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Damn the Torpedoes!-Mare Island Brewing

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Cam Ireland

“Damn the Torpedoes. Four bells! (Translation=Full Speed Ahead!)”
Tap HandlesThis famous Admiral Farragut quote isn’t at all dated. Commander Farragut opened Mare Island Naval Base 1852. The ships no longer have wooden hulls and most are nuclear in nature. This isn’t the Battle of Mobile during the Civil War, but the spirit is still relevant. These founding owners knew what they wanted and by God they accomplished it…so far.
Welcome to Mare Island Brewing.

A quote from the Mare Island Brewing welcome page at www.mareislandbrewingco.com pretty much sums the history and importance of the shipyard:
“A general’s prized mare and a shipwreck. A naval shipyard founded in 1854. Forty thousand welders, torpedo makers, radiomen and Rosie the Riveters securing our freedom through a Civil, a Cold, and two World Wars. Two winemakers now toiling to handcraft beer worthy of this historic island. Come visit our taps at the northern waterfront of the San Francisco Bay.”

Made my first visit to the Mare Island Brewing Co located inside the Mare Island Ferry building. It is small and busy, but a great location for before and after ferry rides for commuters. We arrived at 3:30pm to be greeted by a sign on the huge repurposed sliding entrance door that read, “Hours: 5pm-10pm”. D’oh! We had lunch and killed time. I’m glad we stuck around. The brewing equipment with eventually be installed in an old Navy coal shed. I assume the taproom will move when the brewery is completed.

Mare Island Brewing TaproomThe historic aspect of the building is really cool. The beer is clean and balanced, but not too exciting or complex. The brewer is temporarily utilizing another breweries facilities on contract. That probably doesn’t give him as much time to “play” or experiment with the equipment in order to fine tune his batches.
Mare Island Brewing Flight

On tap for our visit were the following beers:
Saginaw Golden Ale 4.3% abv
Coal Shed 151 Stout 6.7% abv
Shipwright’s Porter 6.3% abv
Hydraulic Sandwich IPA 7.1% abv
Farragut’s Farmhouse Ale 8.3% abv

Mare Island Lineup

Saginaw Golden Ale:

History-“The USS Saginaw was the first keel laid on Mare Island in 1857. Pirates, confederates, a shipwreck, a rescue by King Kamehahmeha… we dedicate this Golden Ale to its (and our) hero, Coxswain William Halford. Saginaw Golden Ale is our flagship ale.”

Tasting notes:

Pours a bright pale gold with a nice, fluffy white head. Clean and crisp with some graininess and subtle hop flavor and bitterness.


Hydraulic Sandwich IPA
“Many a Yardbird from Mare Island’s glory days have told us of hoisting a “hydraulic sandwich” for lunch. Beer is indeed food. Our brewing pedigree includes many a hopped-up brew, but our evolving philsophy leads us to this balanced IPA, where the finest hops are still on display, but the balance of malt always keeps those hops in check.”
Coal Shed Stout
“Our brewery is located in one of the historic Coal Sheds on Mare Island, where coal was stored and loaded onto the early Navy steam ships. Coal Shed Stout: black as coal and good for the soul. Coal Shed Stout is our flagship dark beer”
Farragut’s Farmhouse Saison
“Commodore David Farragut—famous for uttering the words, “Damn the Torpedoes…”—was the first commander on Mare Island in 1854. This lighter Saison (belgium-styled seasonal) is intentionally soured and then aged in used white wine oak barrels, giving it both delicate weight and a slightly toasty aroma. Available only on tap in our taproom.”

Category: Beer Style, Brewery, Brewpubs |

Cam Ireland

I am a BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) National judge. I am also a homebrewer. I love to taste classic styled and outside-the-box beer from around the world, explore craft beer breweries, cook and pair meals with beer and share all of these with anybody that has the same interests.

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Stone Brewing is located in Escondido, California and is known for hugely hoppy and high octane, malt-rich beers. Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 in San Marcos, CA. The Double Bastard this cap sealed uses huge amounts of hops, but the type of hops used is not released. The necklace shown here was previously crimped on a bottle of Double Bastard Ale. The beer is orange-light brown in color and has a hoppy and malty nose. A mouth full of hop flavor and a rich malt and bitter/dry and finish. The hop types and IBU\'s are \"Classified\" according to Stone Brewing, but the alcohol is plentiful at 11% abv! This artisan piece was handmade using that recycled bottle cap. The cap was domed and filled with 2-row malted barley and caramel malt similar to that malt commonly used in similar beer styles. The malt is set in resin and helps add weight. This is a must have item for beer enthusiasts, craftbeer enthusiasts, Stone Brewing fans, IPA, DIPA fanatics, San Diego beer lovers or anybody that enjoys truly unique, handmade jewelry. Each piece is different as each cap has been treated differently through their travels to my beer fridge. Additionally, each cap reacts differently to the doming process. Cracks and chips may result naturally and add to the unique, unduplicated, rustic character of the finished product. The cap artwork represents the Stone gargoyle logo.
Stone-Double Arrogant Bastard
The beer cap shown here was previously crimped on a bottle of West Coast Double India Pale Ale (DIPA). The beer is orange-copper in color and has a hoppy and malty nose. A mouth full of hop flavor and a bitter/dry and finish. Clean and refreshing even though this beer weighs in at 95 IBUs and 8.1% abv!
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