Mad River Brewing has been a Humboldt County haven for beer enthusiasts since its incorporation in the fall of 1989. More than 20 years later, Mad River now boasts a powerful trifecta of beer lines, especially their offering of Steelhead selections. It was two of these fine
The Location: Wired, 520 Third St., San Francisco
The Brewery: Mad River Brewing Company, Blue Lake, California
The Beer: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale and Steelhead Extra Stout
The Method of Dispense: Standard bottles, chilled in an ice-filled tub
How They Fared: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, boasting a 5.6 percent ABV, came in as a widely popular choice, with its mild bitterness and sufficient hoppiness. “The Extra Pale Ale demands a second and third round,” said one fan, while another preferred its “refreshing and crisp” body. Others labeled it as “very pleasant,” while one simply stated, “It rocked!”
The Extra Stout was a surprisingly tasty “dessert beer,” as it’s touted by Mad River. With a deceiving 6.6 percent ABV, the Extra Stout was definitely a favorite of those Wired folks who were looking to skip dinner and head straight for the sweet stuff. “Tastes like dessert!” said one voter, while another suggested a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream as a complement.
However, it was the crisp drinkability of the Extra Pale Ale that put it over the top with Wired staff, good enough for a five-vote win. And so Steelhead Extra Pale Ale moves on to the Sweet 16 in our ever-continuing quest to name one brewski as the Most Wired Beer.
Coming up: The next October Madness event will be tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bullitt (2209 Polk St., San Francisco), where we’ll be sampling some of Lagunitas‘ IPA and Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale.
Image: Mad River Brewing
Stay tuned to @wiredplaybook and @beerrobot for updates on attending future October Madness events in the Bay Area. Follow us on Twitter at @erikmal and @wiredplaybook and on Facebook.
See Also:
- October Madness Kicks Off at Modern-Day Speakeasy
- Eye of the Hawk Ale Swoops In for Early Win
- Beer Battle at Twitter HQ Goes Black Butte's Way
- Hopeful Giants Fans Score One For Ironwood Dark
Authors: Erik Malinowski