Lost Coast Brewery - Great White

The name is a clever play on words—this being an interpretation of the Belgian "wit" or "white" style of beer. But the shark theme also works because this brew has a bit of a hop surprise lurking beneath the surface of what would otherwise be a very placid brew. More on that later… Note the very inviting aroma, beckoning you to submerse yourself in this beer; orange notes dominate, with stylistically-unexpected hints of Pacific Northwest hops peaking through the aroma's surface like the dorsal fin of a shark—letting you know something's lurking beneath the surface—but there's nothing you can do about it—you're already in and there's no getting out! This beer offers the citrusy, thirst-quenching character of a traditional wit, but melds in the hop bite of a pale ale. The hop character is flower petal like, bitterly floral, and there's a subtle yet complex herbal quality, no doubt owing to the mysteriously referenced "secret blend of Humboldt herbs" (Humboldt is the county where this beer is made—and it's not tough to envision brewer Barbara Groom with mortar and pestle, grinding selected herbs to perfect her recipe—she is after all, and ex-pharmacist). You might also pick up the subtlest note of scotch as the beer warms; despite being only 4.8% ABV, it's got some unexpected power. The alcohol presence seems to be enhanced by the hop character. In the finish, look for a lemony spritziness and suggestions of under-ripened clementine oranges. A great summertime thirst quencher, their use of an American hop varietal gives a new twist to a style that's making serious waves these days. You can pair this brew with just about anything—we suggest skewered, grilled veggies and chicken.

We first featured the Lost Coast Brewery of Eureka, CA about two years ago and we knew then that we'd be back for some more. Their line up of microbrewed beer is downright solid, our only dilemma was a self-imposed one: we can only run two beers from the same brewery per month—so, here's another two of their VERY northern California brews (from San Francisco, head north along the 101 freeway for about 5 hours. A visit to their brewpub is worth the drive, seriously, we've done it, took us about 10 hours coming up from Southern CA, but definitely worth it). The roots of the Lost Coast Brewery go back to Barbara Groom's realization that she wanted to become a brewer—an epiphany experienced shortly after the first post-prohibition brewpub opened in California in 1983. After honing her homebrewing skills, visiting several famed international breweries and pubs, and some formal brewing education at the University of California, Davis and the Siebel Institute in Chicago, Barbara and her partner Wendy Pound quit their day jobs. In 1989 they purchased their brewpub location, an historic building constructed in the late 19th century. Barbara and Wendy purchased the property from its original owners, The Fraternal Order of The Knights of Pythias; from their name, we suspect they might appear in Dan Brown's sequel to The Da Vinci Code. With the Fraternal Order replaced, this brewing pair (a 'Sorority Sect' if you will), opened for business in 1990. Their brewpub décor is a mixture of art nouveau set within a classic gold rush age Saloon and is quite a hit with locals and thirsty travelers alike. In 2000, a second bottling and production site (their full fledged microbrewery) was added down the road in order to keep up with demand. Today, Lost Coast Brewery is the 46th largest brewery in the United States and distributes its fine ales in 19 states. While the northern California gold rush may have died out, Wendy and Barbara ensure that Eureka will always be rich with great beer. Thanks ladies! For more information about the brewery, brewpub and/or scheduled tours, call (707) 445-4484 or check out their web site at www.lostcoast.com. The drive through Northern CA along the 101 freeway is breathtaking, the brewpub atmosphere is unique and inviting, the food is top notch, and each of the 10 beers on tap is expertly crafted. Plenty of variety means there's something for everyone, including apricot- and tangerine-flavored wheat beers, a raspberry brown ale, to name a few.