Mad River Brewing Company - Mad River IPA

Pouring a rich and lightly hazy orange color topped with light beige foam, Mad River IPA looks great while also offering an inviting aromatic experience. Look for luscious citrus zest and floral notes, bolstered by a pungent, spicy-herbal character and an underpinning of caramelized malt. We were really impressed by how those citric notes come through in the flavor department with a seriously juice-like character, evolving across the palate into herbal spice, which lingers a while in the finish. Bitterness is not shy at 67 IBU, but a little residual sweetness offers a pleasant counterpoint as the moderate caramel backbone provides roundness and structure. An Asian chicken salad with mandarins would make a fine accompaniment, playing off of the juicy notes in the beer. And, for a spicier pairing, try Vietnamese spring rolls with a spicy peanut dipping sauce. Cheers!

Amidst giant redwoods in northern California’s Humboldt County lies Blue Lake, a small town of approximately 1135 people, and home to Mad River Brewing Company. The seeds for Mad River first started to take root back in the late 1970s as homebrewer Bob Smith began dreaming of one day starting his own commercial brewery. It was around this time that he met Ken Grossman at Ken’s homebrew supply shop and learned of his plans to start what would become Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, CA in 1979.

As Sierra Nevada grew over the next decade, Bob remained interested in establishing his own brewery in Humboldt. Opportunity came knocking in 1989 when Sierra Nevada was expanding and Ken offered to sell his original brewing equipment to Bob. Because of Sierra Nevada’s success (and that of a handful of others), investors were willing to provide the financing necessary to finally turn Bob’s dream into a reality. Mad River’s first beers were poured on draft in December 1990, with bottles going on sale across Humboldt within just a couple months. The product was a hit and in their first year in business, Mad River sold twice as much beer as they had expected, reaching a total of 1500 barrels. Recently, in 2016, Mad River finally installed a new brewhouse and new equipment to replace the small 10-barrel Sierra Nevada system. Under long-time brewmaster, Dylan Schatz, the brewery is well-poised for a new era of growth.

In addition to being at the forefront of the American beer renaissance, Mad River has also been a trailblazer in eco-conscious brewing, long before it was trendy to be “green.” Their ultimate goal is to produce zero waste, and so not only do they recycle all their paper and metal, they provide their spent grain to local farms. For more info about the brewery and tasting room, call 707-668-4151, or visit their website at www.madriverbrewing.com.