The Mendocino Coast has a long tradition of creativity, craftsmanship, and community spirit, and its beer scene is no exception. From humble beginnings in kitchens and garages to award-winning breweries, homebrewing has played a defining role in shaping the region’s beer culture.
Homebrewer Jeff Neumeier (left) and Tall Guy Brewing’s Patrick Broderick (right) collaborate on a brew. (Photographer: Mateo Ortiz)
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, beer was brewed up and down the Coast. But in 1909, the towns of Mendocino, Caspar, Noyo, and Cleone voted to go dry. By then, breweries in Point Arena and Kibesillah had already shut down, and the suspension of liquor licenses prevented the reopening of the Mendocino and Pine Grove breweries.
Between 1909 and the repeal of national Prohibition in 1933, locals relied on bootleg liquor and illicit homebrew to fill the gap. But even after Prohibition ended, breweries didn’t return, and the Coast would go without a commercial brewery until 1988.
Meanwhile, the beer industry across the United States also changed dramatically. After Prohibition ended, a handful of large companies, like Anheuser-Busch, Coors, Miller, and Pabst, dominated the market. Their inexpensive, mass-produced lagers left little room for small breweries to offer flavorful alternatives. By 1979, only 89 breweries remained nationwide.
Change began in the late 1970s. In 1976, Congress reduced federal excise taxes on small brewers, helping them compete. Then in 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a law legalizing homebrewing for the first time since Prohibition. Hobbyists embraced the freedom to experiment, sparking clubs, competitions, and a new homebrew supply industry.
From this grassroots movement, modern craft brewing was born. In California, small breweries like New Albion Brewing in Sonoma and Sierra Nevada Brewing in Chico paved the way. As states began legalizing brewpubs, breweries were able to directly sell to their local market. In 1983, homebrewers Michael Laybourn and Norman Franks created California’s first brewpub, the Hopland Brewery which later became the Mendocino Brewing Company in Ukiah.
Commercial brewing finally returned to the Mendocino Coast in 1988, when homebrewer Mark Ruedrich, along with partners Joe Rosenthal and Tom Allen, opened North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg. The partners had first met while renovating an inn in Mendocino and initially considered opening their brewery on Mendocino’s Main Street, in the building where Flow restaurant is today. Ultimately, they chose Fort Bragg for its water supply and purchased the town’s former mortuary at Main and Pine Streets.
Ruedrich, an experienced carpenter, crafted much of the woodwork himself, and the team installed an 18-foot historic bar that had traveled around Cape Horn in 1880. The brewpub also featured windows to the large copper kettle where customers could watch the beer being made.
By the early 1990s, North Coast Brewing was winning medals at national competitions, and demand outpaced production. In 1995, the company expanded into a new 10,000-square-foot facility across Main Street, boosting capacity from 1,200 barrels a year to 15,000.
A new chapter in local brewing began in 2023 with the opening of Tall Guy Brewing in downtown Fort Bragg. Founded by longtime North Coast brewmaster Patrick Broderick, the brewery transformed the old Sears building at Laurel and Franklin into a lively taproom and community gathering place.
Broderick started homebrewing in college and later worked in quality control at Anheuser-Busch before joining North Coast Brewing. Mentored by Ruedrich, he became Brewmaster of Production in 2015. During his employment there, he continued homebrewing on weekends, developing a collection of recipes he wanted to share with the world. After 28 years at North Coast, he realized his dream by opening his own brewery.
Today, Tall Guy Brewing is a hub for locals and visitors alike, pairing its rotating lineup of beers with food trucks, live music, knitting circles, and board games.
Homebrewing continues to play a vital role in local beer culture. In 2012, Jeff Neumeier, Tim Bray, and Jack Ridley founded the Foggy Coast Brewers, a club devoted to homemade beer, wine, kombucha, and fermented foods. The group now meets quarterly at Tall Guy Brewing, where members swap recipes, share creations, and keep the Coast’s experimental spirit alive.
From early coastal breweries shuttered by Prohibition, to the rise of nationally recognized craft beer, to today’s thriving homebrew community, the Mendocino Coast has carved out a distinctive place in the story of American brewing. Whether you’re raising a pint at North Coast, discovering new flavors at Tall Guy, or sampling homebrew with the Foggy Coast Brewers, you’re part of a tradition built on creativity, resilience, and community.
Celebrate Oktoberfest with a live homebrewing demo and beer tastings from Foggy Coast Brewers and North Coast Brewing Company. See how brewers turn grain into your favorite craft brew, pick up expert tips, and sip beer while taking in the stunning Mendocino Bay view from the Kelley House Museum lawn. Grab your ticket and raise a glass to the art of homebrewing! Saturday, September 13, 12 PM – 4 PM