YOSEMITE VALLEY  -   Rock climbing inspired Mountain Room Lounge at Yosemite Valley Lodge now offers craft beer from two local breweries. The lounge is one of those places that feels impossibly cool. The room has a colossal round fireplace and floor-to-ceiling window views of Yosemite's granite peaks. It is a place that has a local vibe, and now, that vibe includes two new local craft beers.

"To have one of our beers from 1850 on tap at the Mountain Room years later is pretty surreal," recounts Wackerman. "Everything has gone full circle for us and 1850. Brewing started as a hobby for me and to see that hobby grow from something that we sell locally into something on tap in Yosemite Valley makes us proud."

Try 1850 Brewing Company's White Wolf, and the American Wheat Ale on tap in the Mountain Room Lounge. At their brewery location in Mariposa, 1850 pairs refreshing beer with great lunch and dinner menu items, including Finney Fries, the Bootjack Burger, or Ahi Nachos.

The neighboring South Gate Brewing Company, perched near Deadwood Mountain, is a favorite haunt for Yosemite regulars. Serving up seasonal dishes, farm-fresh burgers, wood-fired pizza, and appetizers worthy of a cult following.

South Gate's Brewmaster, Rick Bouke, is a mad scientist of creativity. Like the Glacier Point pale ale now available at the Mountain Room Lounge in Yosemite Valley, all of his creations are crisp and uplifting.

"Small batch brewing makes the tastiest beer," says Bouke. "Even as we grow, we intend on brewing small batches with quality local ingredients. Now more people can drink local when they travel, this makes us happy!"

"We are thrilled to have beer on tap by local brewers at 1850 in Mariposa and South Gate Brewing in Oakhurst here at the Mountain Room Lounge," commented Jonathan Carow, GM of Yosemite Valley Lodge. "There is nothing better than a refreshing beer amongst the beauty of Yosemite. We are proud to support local businesses and look forward to sharing their beers with visitors from around the world."