Marin Brewing Co.

Brendan Moylan, brewer and owner of The Marin Brewing Company, knew he wanted to open a brewpub after he visited Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in Hayward in the mid 80’s when he was still a beer salesman. According to Moylan his reaction was, Oh my God, he’s got a bar, he’s got a brewery and the brewery makes beer for the bar and there all in the same building. This is great! I gotta do this. The seed was in his head from that point on, and he made a promise to himself that he was going to create his own brewpub. It took about two or three years, but Moylan made good on his commitment.

Noonan’s Bar and Grill boasts over 1000 varieties of liquor. Photo by Joel Williams

Good beer choices at Larkspur Landing

By Joel Williams 
Published: June, 2007 

Moylan opened The Marin Brewing Company, Marin County’s first brewpub, on April Fools Day 1989. It proved to be no joke -- 18 years later it is a staple of the Larkspur Landing Shopping Center just across the street from the Larkspur ferry terminal.

Moylan is a Bay Area native who was first bitten by the good beer bug when he worked as the beer manager supervising one of the largest beer selections in San Francisco. This position he held at Jug Shop Liquors from 1978-1983 led to a job with one of the largest specialty beer distributors and stint as a draft technician and merchandising manager for Spaten West, Inc. He then became a member of the San Francisco’s homebrew club and served as its president in 1986.

In 1989 he opened Marin Brewing Company, and over the years its beers have won far too many awards to list. All of their beers are available on tap and in 22 ounce bottles on a rotating basis. When I stopped by there were six beers available on tap.

Their most popular beer is their house beer, Mt. Tam Pale Ale. Mt. Tam, a very well-balanced, medium-bodied pale ale with a delicate hop flavor and aroma, is made with Cascade, Columbus and Amarillo hops. Their British style ESB is lightly hopped and has a smooth finish that lends to its mellow flavor, while the Porter is packed with roasted malts giving it a rich and robust chocolaty taste.

Moylan also owns Noonan’s Bar & Grill, just a few doors down from Marin Brewing Company, where he offers 20 beers on tap from both Marin Brewing and his other brewery, Moylan’s up in Novato. But Noonan’s is really known for the assortment of hard liquor they serve - over 1,000 spirits - and they boast the largest selection of tequila in the world with over 400 verities available.

Both of Moylan’s restaurants at Larkspur Landing offer good food, unique atmosphere and quality beers. Plus, their location, right across from the ferry terminal, makes them conveniently accessible by ferryboat, so you can leave your car at home.