Local craft beers from Yosemite National Park gateway towns of Mariposa and Oakhurst are now available on tap near the base of Yosemite Falls.
YOSEMITE VALLEY, CA – Rock climbing inspired Mountain Room Lounge at Yosemite Valley Lodge now offers craft beer from two local breweries. The lounge is one of those places that feels impossibly cool. The room has a colossal round fireplace and floor-to-ceiling window views of Yosemite’s granite peaks. It is a place that has a local vibe, and now, that vibe includes two new local craft beers.
Jake Wackerman, owner and brewer at 1850 Brewing Company in Mariposa, always dreamed of owning a restaurant. Even when he was 19 years old, working at the Mountain Room Lounge in Yosemite bussing tables.
“To have one of our beers from 1850 on tap at the Mountain Room years later is pretty surreal,” recounts Wackerman. “Everything has gone full circle for us and 1850. Brewing started as a hobby for me and to see that hobby grow from something that we sell locally into something on tap in Yosemite Valley makes us proud.”
At 1850 Brewing Company, each beer is carefully crafted from start to finish by Jake Wackerman, including White Wolf, the American wheat ale on tap in the Mountain Room Lounge in Yosemite. Other favorites at 1850 include “Bridalveil” honey blonde ale and “Dark Horse” coffee stout. At their brewery location in Mariposa, 1850 pairs refreshing beer with great lunch and dinner menu items, including Finney Fries, the Bootjack Burger, or Ahi Nachos.
In the neighboring Madera County town of Oakhurst, California, South Gate Brewing Company, perched near Deadwood Mountain, is a favorite haunt for Yosemite regulars. This gastropub serves up seasonal dishes, farm-fresh burgers, wood-fired pizza, and appetizers worthy of a cult following.
South Gate’s Brewmaster, Rick Bouke, is a mad scientist of creativity. Like the Glacier Point pale ale now available at the Mountain Room Lounge in Yosemite Valley, all of his creations are crisp and uplifting.
“Small batch brewing makes the tastiest beer,” says Bouke. “Even as we grow, we intend on brewing small batches with quality local ingredients. Now more people can drink locally when they travel, this makes us happy!”
“We are thrilled to have beer on tap by local brewers at 1850 in Mariposa and South Gate Brewing in Oakhurst here at the Mountain Room Lounge,” commented Jonathan Carow, GM of Yosemite Valley Lodge. “There is nothing better than a refreshing beer amongst the beauty of Yosemite. We are proud to support local businesses and look forward to sharing their beers with visitors from around the world.”
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Located about 160 miles east of San Francisco and 300 miles north of Los Angeles, Yosemite Mariposa County is a must-visit for any California itinerary. Alive with possibility, it’s a world-class destination for all seasons that inspires curiosity and refreshes the soul. Yosemite Mariposa County is the ideal destination for visitors looking for outdoor adventure, family fun, or a place to unplug and get away from it all.
About Visit Yosemite | Madera County
Formed in 1985, Visit Yosemite | Madera County’s mission is to draw the millions of Yosemite National Park visitors to the many businesses and attractions in its gateway. We invite visitors to take a journey from the Fossil Discovery Center to the Madera Wine Trail and onward into the High Sierra. Along the way, discover incredible dining, talented tradespersons, four seasons of water sports at Bass Lake, the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, and mighty adventures right up to the massive Giant Sequoia trees. Madera County is the gateway to so much more
