Lost Coast Brewery

Lost Coast Brewery

File:Lost Coast Brewery Logo.jpeg
Company type	Independent
Industry	Alcoholic beverage
Founded	1989
Founder	Barbara Groom Wendy Pound
Headquarters	Eureka, California, US
Products	Beer
Production output	~75,000 US barrels per year
Owner	Barbara Groom
Website	www.lostcoast.com

Lost Coast Brewery operates as an independent brewing company situated in Eureka, California. It offers a variety of both perennial and seasonal beers and has received accolades from brewing organizations at local and national levels.

Between 1990 and 2011, its annual production grew to 60,000 barrels. The construction of a new plant in 2014 further expanded the brewery’s capacity to a range of 200,000 to 600,000 barrels per year.

History

Established in 1989 by Barbara Groom and Wendy Pound, Lost Coast Brewery stands as one of the two female-owned breweries in Humboldt County. Prior to opening their doors in the historic Pythian Castle in 1990, the founders dedicated three years to research and development.

To accommodate increasing demand, the brewery moved to a larger facility in Eureka in 1994. By 2011, production had risen to 60,000 barrels annually, positioning Lost Coast as the 46th largest brewery in the United States despite its distribution being confined to only 19 states.

In 2012, Lost Coast was ranked number 38 among the top 50 craft breweries nationwide by volume according to the U.S. Brewers Association. After nearly twenty years of consistent growth averaging around 20% annually, the brewery employed approximately 80 individuals and announced a $15 million expansion project on a 9.3-acre site in Eureka.

Following groundbreaking in 2013, the newly completed facility boosted production capacity to between 200,000 and 600,000 barrels per year. By then, Lost Coast’s distribution network had expanded to include 21 states within the U.S. as well as eleven international markets.

Products

Lost Coast Brewery manufactures an assortment of year-round and seasonal beers that focus on quality craftsmanship and consumer appeal.

• Great White is an unfiltered Belgian-style Witbier brewed with malted barley, unmalted wheat, citrus elements, and herbs sourced from Humboldt County. This beer earned silver medals at the California State Fair in both 2002 and 2003.
• Tangerine Wheat is a wheat beer infused with lemon flavors; it was commended by the Los Angeles Times for its adaptability as an outdoor refreshment with excellent food pairing qualities.
• Downtown Brown, which was Lost Coast’s first beer distributed beyond their local market, is a lightly hopped dark malt ale. It has received numerous honors including a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 1993 and gold medals at both the LA County and California State Fairs.
• Alleycat Amber features a burgundy-orange hue with caramel notes and mild bitterness. It won gold and Best in Show at the California Brewer's Fest in 1997 along with bronze medals at the California State Fair.
• 8-Ball Stout, brewed using coffee-roasted malts, secured two gold medals at the Los Angeles County Fair (2004 and 2005) as well as silver medals at the California State Fair.
• Indica India Pale Ale delivers hop-forward flavors combined with herbs and citrus. Named one of the world's "Must Taste Beers" by All About Beer Magazine in 2003, it encountered legal challenges over its label but maintained market presence through label redesigns. The beer has won several gold medals at regional competitions.
• The IPA selection also includes Fogcutter Double IPA, Revenant IPA, and Hazy IPA, catering to enthusiasts within the craft beer segment.
• Seasonal offerings such as Watermelon Wheat and Raspberry Brown—the latter brewed with raspberry fruit and chocolate malt—have been well received; notably, Raspberry Brown was voted best beer in California by the United States Beer Tasting Championships in 2003.
• Winterbraun, a winter warmer brewed with Saaz hops alongside chocolate and caramel malts, earned second place at the World Beer Championship in 1998.
• Other seasonal varieties include Apricot Wheat, Harvest Wheat, Scotch Ale, and Strawberry Wheat.

Collectively, these selections underscore Lost Coast Brewery’s strength in delivering diverse beer styles within the competitive craft brewing industry.