Pub Hikes on the Redwood Coast

Travel

Globetrotter: Her Majesty’s mementos on display M3

San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com | Sunday, July 28, 2013 | Section M

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

John Flinn / Special to The Chronicle

Seals haul out near the mouth of the Mad River along the Hammond Coastal Trail. The Six Rivers Brewing Co. in McKinleyville offers views of the area.

Humboldt taps into craft beers Pub walks the best way to enjoy the scenery and suds at 5 destination brew pubs

By John Flinn We’ve just finished an invigorating ramble through the redwoods, and now it’s time to chill with the help of Humboldt County’s favorite little green bud.

Hops. I’m talking about hops here.

From double IPAs hopped up enough to put hair on Bigfoot’s chest to Belgian-style pale ales to Imperial stouts and wheat beers, Humboldt has quietly become a hallowed destination for in-the-know craft brewing enthusiasts.

That medicinal herb you’re always hearing about seems mostly for export; the Humboldt denizens I encountered were far more enthusiastic — and knowledgeable — discussing Cascade hops and Gambrinus Pale malts over a sweating pint.

Chances are the person brewing your beer here does so with a woman’s touch. Nationally, female brewers are a rare sight. But three of the five Humboldt breweries are owned and run by women: Barbara Groom and Wendy Pound at Lost Coast, Margaret Frisson at Eel River and Meredith Maier and Talia Nachshon at Six Rivers.

With five celebrated brew pubs serving a population of only 134,000 — they’re all within

Lost Coast Brewing Co.

a 20-mile radius of Eureka — Humboldt makes a heady and user-friendly destination for craft-beer tourism. Don’t forget your designated driver.

The best way to investigate, we decided, was a series of what the British call “pub walks.” A pub walk, mind you, is not the same as a pub crawl. The objective here is merely to stretch your limbs a little, work up an appreciative thirst and, well, remain upright.

By happy coincidence, each of Humboldt’s five brew pubs pairs up nicely with a nearby walking venue of startling beauty.

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Lost Coast Brewing Co. in Eureka is run by Barbara Groom and Wendy Pound.

Women run three of the five brew pubs in the region.

Samples of beer, left, are lined up at the Eel River Brewing Co. in Fortuna.

READY, SET, GO By Christine Delsol

Sonoma Coast wineries step into the limelight The Sonoma Coast wine region is usually content to be the quiet but pretty sister to the county’s better-known inlandvalley wine regions, but its wineries pull out all the stops for the annual West of West Wine Festival. This is the time to get to know these 40-plus, primarily family-owned producers and growers through tastings, seminars, vintner interviews, vineyard tours and intimate dinners. Most wineries are not open to the public or are open only by appointment. It’s also a great introduction to the Barlow, a sleek new complex hosting cafes, markets and wine-tasting rooms.

Vitals: Friday-next Sunday, 7-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. $100-$275; all-access pass: $450. The Barlow, 6770 McKinley Ave., Sebastopol. (888) 8789645 (tickets), www.westsonomacoast.com.

Amanda Lane

1 Pajaro Valley strawberries: Strawberry lovers have a chance to get their fill of strawberry shortcake and strawberry pie and try such exotic creations as strawberry empanadas and tamales at the Watsonville Strawberry festival. For purists, there will be plenty of fresh local berries. Entertainment includes a carnival, pie-eating contests, the Ballet Folklorico Aguila Real and live music.

Saturday-next Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Free (garage parking $5). (831) 768-3240, www.celebratestrawber ries.com.

1 Tahoe Summerfest returns: Following up last year’s successful debut, the Lake Tahoe Summerfest returns to Incline Village with classical music under the pines. The lineup of soloists has expanded to six, including mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, violinist Jennifer Koh and composer-trombonist Chris Brubeck. New this year: “TalkBack,” a series of postconcert discussions with conductor Joel Revzen and the musicians. FridayAug. 18. $25-$75. (775) 8321606, www.tahoesum merfest.org.

M4 | Sunday, July 28, 2013 | SFChronicle.com and SFGate.com

FROM THE COVER

Jack Hopkins / Humboldt County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Birds take flight at the Arcata Marsh, one of the top birding sites along the North Coast, with nearly 270 species of birds to see and 5 miles of walkways.

5 destination pubs in Humboldt County Fortuna: Organic

beer at Eel River pairs well with salmon fishing

The walk: Strolling along the banks of the placid Eel River on Fortuna’s 2-mile-long Riverwalk in summer or fall, it’s easy to forget the awesome power of this waterway. But on your way home, heading south on Highway 101, keep an eye out for signs far above the roadway: They commemorate the river’s high-water mark when it flooded in 1964, washing away entire towns.

Today, the gentle stroll offers spectacular bird-watching, views of the verdant Eel River Valley, great fishing (see below) and a good opportunity to work up a thirst.

Check it out: In the fall, anglers routinely hook chinook salmon weighing up to 50 pounds from the Riverwalk.

From Highway 101, take the South 12th Street exit, proceed west and park at the trailhead near the River Lodge Community Center.

The reward: If you like your beer green — and we don’t mean St. Patrick’s Day food coloring — the Eel River Brewing Co. is your spot. America’s first certified organic brewery is powered entirely by biomass, uses all recycled materials and soy ink in its packaging and even makes its tap handles from reclaimed wood.

The burgers come from the brew pub’s own organically raised herd, fed with spent grain from the brewing process.

Oh, and the beer — all of it organic — is darned good, too.

The taproom, built on the site of a former lumber mill — remnants are still visible in the outdoor beer garden — has six semipermanent brews on tap, plus a changing menu of seasonal and specialty ales. The extensive food menu features a large variety of salads, burgers, wings and sandwiches. Order a basket of beerbattered onion rings and thank me later.

What to drink: If it’s close to Earth Day (April 22), try the Earth First Double IPA, an assertively hoppy ale brewed only for that occasion. Otherwise, those in the mood for something dark, malty and chocolatey should sample the Raven’s Eye Imperial Stout.

— JF Eel River Brewing Co.: 1777 Alamar Way, Fortuna. (707) 725-2739. www.eelriverbrewing.com. Open daily, 11am to 11pm. Most food items, $9 to $12.

Arcata: Think a sewage plant’s

an odd birding spot? Just try it, followed by an ale or a porter The walk: An outing that starts at a sewage treatment plant and ends in an industrial park doesn’t sound promising. But trust us on this one.

Perched at the north end of Humboldt Bay, the oxidation ponds, wetlands and salt marshes of the innovative Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant double as a 307-acre wildlife sanctuary. It’s a premier stop on the Pacific Flyway and one of the most renowned bird-viewing venues on the North Coast.

More than 270 species of birds make their home in the coastal wetlands or use them for migratory layovers.

Nearly 5 miles of pancake-flat trails wind around the various ponds and marshes. Free docent tours depart every Saturday at 8:30 a.m. from the parking lot at the foot of South I Street, and at 2 p.m. from the Visitor Center.

Check it out: Keep your eyes open and your binoculars ready for the river otters that make their home in the sanctuary. www.cityofarcata.com (click on “Departments,” “Environmental Services,” then “Wildlife Sanctuary”).

The reward: Expect to feel a little lost as you search for the Redwood Curtain Brewing Co. in the Bay View Industrial Center, practically across the street from the Arcata Marsh. It looks like a place for light manufacturing, not brewing.

Inside, the tasting room is spare and industrial; the tables are just redwood planks perched atop old barrels. Food is limited to a hot dog cart that’s sometimes out back.

But the beer, with an emphasis on European-style ales, is well worth the effort. You never

Redwood Curtain Brewing Co.

The Redwood Curtain Brewing Co. in Arcata is in an old warehouse, with tables of barrels and redwood planks.

know what you’ll find on the menu. Four beers, including a Belgian-style pale ale and porter, are permanently on tap. Beyond that, the menu features such ephemeral and of-the-moment brews as English Barley Wine, Düsseldorf Altbier and Tropical Thunder Double IPA, described as “a tropical resinous bomb.”

What to drink: The Belgian-

style Pale Ale is complex, balanced and potent, a good introduction to the style of Redwood Curtain.

— John Flinn Redwood Curtain Brewing Co.: 550 S. G St. No. 4, Arcata.

(707) 826-7222, www.redwood curtainbrewing.com. Open 3 to 11 or noon weekdays, noon to midnight weekends.

Blue Lake: Take a short hike to the old-time swimming hole —

then dive into a cold one at Mad River Brewing The hike: Five miles inland from Arcata, the earthy hamlet of Blue Lake boasts sunny skies, the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre – a leading trainer of clowns for the Cirque du Soleil – and the Mad River Fish Hatchery.

The short hike to an oldtime swimming hole on the Mad River is a popular warmweather outing with locals.

Picture a Humboldt County version of Andy Griffith and Opie. But attempt it only in summer and fall when the water is low and slow. And don’t forget a towel and watertolerant shoes.

Find your way to the hatchery on the outskirts of Blue Lake and then follow a path upstream along the river’s near bank. Almost immediately, take a side trail down to the river and wade across where the water is wide and shallow.

Follow the gravelly bank on the far side until topography forces you to wade back across to the original side. Continue upstream about 250 yards to the swimming hole.

ever-changing menu.

The brewery shares DNA with Chico’s Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. The founders are old compadres, and today Mad River uses Sierra Nevada’s original fermentation tanks and other equipment.

The brew pub itself serves no food, but food trucks purveying everything from hot dogs to burritos to “world fast food” are parked outside Wednesdays through Saturdays from 5 p.m. until closing.

John Flinn / Special to The Chronicle

The Mad River Brewing Co. in Blue Lake pours serious ales, with eight brews usually on tap from a changing menu.

Check it out: That big white bird nesting in a tree just upstream from the swimming hole is an osprey, a fish-eating raptor also known as a sea hawk.

Directions to Mad River Fish Hatchery, 1660 Hatchery Road.: www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/hatch eries/MadRiver/Visitor Info.asp. Note that the mailing address is in Arcata, although it is physically in Blue Lake.

The reward: With its handcrafted Wallace & Hinz bar and dog-friendly beer garden – remember, it’s usually sunnier here than on the coast – the Mad River Brewing Co. is just the spot for an après-walk refreshment.

They pour serious ales here, including their Double Dread Imperial Red Ale and Serious Madness Black Ale. Typically, eight beers are on tap from an

What to drink: In my unscientific polling around Humboldt County, Mad River’s mildly bitter Steelhead Extra Pale Ale emerged as a consensus favorite, even among those who do the bulk of their imbibing elsewhere.

— JF Mad River Brewing Co.: 101 Taylor Way, Blue Lake.

(707) 668-4151. www.madriverbrewing.com. Open seven days a week, noon or 1 p.m. until 8 or 9 p.m.

SFChronicle.com and SFGate.com | Sunday, July 28, 2013 |

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McKinleyville: Six Rivers Brewing Co. offers ‘brew with a view’

to visitors who arrive from coastal trail by foot, bike or horse

The walk: Following an old rail line along coastal bluffs and meadows, the Hammond Coastal Trail is a beguiling path for hiking, biking and horseback riding that stretches 5 miles north from the Arcata Bottoms to Clam Beach in McKinleyville.

For a whistle-wetting stroll, park at the end of Murray Road in McKinleyville and follow the trail along the broad and misty Mad River. If the tide is out, look for unofficial trails that allow you to scamper down to the riverbank, where the footing is good.

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Information: rcaa.org/divi sion/natural-resources-ser

Lost Coast Brewing Co.

Lost Coast Brewing offers a selection on tap, plus an extensive menu.

vices The reward: Expect a startling greeting from a giant toy spider as you step through the front door of the Lost Coast Brewing Co. in downtown Eureka. At least you’ll be in on the joke when the next party walks in.

The best-known and most successful of Humboldt’s craft brewing establishments, it dates back to 1989, when Barbara Groom, a pharmacist, and Wendy Pound, a family counselor, opened a small brew pub in Eureka after exhaustive research into the

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Six Rivers Brewery: 1300 Central Ave., McKinleyville. (707) 839-7580. www.sixriversbrewery. com. 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, 4 p.m. Mondays. Most food items $10-$18.

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— JF

Clam Beach is at the northern end of the 5-mile-long Hammond Coastal Trail in McKinleyville in Humboldt County.

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What to drink: On a warm, sunny day, go for the Hammond Trail Cream Ale, a crisp, light ale brewed with flaked corn and easy on the hops. On a cool, drizzly day, try the Sasquatch Double IPA, a monster of an ale that is, according to the brewery,

“aggressively hopped.” And if you’re not into traditional beers, check out the fizzy, fruity Raspberry Lambic, winner of the 2012 Chick Beer Award.

Humboldt Bay

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seasonal and experimental offerings. Pork sliders, stonebaked pizzas and grilled salmon are on the menu.

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live it up with a meal and a good brew

Check it out: The old railroad embankment you see was part of the old Eel River and Eureka Railroad, which once shipped Humboldt County timber all over the U.S. Four trailheads serve the Hikshari Trail: Truesdale Avenue, just south of the Bayshore Mall; two along Hilfiker Lane; and one off Herrick and Highway 101 at the Pound Road Park and Ride.

McKinleyville

Beti Trauth / Humboldt County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Eureka: Watch for wildlife on stroll — and then The hike: Keep your eye out for snowy egrets and Indian shell middens along the new Hikshari Multi-Use Trail through the Elk River Wildlife Sanctuary south of downtown Eureka.

The well-graded 1.5-mile trail, part of a planned 6.5mile waterfront path, follows the Elk River to its mouth at Humboldt Bay past sand dunes, salt marshes, coastal willow patches and “frog bogs” full of croaking amphibians.

Interpretive signs explain the fascinating natural history of this wildlife-rich landscape.

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Check it out: Near the river mouth, the beach on the far bank is a popular haul-out for seals. We counted more than 100 of them lolling in the foggy sunshine. www.redwoods. info/showrecord.asp?id=1600 The reward: Six Rivers Brewing Co. calls itself “the brew with a view,” and you can begin the rehydration process with a revitalizing pint of Hammond Trail Cream Ale as you gaze out over the landscape you just walked.

Up on a hill, the brew pub is airy and filled with light, with a central horseshoe bar propped up by convivial regulars. Eight beers are regularly on tap, plus a smattering of

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Loleta Eel River

drinking establishments of England and Wales.

“English style with a West Coast flavor” is how they describe their brews, which is another way of saying they’re a little lighter on the hops than their local competitors.

Eight brews are regularly on tap, including their extremely popular Great White Beer, Downtown Brown and Indica India Pale Ale, plus a handful of seasonal ales and special brews.

Lost Coast has an extensive food menu featuring salads, burgers and such specialties as tiger prawns and andouille jambalaya.

Fortuna

Ferndale

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What to drink: Great White is the biggest seller, but on a chill, foggy day — they’ve been known to happen on the North Coast — your best bet is Downtown Brown, a “fullbodied nut brown ale … without the heavy taste of a porter or stout.”

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— JF Lost Coast Brewing Co.: 617 Fourth St., Eureka. (707) 4454480. www.lostcoast.com.

Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 or 11 p.m. Most meals, $9 to $15.

San Francisco Todd Trumbull / The Chronicle

If you go WHERE TO STAY

BEER EVENTS

OYSTER TOURS

Carter House: 301 L St., Eureka. (800) 404-1390. www.carterhouse.com. On the edge of Eureka’s Old Town, it offers lodging in four Victorian buildings, including the re-creation of a San Francisco Victorian destroyed in the 1906 quake. Its Restaurant 301, with its 3,400-bottle wine list, is one of the North Coast’s finest. Rooms start at $189.

Aug. 24: Hops in Humboldt takes place in Fortuna. www.hopsinhumboldt.com.

Two-thirds of all California oysters begin their lives in Humboldt Bay. Tours by kayak and motorboat highlight oyster farming, with some hands-on harvesting. Humboldt Bay Tourism Center, www.hum boldtbayoystertours.com, (800) 8082836. Motorboat tour, $75; kayak tour, $89.

Eagle House Inn: 139 Second St., Eureka. (707) 4443344. www.eaglehouseinn.com. Rooms start at $105.

Each of the 24 rooms is uniquely styled in this restored Victorian inn near the waterfront in Eureka’s Old Town.

Oct. 5: Humboldt Hoptoberfest in Blue Lake is the big event during Humboldt Beer Week. www.humboldtbeerweek.com (click on “Humboldt Hoptoberfest”).

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Sept. 28-Oct. 6: Humboldt Beer Week.

Events throughout the county, including a disc golf tourney and Old Town Eureka beer sampling at the Local. www.humboldtbeer week.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Humboldt County CVB, (800) 346-3482, www.redwoods.info.

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