Sip Some Of 'The Most Unique Beer In The Country' At A Secret Brewery Hidden In California's Napa Valley

What's the one thing that comes to mind when you think of Napa Valley? Award-winning wine, of course. That, along with chic shops, eclectic art, and unmatched food make up Napa's trendy downtown. However, one hidden establishment has some of "the most unique beers," according to Hop Culture, and it's brewed right in the heart of California's Wine Country. Mad Fritz, a mash-up name of the lovely owners' kids, is a brewery with an eclectic production process inspired by the art of winemaking. The owners, Nile Zacherle and Whitney Fisher, have an extensive background in wine production. In fact, both the husband and wife still have their hands as vintners in wine management as a day job, before they focus their evenings on Mad Fritz.

Zacherle started his brewing journey at age 18 before he interned at a Napa winery. It might not have been at one of California's most historic and celebrated companies, Frank Family Vineyards, but this opportunity catapulted him to work overseas in places like Australia and France. When he moved back to Napa, he met Fisher. His wife has also been surrounded by winemaking since she was a little girl and even had a family winery. The two brewed beer together for years and decided to go commercial in 2012. Thus, Mad Fritz was born and has been successful ever since.

When you take wine producers who have a passion for beer, you get a special product that very few can replicate. Nile Zacherle and Whitney Fisher locally source the ingredients from Napa, Mendocino, and Sonoma, including water from local reservoirs, local barley, and locally-grown wet hops. Mad Fritz beer is also barrel-aged in new and used barrels. The owners pay a lot of attention to detail, as well. They have a massive binder filled with homebrew recipes on each page.

The bottling of their products is inspired by their grape production and wine management background. It resembles wine bottles, from the shape to the rectangular sticker labeling, rather than the regular smaller glass bottles and typical beer cans. In addition to producing ales and lagers, Zacherle and Fisher brew coffee, too! Their coffee beans are not locally sourced, coming from places like Brazil, Guatemala, and Rwanda. You can find light, medium, and dark roasts on their product page.

While one of America's best breweries, Lakefront Brewery, is on the Milwaukee River, you can say that Mad Fritz is pretty close competition on the Pacific Coast. Guests claim it to be a five-star establishment based on Google reviews, and it's probably because of their quality product. While they have been commercially selling beer since 2012, they recently opened a Tap House in Wine Country in July 2024. You don't need a reservation to hang out with a brew, but if you'd like an original experience to see how the beer is brewed and visit the Malthouse, you must reserve a spot.

Up to 11 beers are offered on tap at their new location, and it's important to taste what you like. If you'd like to buy some bottles to take home, the value of their liquids is reflected in the pricing. The Mad Mix Six Pack, for instance, is over $200 (talk about California prices!). They also sell a "Beer Book" for $50 that shares their process of creating the brews, if you were ever inclined to do so yourself. So next time you visit Napa for wine, don't forget to check out the Valley's beer scene, too.