EEL RIVER BREWERY RELEASES STATE’S FIRST CERTIFIED ORGANIC BEER
The Humboldt Beacon / June 16, 2000

Eel River Brewing Company has released Certified Organic Amber Ale, the first certified organic beer product by a micro-brewery owned and operated in the state of California.

Owners Ted and Margaret Vivatson say their Organic Amber Ales is “light, mellow and it tastes great.”

“We are excited about providing this beer to the marketplace,” they said in a press release issued May 30. “There has been a demand for a certified organic product that we will be able to meet.  People want this beer both because of the taste and its healthy attributes.”

The brewery won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 1998 for its Climax California Classic Lager. In 1997, Eel River won a silver medal at t his same national competition for their Ravenbrau Porter.

More than 20 other medals have been awarded to Eel River Brewing Company at California State Craft Brewers Competition. The Vivatsons credit their success to the time they take to individually manage each batch of beer.

The brewery was established in 1995 and features a full line of micro-brews and other specialty beers on tap. The new additions to Eel River’s brew family, Eel River Brewing Co. Certified Organic Amber Ale was on the market June 1. It will be distributed throughout Northern California.

Eel River Brewing Company is at 1777 Alamar Way in Fortuna. It is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Sunday and features a full dining menu along with the full line of micro-brews. For more information, call 725-BREW or visit www.climaxbeer.com.