Eel River Brewing Company

Eel River Brewing Company

Eel River Brewing Company (ERB) is a brewery in Fortuna, California and the first Certified Organic Brewery in the United States.

History

The Eel River Brewing Company (ERB) was established in 1994 in Fortuna on the site of the ERB Taproom and Grill; both are owned and operated by Margaret Frigon and Ted Vivatson.[1] The brewpub was built on the historic site of the Clay Brown Redwood Mill.[1] The focal point of the pub is the 30-foot (9.1 m) long bar made entirely from recovered historic Redwood and Douglas Fir. The establishment, with its 100+ seating, also offers the largest beer garden on California's North Coast complete with a horseshoe pit.[1]

ERB made all its beer from 1994 at the brewpub until the move to Scotia in 2007. Since then only small batches of beer are produced at ERB Fortuna although it continues to be a top dining destination in the county,[2] with all of ERB's beers on tap as well as specialty brews that can only be found there. The menu boasts a wide range of food from stout-smoked BBQ to salads, sandwiches to seafood featuring local and organic Humboldt County products.[3]

In 1999, they became one of the first Certified Organic Brewery in the United States;[4]:253[5] their Amber Ale was the first beer made with that certification.[2][6][7][8]

In 2007, ERB outgrew the original brewing facility and moved to an old redwood mill in Scotia.[5][9] In 2009 after only 2 years at the new brewing facility, ERB nearly doubled what they were producing previously at the old site.[10]:1 With production in 2009 of over 7,000 barrels, ERB currently distributes to more than half of the states in the U.S. as well as Canada,Mexico and Brazil.[1]

Sustainability

Besides being the first certified-organic brewery in the U.S., the brewing facility is powered by 100% bio-mass renewable energy[5] and has its own wastewater pretreatment facility on location which filters the waste, easing the strain that would otherwise be put on the municipal water treatment plant. Spent grain from the brewing process is used to feed ERB’s local, organic cattle that are in turn sold as organic beef at the Eel River Brewing Company Taproom and Grill in Fortuna.[9] Packaging and promotional items are made from recycled materials and ERB buys these items locally to minimize the effects of transportation. The ERB tap handles are made from reclaimed wood and all paper packaging is made with recycled materials and printed with soy-based inks.

Awards

The ERB has earned nearly 200 national and state awards, including gold and silver medals from the Great American Beer Festival and the California State Fair, as well as Best of Show at the Humboldt County Fair.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Carter, Shauna (October 27, 2010). "Brewery Eel River Brewing Company". Featured. CraftBeer.com. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Eel River Brewing Company Humboldt County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2012, accessdate 15 January 2013
  3. ↑ "Welcome to Eel River Brewing Company's Taproom & Grill". Eel River Brewing. 2013. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  4. ↑ Christopher Mark O'Brien (18 October 2013). Fermenting Revolution: How to Drink Beer and Save the World. New Society Publishers. pp. 253–254. ISBN 978-1-55092-496-1.
  5. 1 2 3 Greg Koch; Matt Allyn (1 October 2011). The Brewer's Apprentice: An Insider's Guide to the Art and Craft of Beer Brewing, Taught by the Masters. Rockport Publishers. pp. 134–. ISBN 978-1-59253-731-0.:134
  6. ↑ "If You Screw It Up, Oh Well!". Eel River Brewing Company. 2013. Archived from the original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Representative Thompson visits Eel River Brewing Company". Brewers Association. 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Top Ten Organic Breweries". Brewess. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  9. 1 2 Heylin, John (May 1, 2012). "Eel River Brewing, It’s Organic, Got a Problem?". Bay Area Craft Beer. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  10. ↑ "2009 Sales History Report". Eel River Brewing Company. January 1, 2010. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
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