our story
from naval base to brewery
the island
Named by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Mare Island soon became home to the first U.S. Naval shipyard on the West Coast. Today, a cadre of pioneering breweries, distilleries, wineries, artisans, and craftsmen are writing the next chapter.
1835
island of the mare
Legend has it that in 1835, a sudden storm capsized the ship carrying General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo’s prized white mare. When the storm subsided, General Vallejo found the mare on the island, having survived by swimming ashore. He named the island “Isla de la Yegua” – Island of the Mare – in her honor.
1854
Mare Island Naval Shipyard Founding
David Glasgow Farragut was sent to oversee the construction of what would become the West Coast’s first US Naval shipyard, and eventually the premier port for shipbuilding and repairs on the West Coast.
1859
First ship Built: USS Saginaw
The first ship built at Mare Island, the Saginaw, is a paddle-wheel gunboat constructed of white oak from Petaluma. Over the next 137-plus years, 513 numbered vessels will be built. Another 1,227 will be repaired or overhauled at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
1918
30 days or bust
Mare Island saw major shipbuilding efforts during WWI, and set a shipbuilding speed record that still stands with the launching of the destroyer USS Ward in just 17 ½ days.
1945
WW2: 40,000 Shipyard Workers
When WWII broke out in 1941, the working ranks on Mare Island swelled almost overnight from 5,000 to over 40,000 civilian workers. Pipefitters, torpedo makers, welders, and Rosie the Riveters worked around the clock 24/7 to build the ships needed to win the war.
1954
entering the atomic age
Mare Island entered the atomic age in 1954 by building the first nuclear submarine on the West Coast, the USS Sargo.
1970's
“Ivy Bells” and the Cold War Era
"Ivy Bells” was one of the most highly classified and important programs in the history of the U.S. military. The mission sent the USS Halibut nuclear sub deep into the Soviet’s Sea of Okhotsk, where at 400ft down, two covert divers attached a recording device to the Soviet Navy's key communications cable. For the next 20 years, subs made the top-secret journey to and from Mare Island to swap out the recording tapes.
1996
mare island naval shipyard closes
After 143 years of shipbuilding, Naval operations ceased and the island was decommissioned on April 1, 1996. Today, Mare Island is home to many historical landmarks and buildings, residences, parks, businesses and artisans.
our founders
Kent and Ryan, both formally trained on the wine side of fermentation, first met and struck up a friendship on a crushpad in Napa during a winegrape harvest over a a decade ago. A move to Mare Island, a transition from grapes to grain, and a chance meeting a few years later, and Mare Island Brewing Co. was born.
2007
The Seed is Planted
The seed for Mare Island Brewing Co. was planted when our Founder Kent Fortner bought and restored the historic officer's "Quarter U" on Mare Island in 2007. Inspired by the rich history of the island, he started working on plans for a brewery.
2013
two friends reconnect
After years working in winemaking, Co-founder Ryan Gibbons had made the jump from grapes to grain. He was working at Lagunitas Brewing Company when he bumped into his old pal, and fellow winemaker, Kent. A few beers later, Ryan was on board, and Mare Island Brewing Co. began.
the brewery
Our first taproom opened its doors in 2014 at the Ferry landing on the Vallejo waterfront. The rest is history...
2013
Founding and first brew
We brewed our first beer in 2013, and named it after the first ship built at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Saginaw Golden Ale is still part of our core line-up to this day.
2014
ferry taproom opens
Our first location, the Ferry Taproom opened its doors in 2014 on the Vallejo waterfront. Back then we were only open a few days a week, with just four beers on tap.
2015
yardbird Beer club launches
We launched our Yardbird Beer Club in 2015, along with our very first Yardbird exclusive – General Order No. 99 Barrel Aged Porter.
2015
First Victory in the vallejo whaleboat regatta
Our rowing team, "The Torpedoes" took home our first championship trophy in the Vallejo Whaleboat Regatta. We still compete in the race each fall during Vallejo Waterfront Weekend.
2016
Renovating a Historic Navy Coal Shed
In 2016, we began renovations on the historic Navy coal shed that would become our Coal Shed Brewery. Originally built in the 1890s, our Coal Shed Brewery was formerly used to store coal that fueled Navy steamships.
2017
Coal Shed Brewery Up and Running
We began crafting beers on our brand-new, state-of-the art, 15bbl brewhouse in 2017.
2017
Whaleboat keg delivery
To celebrate the launch of our Coal Shed Brewery, we delivered the very first keg (of Shipwright's Porter) produced at the new brewhouse by rowing it across the strait to our Ferry Taproom.
2020
Coal Shed brewery Gets A canning line
We said bye-bye to 22oz bombers, and started canning all of our brews in-house on our shiny new canning line in 2020.
2020
Coal Shed Brewery Taproom Opens to Public
In June 2020, the taproom and beer garden at our Coal Shed Brewery officially opened to the public. We added our "Pie Wagon" food truck not long after.
2021
whaleboat room at coalshed brewery opens
The Whaleboat Room, a dedicated private and special event space, at our Coal Shed Brewery, opened in October 2021. The Whaleboat Room commemorates the rich history of monomoy whaleboats that have plied the waters in front of our brewery.
2021
First Street Taphouse Opens
We opened our third location, the First Street Taphouse in downtown Benicia in July 2021. During renovations to the historic building, we discovered an ancient (and enormous) cistern below the floor. We decided to turn it into a time capsule, and filled it with hundreds of contributions from the local community before sealing it up.