I’m sitting across a bar table from Dylan Schatz, chief cook and kettle washer at Powers Creek Brewery. He’s recounting a time he talked his way into some event at the revered and now lamented Anchor Brewing Co. He told his host about the bottling line he worked on at Mad River Brewing Co., which the brewery got from Sierra Nevada, which had gotten it from Anchor. The Anchor guy goes, “No way,” or something like that. Soon, an overalls-clad Fritz Maytag — owner of Anchor, heir to the Maytag appliances fortune and a guy who did as much as anyone to bring craft beer to American palates — was touring Schatz around the deepest nooks and crannies of the operation.
Schatz served at Mad River Brewing Co. for a couple of decades. He started packaging with no experience, moved into brewing and fell in love with it. Decades on, he says, “Being a brewer is not what I do, it’s who I am.”
Powers Creek is the brainchild of Jason Ramos and Josh Reed, longtime staffers at the Blue Lake Casino. For years, they had discussed how it would be cool and potentially profitable for the tribal operations to have its own brewery. Learning that Schatz was available, they moved. Within weeks, Schatz was designing his dream nano-brewing setup, where he now produces two barrels a week in what feels like a galley kitchen. He fondly calls it “bulletproof.”
There are generally two ways to try Schatz’s brews. You might luck into him pouring at a festival, as I did at Oyster Fest. During the season, 20 percent of Powers Creek’s output is donated to local nonprofit fundraisers and/or poured at festivals. Or you might go out to Blue Lake and try them in one of the casino’s restaurants, at the Wave Lounge, or on the casino floor. (Note that these days, the casino is virtually smoke-free; I’m sensitive and noted nothing.) Ten taps are reserved for Powers Creek’s own brews. Four are permanent (an IPA, Japanese Lager, Dry Irish Stout and California Common), while the other half dozen rotate.
It’s worth the effort. Schatz aims for classic styles brewed honestly and precisely, and oh-so-fresh.
The Jazmin Japanese Lager comes across as crisp, a perfect complement to the sushi at the Blue Fusion Bistro. As with many lagers, any flaws in the beer would come through. There are none.
There’s a rotating seltzer on tap. I’ve noticed that our local craft brewers produce more nuanced and complex seltzers than the mass-market stuff. This one provides fruit notes from lemon zest and raspberries.
The Cherry Belgian delivers some bite. It’s a product of two Belgian yeast strains.
My personal favorite was the Hefeweizen. Brewed with 60 percent wheat malt and a German Hefeweizen yeast, it’s a summer drinker for people who want something non-standard, elegant and a little yeasty in the best way. It doesn’t so much go through your mouth as it unfolds in it.
Schatz originally brewed an Amber Ale for the memorial of beloved elder Art Ramsey. This malty offering, a traditional amber, comes around pretty often.
Powers Creek offers up a Dry Irish Stout, one of the first brews Schatz produced there. Another tribal elder mentioned a love of dark beers and Schatz responded. It’s closer to Murphy’s than Guiness, a little nuttier. Feeling like he nailed it the first time, Schatz has never tinkered with his original recipe.
You could say the California Common represents Powers Creek’s salute to Anchor Steam. Based on a recipe Reed produced — pale, crystal and Victory malts, and nothing but the style-correct Northern Brewer hops — it’s just honest, with no frills. I love the style and I loved this beer.
Forty percent of the brewery’s sales come from the Vista Cruiser IPA. It’s a balanced, classic West Coast approach, hoppy but not over the top. IPAs are about hops, and that goes double for a Double IPA. Powers Creek’s is redolent of hops, an intriguing blend of several, including Chinook and Citra, along with Azacca as a floral dry hop. Chinook can be tricky — too resinous for some brews and some people. With IPAs generally not featuring malts, the Chinook character stands up nicely to the 8.6 percent alcohol level of this beer.
Schatz describes his customers as traditional craft beer drinkers, with an occasional explorer trying something new. (He gives props to the bartenders who tempt folks to give craft beer a try.) Pragmatic about market trends, he attempts to give the people what they want. He also follows a traditional seasonal rhythm: lighter, drinkable beers in summer, darker beers in fall, heavier beers in winter.
It’s summer and coming to the casino’s taps soon are a Mexican Lager and a Czech Pilsner. I’m planning to be back for that Pilsner, which Schatz says contains just pilsner malt and old school Saaz hops.
Maybe see you out there.
Michael Kraft (he/him) consults part-time. In his free time, he is involved in the community in various ways, occasionally ferments something, and writes about Humboldt’s nonprofits and businesses and its beer/wine/cider scene. You may reach him at michael@kraftconsultants.com.
This article appears in Humbuggery in Humboldt, Part 1.