Arcata Brewery and Distillery
Arcata, California, USA · Est. 1860
Tally's Take
Why this matters
John Wagner, a Bavarian-born brewer, opened in March 1860 in the former Union Brewery brewhouse — shortly after Humboldt County's first brewery closed — and advertised lager and porter through 1861. It distilled spirits as well, though only the beer is captured in this archive. The closure date is unknown. Same building, different company, inside a year: the shortest turnaround between two breweries on one site anywhere in this collection.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1860Opens in the former Union Brewery
March 1860; John Wagner, Bavarian-born.
- 1861Advertising lager and porter
The closure date is not established.
The Beer Library
Beers
Lager
Year-RoundLager
California Pass 187. Aliases: https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2024/aug/3/humboldt-history/. Humboldt Historian research says John Wagner advertised lager from Arcata Brewery and Distillery beginning in 1860. No formal brand or ABV is stated.
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Year-RoundPorter
California Pass 187. Aliases: https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2024/aug/3/humboldt-history/. Humboldt Historian research says John Wagner advertised porter from Arcata Brewery and Distillery beginning in 1860. No formal brand or ABV is stated.
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Sources
- recordProbable
Brewery record taken from Tally's California master, Pass 187, which cited https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2024/aug/3/humboldt-history/ for this entry. The cited page has not been opened by the archive.
Tally's California master, Pass 187 (research workbook) · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026
CommercialMedium reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-19Reviewed 2026-08-19 - historyProbable
Dated evidence as recorded in California Pass 187: 1860, 1861.
Tally's California master, Pass 187 (research workbook) · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026
CommercialMedium reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-19Reviewed 2026-08-19
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Arcata Brewery and Distillery
- Is Arcata Brewery and Distillery still open?
- No. Arcata Brewery and Distillery has closed. California Pass 187. Clarke Historical Museum says John Wagner's Arcata Brewery Distillery opened in the same location shortly after Humboldt County's first brewery closed. Humboldt Historian research states that Wagner, a Bavarian-born brewer, opened the Arcata Brewery and Distillery in March 1860 in the former Union Brewery brewhouse and advertised lager and porter through 1861. The distillery also produced spirits, but only beer products are captured in the Beer master. Exact closure date remains UNKNOWN.
- When was Arcata Brewery and Distillery founded?
- Arcata Brewery and Distillery was founded in 1860 in Arcata, California, USA.
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