Iron Springs. You drink beer in the Bay Area, so you know them. Chances are you like them — everyone seems to. Yet, unless you live in or around Fairfax, you likely take them for granted — everyone seems to do that, too. I’m as guilty as anyone, as I somehow went two years without visiting Iron Springs’ Fairfax brewpub even though it’s only 20 miles from my apartment.
I recently returned to chat with head brewer Christian Kazakoff, check out the brewery before its impending upgrade, and have a few beers. (Disclosure: I’ve been running into Christian at beer events and bars for three years and I like the guy.) I vowed to make the trip across the Richmond Bridge more often, and you should, too.
Who’s who
Iron Springs was born in 2004 when the husband and wife team of Mike and Ann Altman bought a somewhat fancy-pants brewpub called Ross Valley Brewing Company. They quickly remodeled it into a more casual state and reopened as Iron Springs. Fortunately for all of us, Mike Altman had brewery experience as well as restaurant experience and actually knew his beer.
Current head brewer Christian Kazakoff got on board in 2008 after a long tenure at Triple Rock in Berkeley. He currently has two helpers in the brewhouse and on the road, longtime assistant brewer Phil Meeker and recently hired assistant Johnny Van Houten. He’s seen a lot of changes in his years there, most prominently Iron Springs beers in 22-ounce bottles and a huge growth in sales to outside accounts.
Obligatory boring brewer-with-the-tanks pic
The beer
“There’s a lot of styles I’ve inherited here,” said Christian, “ but I also have my own way of doing things.” That doesn’t mean he has free reign, since both brewpub regulars and outside accounts demand consistency, but it’s safe to say he and Phil have left their imprint on Iron Springs’ line-up.
Iron Springs bottles five of its most popular beers: Kent Lake Kölsch (its biggest overall seller), Sless’ Oatmeal Stout, Epiphany Ale (a hoppy amber), JC Flyer IPA, and Casey Jones IIPA. It also sends kegs to quite a few Bay Area draft accounts. There are more than 100 places to find Iron Springs beer outside the brewpub; you can view a not-quite-updated list here.
So why make the trip to Fairfax? It’s a cliche to say beer tastes best at the source, but that’s because it’s usually true. Late Seasonal Draught — sort of an ESB with Galaxy hops added at assertive American levels — is always good but really jumps out at you when it’s brewery-fresh.
You’ll also have to go to Fairfax to get certain one-offs and seasonals, plus the increasingly popular holiday four-packs. (Mark your calendar for December 2013). I was lucky to have my visit coincide with one of Iron Springs’ bi-weekly cask ales, in this case an IPA dry-hopped with the new, delicious hop varietal Mosaic. (And did you know Christian created Firkin Fest when he worked at Triple Rock? Now you know.) I also got to try some cherry bourbon stout, which was boldly flavored without overdoing it on either the fruit or the booze. Christian got the cherries himself from a pick-your-own farm and made pie at home with the leftovers.
In general, I love what Iron Springs does with low-ish alcohol beers, especially German-style brews. The aforementioned the aforementioned Kent Lake Kölsch, Dark Path schwarzbier, Oktoberfest, and Election Session pale ale are all flavorful, enjoyable, and under 6%. That doesn’t make Casey Jones double IPA any less of a treat, but let’s face it: lots of breweries in California make great 9% hop bombs. Fewer make great 5% German lagers.
This has nothing to do with anything, but I like this keg cleaner. </nerd>
More tanks on the way
If you’re also a fan, or I’ve got you interested, the good news is Iron Springs is one of the many local breweries expanding in 2013. It’s not moving or adding onto the building, but it has started shoehorning new equipment that will increase production by 30% into the existing behind-the-bar brewhouse. The brewery will go from 9 to 10 brite tanks (where the beer goes after primary fermentation). They’ll remove 4 old open-top fermenters from the Ross Valley days and replace them with 6 new conical fermenters, raising the total number of fermenters from 7 to 9.
Say goodbye to four of these
Also, an ancient glycol reservoir (which controls the temperature of the fermenters) is getting the boot.
Glycol reservoir, YER OUT! I swear this is blurry because I was laughing. I wasn’t drunk (yet).
On the cosmetic side, a bigger brewhouse window has already been already installed and new tap handles have gone into rotation.
New tap handles. Hey, is that…? No, they must be hop plants.
The only possible downside to the growth is that Iron Springs is keeping it mellow for SF Beer Week and not having any events at the transitioning brewpub. Once the changes are done, the Iron Springs crew hopes to do more beer dinners with their new chef, and Christian would like to revive the Brewed and Cultured in Marin beer and cheese tastings of a few years ago.
Hippie beer…in the good way
Much has been made of Iron Springs’ commitment to the environment and the community, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth mentioning again. It’s impressive that this company doesn’t just hold occasional fundraisers but holds Give Back Tuesdays every week, donating 10% of the day’s proceeds to nonprofit organizations. It is also a Green Certified Business.
The brewery’s most amusing trademark, the Ambrewlance, runs on used vegetable oil. Look for the converted ambulance at festivals and delivering beer.
The ambrewlance at the Boonville Beer Festival
Walk it off
While it is technically possible to take public transit to Iron Springs from the East Bay or San Francisco — ask Google Maps — if you have a car you’re probably better off using it. Here are some suggestions for making a safe day of it if you plan on trying a wide variety of Iron Springs beers.
- Stop drinking then stay for some Iron Springs food. It’s better than your average pub grub and I hear a new chef is about to make it even better.
- Walk around Fairfax. Downtown is is full of coffeehouses and cute shops (which are probably not accustomed to sloppy drunkards, so keep it together.)
- Gestalt Haus is around the corner for sausage or, if you can do it safely, more quality beers. They’ve got board games, so I suspect no one minds if you linger.
- See a movie. Iron Springs is ridiculously close to a first-run theater.
- Take a bike ride. That’s what one does in Fairfax anyway. (If you’re not totally schnockered, that is — there is such a thing as a BUI.)
- Take it easy at the pub and get a growler. Or better yet, take it easy, get a growler, and hike or bike it up a trail. You’re in Marin, after all.
Iron Springs is at 765 Center Blvd in Fairfax, CA. Follow Iron Springs on Facebook or Twitter.
Great piece! Nothing better than a cask IPA, eh?
I’m guilty of the same thing as you regarding Iron Springs, if not more so. I commute across the Richmond Bridge into Marin for work every day, so I have even less of an excuse. I’ve maybe been there two or three times tops, including when it was Ross Valley. In our defense, Fairfax is not exactly right off 101, and during commute time Sir Francis Drake can be quite a bear.
Anyway, thanks for the reminder of how great this place is. I need to make another trek out there soon.