Mad River Brewing Company - Steelhead Extra Pale Ale

This brew may be extra pale in color, but it’s certainly not light on flavor. Expect a golden yellow on the pour with a light haziness. Malt aromas are crisp and clean, while the five hop varietals provide a floral aroma with an underlying citric character and a certain earthy edge. On the palate, look for the malts to again come through crisp and direct, providing a nice backdrop for the hop flavors which, like in the aroma, present a floral character with a citric zing. We found the lemony hop acidity to work well with the light wheat malt tartness, and the wheat also helps contribute a nice medium fullness to the body. Hop bitterness is restrained, but present enough to easily dry this brew out in the finish and clear the palate for another sip. We like this brew with fish and shellfish, especially spicy lobster tacos. Enjoy!

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 B.C. 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. As the microbrewing revolution exploded over the next few years and the market for their beer expanded beyond Humboldt County, the brewing facility was expanded and by 1996 capacity was up to 100,000 barrels per year. 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) 668-5680, or visit their website at www.madriverbrewing.com.