Do you like to lend your patronage to green businesses? Does the idea of ordering a terrific beer from an “am-brew-lance” excite you? If so, Iron Springs Pub & Brewery might just be the place for you!
If you’re a native, or happen to frequent Fairfax, Calif., you’ll undoubtedly have heard of Iron Springs. Opened in 2004, and headed by Michael Altman, who has been brewing beer for over 20 years, Iron Springs has planted a name for itself in the community—a name which has been sprouting for a decade.
Iron Springs & Fairfax Chose Us
When I asked Mike how they chose their location he replied:
“We always like to say Iron Springs (& Fairfax) chose us. My wife and I were living in Colorado at the time (my wife works for the NPS and we were living in Rocky Mountain National Park), and we were looking for a location where we can open a brew pub while Anne continues working for the NPS. We looked coast to coast when Anne had been offered a five-week detail in Oakland and we wanted to open a place in the East Bay, somewhere around Berkeley. We are not exactly sure how we heard about it, but there was this existing brewpub for sale here in Fairfax called Ross Valley Brewing Company. It was opened by dot-commers in the late 90s who were not restaurant people. They wanted out and had put the place up for sale. We found it, or it found us, and we really seemed to like Fairfax and had a few random connections to this town and thought we would do well here. We made an offer and surprisingly to us they accepted and we found ourselves moving to California.”
Through the years, Iron Springs has seen quite a host of big names and celebrity or not, they truly seem to appreciate every single customer that walks through their door.
“Iron Springs and Fairfax has a unique customer base and everyone has a fascinating back story,” said Altman. “Everyone from Joan Baez, George Lucas and Father Guido Sarduchi, to your local plumber, teacher, mother or father has made Iron Springs what it is today.”
Being Green
Iron Springs is a Green Certified Business by the Marin County Community Development Agency, and they continue to operate the greenest business that they possibly can. In 2008, Iron Springs was voted one of the top ten green business in the Bay Area. They use corn based bio-degradable products for all carry-out containers, straws and utensils, utilize environmentally friendly cleaning products and linens instead of napkins. This allows Iron Springs to impressively recycle 90 percent of its waste!
Charity
Not only is Iron Springs an eco-friendly brewery, but it’s also a charitable one! If you’re ever in on a Tuesday, you’ll be participating in Iron Spring’s “Give Back Tuesday” event. On Give Back Tuesdays, 15 percent of all sales go to a local non-profit. This program was started five years ago, and they’ve already donated more than $100,000!
The Am-Brew-Lance
Yep, that’s right, an ambrewlance. Through a wonderful mix of practicality, ingenuity and a sprinkling of marketing genius, the ambrewlance was born. Initially in need of a van or transport vehicle of some type to get Iron Springs brew to events, Mike and his wife Anne eventually stumbled upon an ambulance for sale and decided to check it out. After realizing how cool it would be, they set upon making it functional for the brewery.
Staying on their green path, the diesel ambulance was modified to run on waste vegetable oil from the brewpub. This also saves the brewpub money, as most companies have to pay to have their used vegetable oil hauled away. For Iron Springs, they make food and the waste becomes fuel!
Allan Wolfe is a craft beer brewer, reviewer and whisky connoisseur who also runs BeerandWhiskeyHQ.com. Allan’s passion is finding out why and how different beers taste the way they do. Besides brewing, you’ll find him playing music, reading books, playing with his dogs and enjoying his favorite pint or dram. He’s always open to answering questions, talking beer or teaching anyone who is willing to listen about distilling!
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