing beer in the kitchen of the Indian Wells Valley Lodge and the first craft beer brewery on U.S. 395 was born. To date there are now a total of five that are just a few miles off this great highway starting in Kernville, Inyokern, Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, and June Lake. Time for a brewery crawl? Why yes I think it is!
If you are heading north, there are so many sites and activities to take in; stopping along the way for a brew and a bite adds a whole new dimension to travel.
The artistry of each Master Brewer in all five of these locations is unique with fine and flavorful beers to satisfy any palate. As Rebbecca Giddens from Kern River Brewing Company told me, she takes it on as a personal challenge to find a brew that satisfies even those who are not beer drinkers.
Here is a roundup of information about all five breweries. I leave it to you to do your own tasting.
Remember to enjoy beer responsibly and take along a designated driver (there is much for non-drinkers to enjoy as well)!
This crawl info is going from South to North but feel free to try them in any order. All are unique and wonderfully delicious.
Kern River Brewing Company is in Kernville, CA and is now celebrating their 9th year of brewing. Kyle Smith, who started home brewing in 1996, is the Master Brewer for KRBC. He has developed a unique style that incorporates several different hops often added later in the fermentation process, called dry hopping, this process adds a lot of flavor without getting too bitter. I really enjoyed the IPA’s and I am typically not much of a fan. KRBC has names for their brews like Isabella Blonde, Sequoia Red or Class V Stout, that fit the beer and the location perfectly. KRBC is currently in a few local stores and is building a new addition to expand their brewing capabilities and their event offerings. One of the few breweries on this tour that incorporates a restaurant, their food pares brilliantly with their beer and often includes their Class V Stout as an ingredient. They have live music on Fridays and are open year round. This is a local place to come together and enjoy a pint after a long day on the river, the hiking trail, or just be part of the community. Located at 13415 Sierra Way, Kernville, CA 93238. You can find them at www.kernriverbrewing.com and you can follow them on Twitter or Facebook at KRBC.
Indian Wells Brewing Company is located on Hwy 14 just before it merges with U.S. 395 and is right next door to the Indian Wells Valley Lodge Restaurant. Now in their 25th year of brewing, this fine brewery produces over 20 styles of beer and 164 flavors of soda pop. Developing their own recipes and using only the best ingredients including pure artesian spring water and pure cane sugar (no high fructose corn syrup), they have created unique products that are sold in almost all major markets including Albertsons, Whole Foods, BevMo and more. IWBC has a wonderful outdoor beer garden (which is adding a small food kiosk this summer) and being next to the IWV Lodge has created a great relationship: the brewers can focus on the beer and soda and the Lodge can focus on the food. A juicy steak or fresh seafood and a delicious brew make a great combination. With well-stocked coolers and product by the case, IWV is a pit stop for many on their way North for camping, fishing and hiking. Try a new flavor while you’re there like one fan favorites Orange Blossom Amber or Lobotomy Bock. Be sure to come in October for their Oktoberfest, usually the first Saturday in October. Located at 2565 CA-14, Inyokern, CA 93527 and you can find them at mojavered.com and follow them on Facebook at IndianWellsBrewingCompany.
Next up the road is the Mountain Rambler Brewery in Bishop. The newest brewery on the trail, they will be celebrating their first year anniversary in November. They are currently producing seven delicious brews, which are all traditional ales made by owner and Master Brewer, Joe Lane. I really enjoyed their chocolaty Peaklet Porter and saved it for dessert.
When opening the brewery, Joe decided that it made sense to add the restaurant component from the start. He built a menu around the beer, which offers fresh salads, burgers, flat bread pizzas, and other tasty treats using locally grown ingredients. The menu also includes special desserts like a Peaklet Porter Float made with chocolate chunk ice cream, YUM! You can find Mountain Rambler Brewery at 186 South Main St., Bishop, CA 93514. Open Tues.-Sun. 11:30-11:30. You can find them at www.mountainramblerbrewery.com and also on Facebook by name.
Mammoth Brewing Company, next up the road, in the heart of Mammoth Lakes, is where the party begins. Brewing since 1995, MBC has a diverse list of original beers including an IPA which incorporates Desert Sage and Juniper Berries, very delicious and refreshing. Playing host to concerts, festivals or small groups looking for a cold brew after a long day on the Pacific Coast Trail, Its great community oriented gathering place. Choosing not be the masters of the food as well as the brew, MBC has brought in Brandon Brocia, owner of Bleu Foods, as Master Chef of the Eatery, creating a gastropub inside a brewpub. Brandon creates fresh and unique flavors to pare with the beverages brewed by the brewery. They work together to create a unique symbiosis that works very well. A new events center upstairs and expanding the patio will only give you more reasons to come and enjoy Mammoth Brewing Company. You can find them at 18 Lake Mary Road, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 or on the web at www.mammothbrewingco.com. Also on Facebook at Mammoth Brewing Company.
And last but certainly not least is the June Lake Brewery in June Lake, CA. Brewing for just over a year, owners Justin and Sarah Walsh, originally from San Diego, have built a great gathering place with fine and unique craft beers created in the San Diego Style. They offer ten brews so far, using fresh filtered June Lake water. Family built and operated, this brewery shows off it’s beers and along side the delicious fresh food built by Ohanas 395, a Hawaiian Soul Food truck that mostly makes its home in the parking lot of the Brewery. You can find them at 131 S. Crawford Ave, June Lake, CA Wednesday - Monday 11-8 or on the web at www.junelakebrewing.com
So the long and the short of it is this, if you like to try experimental and interesting craft beer and are up for a road trip, the beer tour on U.S. 395 is perfect for you. This is great weekend jaunt of pure deliciousness and fun. I highly recommend it!
