Mountain Rambler Brewery to open in Bishop
With June Lake Brewing recently opened in June and Mammoth Brewing Company well-established in Mammoth, it seems only natural that Mountain Rambler Brewery in Bishop would join the ranks of Eastside breweries and tasting rooms.
“I love this town and I love beer,” said Mountain Rambler owner Joe Lane, who grew up in Bishop. Lane is a second-generation Eastsider; his grandparents moved to Mammoth in 1948, “when the town population was about 100,” he said, and his mom, growing up in Mammoth, “had to go to school in Lee Vining, because they had no school in town.”
Lane worked as a Fisheries Biologist for the California Department of Fish and Game prior to dreaming up the brewery.
Joe Lane.
“[The idea] has gone through different stages of seriousness over the last several years,” he said. “It started off, the first couple years, as ‘that would be really cool, but not quite feasible.’ In the last year and a half, I’ve gotten serious about one space.”
Mountain Rambler will soon open in the former Golden State Cycle building on Main Street across from J.C. Penney. The brewery will include a pub, small kitchen, and space for live music. The food “is going to be pub fare, but a little more healthy,” Lane said, including seasonal offerings.
One of the more unusual offerings on the menu will be hop shoots, which Lane said are edible and delicious. He and Brewery Chef Katie Ryan recently harvested shoots at Banner Springs Ranch in Benton. The first reason to harvest the hops early in the season is to determine the health of the hop vines, Lane said.
“Each individual plant will give off a dozen or more shoots, and it’s good to select about three to four of the healthiest looking shoots so the plant can focus it’s nutrients on just a few vines, which produces better hops.”
But hop shoots are also a common appetizer in hop growing regions of Belgium and Germany, said Lane.
“They are similar to asparagus, but smaller and narrower. We pickled about a dozen jars of hop shoots and we’re going to use them in salads and appetizers, such as cheese cubes with a hop shoot wrapped around and attached with a toothpick.”
Lane has been home brewing beer for about 14 years, and attended brewing school in Vermont. “I love the science behind beer,” he said; “the creativity and engineering side of it all.”
The result of Lane’s immersion in the industry is a beer menu that draws from English and Belgian-style ales, such as IPAs and stouts. Lane promised seasonal beers, as well as regular favorites, and a rotating on-tap selection of guest beers from Mammoth and June brewing companies, as well as wine and cider.
“I’ve been to both Mammoth and June [breweries],” Lane said; “they’re all good people. We have a close-knit community.”
Opening day continues to be a moving target, but Lane anticipated Mountain Rambler would open its doors in a month or two. “We’ve got all the licensing approved; we’re just doing the finishing touches,” he said.
Once finished, Lane said he hopes Mountain Rambler will become a casual, comfortable stop for locals and visitors after a day in the outdoors. “
“It’s a good place to come after you’ve gone hiking, fishing, climbing, or bird-watching; whatever someone loves to do in the area,” he said. “It’s a place to come with friends.”
