North Coast Brewing Excursion

As I prepare to move the beer in the large carboy into the small carboy, I like to talk about brewpubs. I particularly like to visit brewpubs whenever I go out of town.  On New Year's Eve, I visited the train station brewery restaurant in Oroville. I think I mentioned it in one of my previous posts... Oh yes, this post.

This past Friday night, I was in Fort Bragg, California. On the main road through town, which is also US Highway 1, there is a rather successful brewery called the North Coast Brewing Company. They are popular in Northern California for their Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout. They have a couple of other popular brews as well.

The restaurant is very easy to find, located on the corner of a block, on the opposite side of Highway 1 from the actual brewery. The place is warm and cozy, yet spacious, and not ostentatious or overly decorated. It is a small-town restaurant, in an older building, and they have chosen to keep the character of the place without a lot of clutter. There is no real theme to the place, other than that it seems that they like historical references to beer brands of days past, and some brewery-themed fixtures. The bar is nice, and the staff is knowledgable about the beer they sell. The food was average, yet somewhat pricey. They had a full menu of meats and seafood, salads and the like. I just remember noticing that the prices were rather steep. I guess it is to be expected being a seaside town and all. I had the fish and chips, which is usual for me. It still set me back twelve bucks, with five filets of tasty white cod and a generous helping of fries. The fries were pretty average, the fish was tasty with a crispy batter, but the tartar sauce was lacking in chunkiness and pickliness.

A full flight of 2-ounce pours, numbering twelve different brews, cost fifteen bucks. They had a gauntlet of brews, most of which were very tasty. I shall try to remember all of them:

Blue Star - A Wheat Beer, light yet flavorful, with a thicker feel like a Heffeweizen. It was good.
Scrimshaw - A Pilsner Beer, which I didn't like that much
Acme Pale Ale - A pretty average Pale Ale, in my opinion. It was OK.
Red Seal - This was not bad, kind of hoppy, but not something which got me excited either.
Red Seal Cask Conditioned Ale - Whatever this was, it wasn't anything like the other Red Seal, it was very mellow.
Pranqster - This was a pretty tasty brew, fruity and flavorful, like some good Heffeweizens I have tried. It had a flavor like bubble gum, in a way. I would go looking for this in a store. It was good.
Acme IPA - This was pretty bold, tasty and refreshing, although I must admit I was feeling a little happy at this point. It was good.
Old No. 38 Stout - I frothy brew, but not one that I particularly liked. I am not really a big fan of stouts, but sometimes you get a thick chocolatey stout that makes you appreciate stouts in a whole new way. This was not one of them. I would say no to a pint.
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout - I can see why this brew is popular outside of the city of Ft. Bragg. It has a nice mouthfeel to it, and a thick rich body with a good flavor. I liked it.
The Brothers Thelonius - I was feeling pretty good by this time, and losing track fast. I  recall being impressed by this Abbey-style ale. It was dark and rich, and good tasting.
Old Stock Ale - Another fairly nice brew, with a barleywine flavor that got my attention. It was very good. Kind of an acetic acidity to it, not particularly strong, which I find overpowering sometimes, but just a hint. Nice.
Le Merle - A Saison-style beer, with a light flavor and a clean finish, a nice finish to a sampler tray. I would say it was worthwhile.

I would say that the best five of the twelve would be Blue Star, Pranqster, Old Rasputin, Old Stack Ale, and Le Merle. The others were good for getting a buzz and adding some variety, but these five were standouts. I would definitely make the stop again the next time I'm in Ft. Bragg, CA, and I would actually recommend it if you are staying nearby. I wouldn't go out of my way for the food, though, so if you are passing through, maybe don't stop here.