Mammoth Brewing Company offers several styles of beers and pours -- including a nitro tap (mammothbrewingco.com)
The Mammoth Brewing Company, located at the corner of Main Street and Minaret Roads, has really taken off in the last couple of years. It occupies the space which formerly housed Whiskey Creek, a now-defunct steakhouse and cocktail bar (complete with go-go dancers and DJ music late night upstairs). That space has now been transformed into a light and elegant Brewers’ Hall, which sports large farm tables, a beer and wine bar, sweeping views of the Sherwins, and hosts events like rehearsal dinners and wedding receptions.
MBC has been brewing their beer at the location for years, while their tasting room was run in a tiny warehouse on Berner Street, but moved full-time to the larger location in July of 2014. The Eatery, the locally-owned business who took over the kitchen, started pumping out innovative dishes created by chef Brandon Brocia (owner of Bleu Handcrafted Foods down the road) around Christmas of that year.
Now the place is packed to the gills most weekends—it’s almost a victim of its own success. However, as long as you keep your expectations reasonable, you’ll be able to enjoy a great beer, a great meal, and maybe even some live music if you’re lucky (in the summer months, MBC hosts Sunday music in its beer garden from 4-7, and in the winter there are often bands upstairs in the Brewers’ Hall).
The food service situation is a little unorthodox—customers line up, order from a counter, and take a number to their table. Food is then delivered as it comes out from the kitchen. This can result in confusion if certain items show up sooner than others, but food comes out pretty quickly, so don’t fret.
Insider tip: Send an envoy to stand in line, another to snag a table, and a third to order beers. They don’t have paper menus, just a big board with the options for the day, so another pro suggestion is to take a photo and zoom in on menu items if you’re trying to put together your order away from the counter.
Beer is pretty good, but not mind-blowing, though the ambience more than makes up for it. Food is great, but keep your expectations in check—this place gets super busy, and rightly so, so be prepared to be patient.
Mammoth Brewing Company and The Eatery are located at 18 Lake Mary Rd. in Mammoth Lakes. The brewery begins pouring at 10 a.m. and food starts cranking at 11:30 a.m. No reservations. 760.934.7141 or www.mammothbrewingco.com.
Sarah Rea is a freelance dirtbag-turned-journalist who has been living in the Sierra on and off for twenty years, with eight spent in Yosemite National Park and five in Mammoth Lakes. She likes dogs, rocks, good food and jumping into cold water.