Even though you’re nearly 400 miles north of the “land of beers” in San Diego, kicking back with some brews is among the many ways to enjoy your vacation in Mammoth Lakes.
Whether you’re visiting one of many breweries in Mammoth Lakes CA or simply having a few beers at your Mammoth Lakes rental with family and friends, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to sample some craft beers when you’re vacationing in this area of California.
Using local ingredients, innovative brewing practices, and creative mixes, you’ll find a wide range of unique and appealing flavors from these breweries in Mammoth Lakes.
We’ll take a closer look at each Mammoth Lakes brewery that is conveniently located in proximity to among the top condo rentals so you can choose which one you’d like to try. Or, try them all!
Distant Brewing
Opened in December 2019, Distant Brewing brought the owner’s eight years of brewing skills and formerly thriving brewery business experience to California’s Sierra Nevada mountains to resounding success (New Business of the Year 2021 and Best Looking Business Front of the Year 2021 from the Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence awards).
New and exciting beers have been crafted at Distant Brewing since its opening.
How can you turn down a Mountain Wookie (Pale Ale with El Dorado and Idaho 7 hops), a Full Moon Gloom (Double Dry Hopped with Citra, Galaxy, and Mosaic Lupomax), or a Chilligan’s Island (Raspberry & Black Currant Hard Seltzer)?
Distant Brewing now offers four packs of 16-oz cans. A new selection of beers is available weekly!
Experience the unique brews at Distant Brewing Monday – Thursday and Sunday noon – 9 p.m. and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Live music every Thursday and Sunday starting at 7 p.m. and open mic Mondays at 6 p.m. Happy Hour is Monday – Thursday from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Indoor and outdoor dining is offered, with an extensive food menu listing appetizers, flatbreads, sandwiches, and salads.
Mammoth Brewing
Featuring bold blends of local ingredients with years of brewing experience, Mammoth Brewing on Lake Mary Road offers award-winning brews and specialties in its taste room and Eatery. It’s known for year-round beers and seasonals on tap.
Its top Double Nut Brown (flavors of coffee, chocolate, and toffee-nut) is available in 16-oz. cans since 2021. You can also try the medium-bodied Yosemite Pale Ale, the light and crisp Golden Trout Kölsch, the full-bodied West Coast Style IPA, or the unique IPA 395: Desert Sage and Juniper berries complimenting a malty body and an earthy, citrusy, and floral hop profile.
There are continual seasonal and specialty brews added to the list at Mammoth Brewing. How does the Bluesapalooza Summer Grog Double IPA on a hot summer day sound? This smooth, traditionally bitter brew holds juicy tropical fruit flavors offering hints of mango, pineapple, and melon along with “a kick of grapefruit and lemon and lime citrus character.” Or the Cherry Sour: a cherry puree mixed with Mammoth’s house yeast for a “lemonade-like tartness.”
The Eatery menu features burgers, cod n’ chips, steak sandwiches, flatbread pizzas, and baskets such as brewery bread fries, onion rings, and pork rinds. So, pair your favorite food with a killer brew and enjoy a “mammoth” taste experience!
Mammoth Brewing is open 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Sunday – Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The Eatery opens at 11:30 a.m. every day.
Shelter Distilling
The doors of Shelter Distilling in Mammoth Lakes opened in December 2017.
Starting with what it considers a critical ingredient: the crystal-clear, pristine alpine water from the mountain snow melts that flow through the meadows and lakes of the area, Shelter Distilling adds locally and internationally grown agave, grain, malt, and corn along with creativity, passion, and adventuresome souls to produce innovative new and improved old brews and spirits.
Consider its “queen of all spirits”: three single-malt whiskey expressions along with limited releases such as the 100% grown American Wheat, single malt flavored with rose hips Wild Rose, and the full-bodied Granite Rye. There are also aged bourbons; pinyon pine, juniper, sage, rose, vanilla, and cucumber, and strawberry, floral, and citrus gins; American-grown agave spirits; and specialty spirits with flavors of licorice, chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut, among others.
Pale ale (smooth with fruity aromas and notes of tropical fruit and pine forest), aged stout (flavors of whiskey, roasted malt, vanilla, and oak), and lager (a balance of Bohemian Pilsner Malt and Czech Saaz Hops) are available in the canned beers offered at Shelter Distilling. Canned cocktails include whiskey and cola; gin and tonic; Shelter Collins (classic Tom Collins with Gin The Third, rosemary, lemon, sugar, and soda water); and Rose Hip Thrust combining Wild Rose Whiskey with ginger, lime, and soda water.
Plan Your Visit to Mammoth Lakes
Enjoy your lager, ale, or other brews at their location, or bring back some cans to your Mammoth Lakes rental. Book with us today!
Mammoth Tavern
While not a brewery, you’re sure to find your favorite draft beers as well as locally brewed ales and lagers in the casual setting of Mammoth Tavern on Old Mammoth Road.
Among the draft offerings are the Sky Pillow Hazy IPA from Distant Brewing and the Lakeside Lager from Shelter Distilling. There are also the Deer Beer Brown Ale from June Lake Brewing as well as Mountain Rambler Venusian Blonde Ale from Mountain Rambler Brewing in Bishop, CA, and Mammoth Brewing’s Epic IPA.
The drink menu also contains Scotches, aperitifs, brown boozes, wines, and cocktails.
To go along with the causal bar is a casual dining room, with an expansive menu of entrees, appetizers, salads, soups, fondue, and desserts.
Another plus: Mammoth Taverns provides great views of the mountains, equaling those you’d find at many condo vacation rentals in the area. So, you’re not giving up your stunning views if you decide to partake of the excellent food and spirits on the premises!
Mammoth Tavern offers its dinner menu Wednesday – Sunday 4 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.; Happy Hour is from 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. every day the tavern is open. Happy Hour offers 30% off draft beer and wine.
Where to Stay Near Mammoth Lakes
When you stay at a Mammoth Lakes rental, you’ll of course want stunning views of the mountains and lakes and you’ll find such accommodations at Viewpoint Condos.
Depending on your specific unit, these one- and two-bedroom Mammoth Lakes rentals feature spacious rooms, free WiFi, king- or queen-sized beds, flat-screen TVs, private balconies, fireplaces, fully-equipped kitchens, and extended lofts. You might find some rentals stocked with video and other games as well as DVDs and books; access to a hot tub, steam room, and game room; skylights; and updated granite counters, appliances, tiles, and wood floors. Other amenities might include a coffee grinder, landline phone, crock pot, Tempurpedic mattresses, and heated floors in the bathrooms.
In some cases, you might be within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and other attractions. You just might find yourself near any of the breweries discussed here!
