Welcome to Your Weekend

Spring is (almost) here, which can only mean one thing: summer is around the corner!

Now is the best time to hop in your car, put on your favorite tunes, and get the hell out of town....and land in a place that has a small microbrewery.

My spring stop (I thought you'd never ask...) - the Mt. Shasta Brewing company in Weed, California.

 Located just south of the Oregon border, Mt. Shasta Brewing has the amazing backdrop of Mount Shasta in the distance. Weed, a town of about 3,000 people, relies heavily on tourism as its main source of income. Considering the numerous outdoor activities available in the area (trout fishing in several nearby streams and rivers, and mountaineering, hiking, and climbing at Mount Shasta), a brewery is the perfect place to sit back, relax, and enjoy award winning micro beers.

Like many microbreweries, Weed Ales & Lagers offers year-round selections as well as seasonal brews. The seasonal beers on tap when we stopped were: Brewers Cherry Kriek, Jalapeno Weed, Whiskey Beer Stout, and Amber Vanilla Cream. The day was sunny and we had been on the road for several hours, so the idea of having a crisp, refreshing, Cherry Kriek was music to my ears. It was also music to my taste buds - not overly sweet with hints of cocoa made this a delightful drink.

We tasted three beers in total, including the Amber and Porter, and we were pleased by each of them. Actually, I would say I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber of the beers produced by this unassuming microbrewery. The food menu enhances the beer choices, and is filled with healthy, tasty (and vegetarian friendly) options as well as the standard pub grub.

The laid back atmosphere paired with tasty beers makes the Mt. Shasta Brewing Company a perfect road trip stop in California. Worth the detour from I-5.

Mt. Shasta