Q&A with Dan McGarry of Fairfax Brewing Company

Need some piping practice with Royal Icing? I know, I know – who DOESN’T. Well, I came across this cat cookie decorating class on Instagram and demanded that Lindsay at Marin Cake Studio post her event to the calendar – and now look at us all, drooling over purrfectly decorated sugar cookies. I mean, LOOK AT THESE:

There’s also square dancing in Fairfax, Ember Stomp in San Rafael 🔥🥾, and plenty of outdoor music – all in this week’s Happenings.

Now, onto the serious business of beer.

In honor of National Beer Lover’s Day this Sunday, I biked over to Fairfax Brewing Company on officially the Hottest Day of the Summer (that was the Sunday over Labor Day weekend, in case you were out of town). The poor squirrels were hiding under parked cars, lawn chairs, a Great Dane–anything with shade, with their little tongues hanging out and their delirious little heads conjuring up fresh, squirrel-sized pints of hazy IPA.

Dan kindly waved me over to the cool den in the back of the brewpub, where I learned that, on top of all the beer festivities this month—#NationalBeerLoversDay, Oktoberfest—Fairfax Brewing Company is also hitting its 1-year anniversary on 9/9.

Consider this your invitation to join the fun. Follow @fairfaxbrewingcompany for the latest.

Here’s to new favorites,

Kim Neumann

Imagine a perfectly chilled goblet of Belgian ale placed in front of you.

Imagine also, that you had no intention of ordering this beer – any beer, really. But the menu, the atmosphere, the delicious pungent hoppy aromas in the air, well, they just about walloped you over the head with a bitter-sweet wave of nostalgia. Suddenly you’re thirty-something again – pre-kid, pre-mortgage, and pre-expertise in DIY ant pest control – propelled back to some summer night, gathered with friends at your favorite pub. (In this case, it was Oakland’s (dearly-departed) The Trappist.)

And you decide, yes: I’d like a taste of that. A taste of… nostalgia.

Let me introduce you to the Tamalpais Tripel. It’s Fairfax Brewing Company’s strongest (no-joke 9.6% strong) ale and, like you in your thirties, this beer feels pretty good about itself. It’s established, a little bitter–sure, but still fun and delightfully complex.

The good news: You can get Tamalpais Tripel at Fairfax Brewing Company, and it goes great with anything (I had mine with fish & chips).

The even better news? It’ll be available in cans again soon.

“We’ve canned this beer before and it’s on the schedule to be available in the next couple weeks,” Dan says. Check out that beautiful label design:

Family Fridays & Give Back Tuesdays

The servers here are pretty agile. “They’re all used to balancing a tray of beer while dodging 5 year-olds running for the arcade,” Dan says.

And that arcade is JAMMED. It’s kids and adults vs Pacman, X-Men, The Simpsons and Skee Ball.

Sometimes it’s families like mine that show up: we’re wiped out from a full week of work and school, and maybe haven’t enjoyed a proper meal all week. Maybe someone’s a little cranky, I don’t know. But then, a freshly prepared Blackberry-Nojito arrives at the table, and everything seems bright and wonderful again. And then my Tamalpais Tripel arrives, and everyone’s my friend again.

“We call it Family Fridays,” Dan says. “It’s not an official event so much as a typical Friday night scene here,” he explains. “You’ll see kids still in their soccer or martial arts uniforms, and parents can enjoy a beer while the arcade keeps the kids busy.”

Give Back Tuesdays have brought in organizations like the Yes! Foundation, Marin Foster Care and Access4Bikes. “It’s a great incentive to dine out on a Tuesday, and we get to give back a little,” Dan says. He’s also quick to point out, “Everyone’s welcome – whether you’re part of the fundraising event or not, the more the merrier.”

The brewmaster

Head brewer Johnny Kimball earns high praise from Dan.

“He is an artist and a scientist at the same time,” Dan says. “He has amazing vision and can take that vision and use the science of brewing to make it a reality.” 

With full control over the brewery, Dan explains, Johnny gets to decide what he wants to brew, and how he wants to brew it. (Um, hello dream job??)

“Some of my favorite times at the brewery are when Johnny comes back into my office like a kid about to present their parents with a straight A report card, and hands me a glass and says ‘taste this.’” Dan continues, “It’s a new beer he’s brewed and it is always delicious.” 

Dan remarks on Johnny’s approach: “He doesn’t get complacent. He’ll take what is already a really good beer, make some tweaks, and the next batch is even better.” 

For this reason, says Dan, “I can honestly say that every batch of every beer we make is better than the last.”

The culinary superhero

Dan is also grateful to have Chef Alex on board. With over 10 years at Iron Springs Brewery (the beloved spot that called this space home for nearly two decades), Alex brings that legacy forward, helping make Fairfax Brewing Company a place where “everything is AMAZING.”

Korean BBQ, fried chicken sandos, poke tuna tacos, chargrilled salmon—and, new as of our second Family Friday outing, the brownie sundae: so good it deserves its own round of beers.

Spontaneity is the name of the beer-naming game

The beers, their descriptions, and even the brewery name might get their inspiration from scribbled words on a coaster, a flash of words that just came together, or a late-night phone call when, after endless “naming sessions,” the partners suddenly blurted it out in unison.

Laser Coyote Hazy IPA
Big citrus hoppy flavor with a laser crisp finish
Fairfax Brewing Company

Turning 1 and growing strong

Since opening its doors almost a year ago, Fairfax Brewing Company has become a local hot spot—and Dan can still be found greeting guests, serving up great food and drinks, and marveling at how quickly it all came together.

And that’s the thing: when your heart’s in it, people can tell. You feel it the second you walk in—the easy hello, the good food and drinks, the kind of place where you can relax (even when you’re extra-extra hangry). It’s the sort of spot you don’t just try once because it’s an instant favorite.

Already have your go-to brewery or restaurant? There’s no better time to shake up the routine.

And if it’s your first visit, say so—especially if you’ve trekked all the way from Mill Valley or Point Reyes Station. They’ll be thrilled to see more Marin adventurers wandering out their way. 🍺

PS: Beyond the brewpub, you can find Fairfax Brewing Company on tap at 27 spots (and counting)—including Water Hawk in Rohnert Park, Buena Vista and Bar Darling in San Francisco, Creekside in San Anselmo, and Mill Valley’s Buckeye Roadhouse and Junction. Cans are currently available onsite from the very retro-cool Beer To Go fridge, and at Marinwood Market.

Latest events + reader picks. Double-check with venue for updates.
See more events here.

Friday 9/5

Saturday 9/6

Tuesday 9/9

Wednesday 9/10

Full moon gatherings

So… we’ve got a Blood Moon coinciding with a total lunar eclipse coinciding with a partial solar eclipse and, as if that weren’t enough, September’s full moon bears yet another name, the Corn Moon. Let’s defer to the experts on this on, shall we?

Thanks for reading,
Kim

Kim Neumann, Publisher