Mad River Brewing: America's Only Tribally-Owned Brewery

The American craft beer scene is pretty white and male. Only something like 4% of breweries are owned by minorities. This makes Mad River Brewing very unique. The brewery got its start 30 years ago at the beginnings of the craft beer revolution in California. But in 2019 it was bought by the Yurok tribe, making it perhaps the only tribally-owned brewery in the country. The mandate is for the brewery to promote Yurok culture, generate employment and income, and act as an example to Yurok and other tribes. It is also women-led, with all its senior management being female. Mad River CEO Linda Cooley (also part-Irish) took time to tell me how she manages these demands while still brewing great beer. We covered a lot of ground in what was a really enjoyable and informative conversation.