Mount Shasta is a volcanic mountain located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. The mountain towers to 14,179 feet in elevation. Its prominent features dominate the surrounding area of farms, ranches, and forests for many miles. Native Americans considered this mountain a sacred site and the mountain is still considered by many as mystical and spiritual.

Lots of people pass through this area without stopping – either on their way north to Oregon or south to San Francisco or southern California. However, if you stop to experience the region, you’ll discover great reasons to visit and that Mount Shasta exerts considerable influence over the entire area – its realm.

Elements of this influence include 1) motivating those who seek change and adventure; 2) providing a sturdy base for those wishing to get back to basics (holistic or down to earth); or 3) acting as a catalyst for those seeking spiritual enlightenment or life-altering introspection.

Dotted within this surrounding area are a few breweries that reflect Mount Shasta’s influence, including WildCard Brewing Co., Dunsmuir Brewery Works, and Mt. Shasta Brewing Co..

Located in Redding, CA, WildCard Brewing Co. is the creation of the wife/husband team of Jenny and Jeff Hansen. Jenny is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the CEO. Jeff is the Brewmaster and a former assistant brewer at Iron Horse Brewing.

In WildCard’s own words:

“The idea behind the name Wildcard is to pursue the unknown. Wildcard Brewing Company’s owners left stability for chaos, moved to England to learn the craft of beer making, and started a business in an uncertain economy, all in pursuit of a dream. You’d call them crazy, adventurous, unpredictable….a wildcard. Our story is one of the unexpected; a place where there are no limits, where perseverance and a free spirit will turn dreams into reality.”

When we arrived, Jenny was working the tasting room and served as my beer guide and mentor. I sampled seven beers – 1) 530 Hometown Ale, 2) Ace Up the Sleeve Wheat Ale, 3) Below the Belt Pale Ale, 4) Liar’s Dice IPA, 5) Double Down Imperial Red, 6) Fresh Hop Double IPA, and 7) Shot in the Dark Porter. I enjoyed all!

 

The Double Down Imperial Red is WildCard Brewing Co.’s flagship beer, so I’m going to include my tasting notes.

Double Down Imperial Red (7.5% ABV / 40 IBU): This beer is made with Simcoe, Palisade, and Zeus hops. This beer pours a clear amber color with white foam that left rings of lace. Aromas of malt, tropical fruits, with a hint of grassy or herbal notes. Double Down is medium-bodied with smooth texture. Flavors of malt caramel, passion and other tropical fruits are followed by  grapefruit and pine. The finish is dry with moderate bitterness. Choose to Double Down and you’ll win a jackpot of delicious flavor!

– Serve Double Down Imperial Red Ale in a pint glass at 45-50 degrees F. WildCard suggests pairing it with meatballs covered in a spicy cherry BBQ sauce which sounds delicious to me.

At WildCard Brewing, we also met a gentleman that came in for a growler fill with a unique cover on the growler. Turns out his wife makes a product called the “G-Sleeve”.

If you find yourself near Redding, WildCard Brewing Co. is a must stop. I certainly plan on a return trip.

As we progressed further into Mount Shasta’s realm, we were joined and hosted by some wonderful family members that also acted as our guides to the region. Thanks Judith and Richard!

Up the 5 Freeway from Redding is a quaint town called Dunsmuir. Located in a canyon with the Upper Sacramento River (known for excellent trout fishing), Dunsmuir is (in the city’s words) an “old-fashioned town with no stop lights, no parking meters, no traffic, and few worries” that allow you to “step back to a simpler time”. The town’s motto is “Home to the best water on Earth.”

Dunsmuir is also the home for Dunsmuir Brewery Works. Dunsmuir Brewery Works is a micro brewpub offering a variety of hand crafted ales and fine food.

The brewpub offers indoor and outdoor seating, mostly populated by locals. The staff is very friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is very down to earth.

I sampled the three available beers at Dunsmuir during my visit – 1) Rusty Spike Imperial Red (Dunsmuir’s flagship beer); 2) West Coast Extra Special Bitter; and 3) Blood, Sweat, & Tears India Pale Ale. I enjoyed and would drink all again. My detailed tasting notes for the Blood, Sweat, & Tears IPA follow.

Blood, Sweat, & Tears IPA (7% ABV / 95 IBU): This beer is a “Northwest India Pale Ale with just enough malt backbone to carry the five additions of Magnum, Chinook, Cascade, and Crystal hops”. Blood, Sweat, & Tears IPA pours a copper gold color with white foam. Hints of grapefruit citrus composed the mild aroma. The beer is medium-bodied with mild carbonation. On the palate, Blood, Sweat, & Tears provides rich malt caramel flavor followed by grapefruit citrus and pith. The beer has a nice dry, bitter finish. Blood, Sweat, & Tears IPA made me so very happy.

– Serve Blood, Sweat, & Tears IPA in a snifter glass at 50 to 55 degrees F and pair it with some Cajun blackened trout or salmon.

If you like to fish, I suggest visiting Dunsmuir. Enjoy some fly fishing for trout and end the day at Dunsmuir Brewery Works.

Not too far from Dunsmuir is the slightly larger city of Weed, California. The town of Weed gets its name from the founder of the local lumber mill and pioneer Abner Weed, who discovered in the 1890’s that the area’s strong winds were helpful in drying lumber. By the 1940s Weed boasted the world’s largest sawmill.

Weed is full of artists and artisans. The town also seems to host many colorful Lemuirans. Lemuirians are part of a cult that believes a non-native American legend, centered on a hidden city of advanced beings from the lost continent of Lemuria living under Mount Shasta.

Much more important to me is that Weed is the home of Mt. Shasta Brewing Company – “The Home of Weed Ales.” Per their website, in 2003 Mt. Shasta Brewing Company brewed its first beer (“Weed Golden Ale”) in kegs and as Weed was named after Abner Weed, founder of the first lumber mill, the family of Mr. Weed authorized “Abner Weed Amber Ale” in his honor.

The Mt. Shasta Brewing Company Alehouse and Bistro offers indoor and outdoor seating. Both areas are very spacious. There is a limited selection of food and a large selection of beer.

I sampled six beers at Mt. Shasta – 1) Lemon Grass Saison with Orange Peel; 2) Government Shutdown Stout; 3) Jalapeño Weed Ale; 4) Abner Weed Amber; 5) Mountain High IPA; and 6) Shastafarian Porter. I’m certain that Abner Weed would be proud of all of these beers and I certainly enjoyed them.

My overall favorite of the six was Shastafarian Porter. My detailed tasting notes for this beer follow.

Shastafarian Porter (6% ABV / 43 IBU): This beer pours a dark amber brown color that is almost black and sported a thick dark tan foam that left lace rings. Shastafarian has rich aromas of roasted malt, caramel, and coffee. The beer is light-bodied and smooth with mild carbonation. On the palate, my tongue was engulfed with flavors of roasted malt, caramel, coffee, and some dark chocolate. There is a dry finish with mild hop bitterness. Don’t worry, be happy because this beer is excellent!

– Serve Shastafarian in a pint glass at 45 to 50 degrees F and pair it with a dark chocolate dessert.

Mt. Shasta Brewing Co. produces magical and mystical beers. I’ve become a Mt. Shasta cult member. Have one and you will join the Mt. Shasta cult too.

I may not fully understand the mysteries of Mount Shasta, but I can certainly appreciate the majesty of Mount Shasta and its realm. This is an area worthy of your time. Stop and explore and enjoy some fine craft beers at the same time.