Love at First Sip

Lost Coast Brewery: Love at First Sip

Sometimes, you just need a good cold beer. Alcoholism and binge drinking are a serious problem, but enjoying good beer is like enjoying good wine: you drink it for the flavor, not for the alcohol. For me there’s only one beer that will satisfy my beer-tooth, and that’s a nice cold Great White from the Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka California.

During my three years of stud at Humboldt State University I -like most college students- drank, a lot. As I got older and wiser I decided Natty-Light and Keystone were for beer-pong playing, girl chasing, want-to-be ‘bros’ and that I needed to start drinking a more sophisticated beer. Fortunately, there was a beacon of hope located in nearby Eureka, the Lost Coast Brewery and Café.

Some have labeled Lost Coast’s lighter beers as ‘girly’, so it comes to no surprise that the creators of the company are women, Barbara Groom and Wendy Pound. In 1986 the wheels were put in motion to create their own brewery and the two took frequent trips to pubs and breweries in England and Wales, studying beer and creating their own beers at home. Next they found a home for the brewery and café, a 100 year old building in Eureka called the Pythian Castle. In 1990 they opened their doors to the people of Humboldt county and have been growing ever since. As demands rose, they had to open a separate brewery to accommodate their thirsty customers and retailers.

The Lost Coast Brewery now sells to 19 different states and produce about 30,000 barrels each year, making them the 49th largest brewery in the country. One factor that makes their beer so delicious is the cool humid climate of the Humboldt Redwoods and the fresh sea air from the bay nearby. In my correspondence with Shauna Carter, the companies sales executive assistant, I learned that the secret to making great beer is using the freshest ingredients and they don’t use any animal by products in the production of their seven varieties of beer.

The proof is in the beer itself, but also in their awards. With over a 100 awards in their 17 years of business, Lost Coast is worth giving a try. Locally you can find Lost Cost Brewery’s delicious beers at Safeway, Raleys, and Bevmo. If you can find it, the seasonal Winterbraun is a creamy brown ale variety with roasted chocolate and caramel malts that’s great to drink even on a cold winter’s night.

Their other great beers include: Downtown Brown, a dark smooth brown ale: Raspberry brown, a raspberry twist on their delicious Downtown Brown; Alleycat Amber, a full amber ale made with caramel malt; 8-Ball Stout, a dark creamy stout with robust roasted malts and heavy hops; Lost Coast Pale Ale, a balance of Munich malts and Cascade and Chinook hops; and my favorite Lost Coast’s Great White made with citrus, two-row malted barley, mountain water, and a secret blend of Humboldt Herbs.

So if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon one of these delicious brews, go ahead and give it a try if you’re tired of the same old watered down flavorless beers. If you ever happen to be up in Humboldt County, be sure to visit their Brewery and café. Not only does the beer taste even more amazing on tap, they have award food that goes great with their beers as well. Cheers!

www.lostcoast.com

Melissa Kilmer