June Lake Brewing

We are hurrying to experience the different parts of June Lake…mostly based off of recommendations by people we meet or those we trust that have been here before.

On that note…we HAD to go to June Lake Brewing Company so what’s-his-name could get a beer.

I’m not really into beer but I am into having a good attitude and also into seeing my Husband Unit happy!

We heard a rumor of a Hawaiian Food Truck parked outside of a brewery and we JUST HAPPENED to need to go into June Lake to pick up our mail.

Now June Lake is all of 8 blocks by 4 blocks and bumps right up to the lake. It’s sincerely a beautiful little town (they don’t have a filling station but they do have a tiny grocery store with 14 aisles of essentials INCLUDING an organic section!).

You can’t get LOST in June Lake unless you are completely focused on drinking a cold beer sitting by the lake instead of actually replicating the clear directions given to you by a trusted friend. So we got lost SOMEHOW in a 8 x 4 block area. Luckily it was daytime.

After making 5 or 6 right turns we hit the T and there it was: June Lake Brewing Company.

If there were soundtracks with life this vision would be accompanied by the London Philharmonic Orchestra laying down Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue in an outdoor venue.

Sun blasted all around us.

The golden leaves on the trees surrounding the intersection glistened and waved in a very welcoming way.

I felt my Husband Unit breathe deeply in anticipation.

Time to park the big ass truck we have. Hmmmm….let’s see…there are plenty of options.

But tunnel vision took over again so we parked completely crooked in a beat up parking lot almost hitting two pedestrians and a brick wall. I kept my mouth shut and hesitated before getting out just to scan WHO SAW THIS ALL HAPPEN (how embarrassing!).

Once the coast was clear I joined Husband Unit at the Hawaiian Food Truck where he was staring and scanning at the incredible options available to us. The brewery was on the other side of the parking lot and there were plenty of happy beer-sipping people on the deck in the sunshine enjoying themselves.

We ordered (I got a vegetarian noodle thing with kale and a medley of other fine veggies…and a super hot pepper sweet sauce on the side and he got Poke Tacos with cold slaw). As he paid (which tax was included) he inquired about eating it with his beer over at the JLB. “Oh we’ll bring it on over to you, sir!” He glanced at me with complete excitement! “Wow that is freaking cool!” I told the young lady (everyone is young here, for the record).

Next stop: June Lake Brewing Company’s outdoor dining area “Sunshine Preferred”. It was a little chilly out (our nights have been in the 20’s and the afternoon has been in the 70’s).

We scooted into a table sharing it with a young (again, everyone is young here) “working out their personal problems over a brew or two”. Randy SPRINTED (practically) into the brew house as I yelled after him to just pick something out for me.

Cue Gershwin again as he returns to our perfect little table spot with two glasses of golden nectar AND within 2 minutes of sitting down our lunch was delivered. Timing!

My noodles were OK, I wasn’t actually hungry. The beer was “beer” with a ginger aftertaste…meh. But we aren’t here for me so I sipped politely and ate slowly.

Husband Unit, on the other hand, was in heaven. He wolfed down his first poke taco too quickly IMO. I’ve learned to stop trying to regulate the speed he eats (which is bionic).

In the old days, when I’d mention he might consider slowing down to give his taste buds a chance to TASTE the thing, he would reply, “my mom raised me to eat fast and we always ate fast…can’t have my food cold.” My retort was (I thought) common sense: “Honey, that was over 40 years ago. I think you could move on from that one.” To which he just smiles.

ANYWAY, one taco down and he began eyeing my noodles. I pushed my dish over and encouraged him to “give this a taste!” It was really flavorful, hot and filling. I pretended to sip my beer and looked around the deck giving him the opportunity to feel shovel huge Daddy-Size bites before pushing my dish back to my side of the table.

My appetite was satisfied and as he polished off his last taco I asked if he’d finish my noodles. Pointing at my paper bowl, “I’ll be getting THIS next time we come here.” He gulped down more cold beer visibly HAPPY and RELAXED.

“This place rocks!”

Yes it does.

Yes, it really does.

Cheers!