One of the things we are passionate about here at Ravenwood Castle and The Malted Meeple is craft beer. We pride ourselves on having an excellent assortment of craft beers for the enjoyment of our guests. In our monthly blog feature the Brewer’s Spotlight, we raise our pints to the men and women who dedicate themselves to the brewing craft.
This month, we raise our pints to the folks from North Coast Brewing Company, a California-based brewing company and the creators of some of our favorite brews!
North Coast Brewing Company opened as a local brew pub in the historic town of Fort Bragg, located on California’s Mendocino Coast. President and Co-Founder Mark Ruedrich leads the brewery and during his tenure the brewery has developed a strong reputation for quality. North Coast Brewing Company was named one of the top ten breweries in the world in 1996. Fast forward ten years, and the company has won more than 110 awards and accolades from national and international competitions including twelve Gold Medals from the World Beer Championships. This ranks them amongst the most decorated breweries in the industry!
Their offerings include Red Seal Ale, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, Scrimshaw Pilsner, and other fine North Coast brands including an old Acme Label with a heritage dating back to San Francisco in the 1860s. Old Rasputin Imperial Stout has won more than twelve awards from various competitions and is rated as the number one Russian Imperial Stout in the United States. Their most popular seasonal beers include the Berliner Series which is comprised of tart, German-style beer, including Cherry, Passion Fruit/Peach, and Cranberry/Quince.
The company knows that it is important to give back and is proud to be a Certified B Corp and Benefit Corporation. This certification and new corporate structure recognizes that their commitment to great beer must be matched by their commitment to philanthropy, community, and environmental stewardship. According to their President, Mark Ruedrich:
Pursuing B Corp™ certification was a natural fit for North Coast. We have always operated with the understanding that our business success depends on taking care of our employees, our community, and the environment. This certification and rigorous set of standards recognizes these values and challenges us to ask how we can do more. We hope that our participation will also help inspire other breweries to lead positive change.
North Coast Brewing Company also gives back by donating a portion of their sales from Brother Thelonious Abbey Ale to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz whose mission is to offer the world’s most promising young musicians college level training by America’s jazz masters and to present public school-based jazz education programs for young people around the world. All of these programs are offered free of charge to the students and schools. North Coast Brewing Company has currently donated over $1 million dollars to the institute.
Throughout the month of August, we will be proudly featuring Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout on draft, and North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner in bottles. Prepare your taste buds for a trip to the North Coast at The Malted Meeple or Ravenwood Castle and enjoy some delicious brews from our friends at North Coast Brewing Company!
Karington Hess is a lifelong gamer whose passions for hospitality and all things game-related led him to Ravenwood Castle, where he served as an Innkeeper before joining The Malted Meeple. When not pouring beers, crafting milkshakes, or teaching boardgames, Karington can be found behind the DM’s screen, weaving intricate stories for his fellow gamers.