By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY – Senior Writer

Owner Travis Lanthier tending the bar counter.

For Travis and Megan Lanthier, opening Lake Arrowhead Brewing Company was the culmination of a dream that started 10 years ago when they were college students. It was in March of 2020 that they got approval to open their taproom, the same month the state went into a lockdown due to the spreading COVID-19 pandemic. In a resort town, heavily dependent on tourism, it wasn’t the grand opening they expected it to be.

Lake Arrowhead’s first craft brewery is off the beaten path, located lakeside in a converted warehouse adjacent to the private Burnt Mill Beach Club. The brewery, which is located at 329 Villa Way, can be accessed by the public on a narrow, paved road to the left of the entrance to the upscale Lake Arrowhead Resort.

Following a year-and-a-half of jumping through numerous hoops with the county, including the gathering of permits and a series of inspections by the San Bernardino County Health Department, in September of 2020, Lanthier received the go-ahead from the county to open to the public fulltime.

Prior to beginning the brewery, Travis, who is a 2004 Rim High School graduate, and his wife, Megan, a 2005 Rim graduate, met while Travis was working at the Lake Arrowhead Village Pizza. Megan attended the University of Redlands, where she earned a degree in business administration. Meanwhile, Travis opted to study at Oregon State University, where he also graduated with a business administration degree.

Megan, who was missing Travis, traveled to Oregon, where the couple toured numerous breweries. When asked what inspired him to start a brewery, Travis told The Alpine Mountaineer, “After finishing high school, I moved to Oregon, where Megan and I visited lots of breweries. This gave me the idea of starting a brewery of my own.”

Running Springs residents Amanda and Bruce Cole enjoying some Summer Blonde Lager.

During a recent visit to the brewery, Travis was tending the bar counter, while Running Springs residents Amanda and Bruce Cole , who were seated nearby, were enjoying some Summer Blonde Lager. “The blonde is delicious,” Amanda said, adding, “We come here every weekend and we like that they care about our mountain communities.”

When asked what he has planned for celebrating the brewery’s third anniversary, Travis said, “We are offering our anniversary box, a mixed 12-pack that includes three separate four-packs of 16-ounce cans.” According to Travis, the specialty beers were brewed in collaboration with some of their partner breweries and include Fruit Gang, a 7.5% concoction of boysenberry, strawberry, black currant, vanilla and puff pastry flavors; a 5% Working Holiday Hoppy Lager; and an 8% Blue Lagoon IPA.

Unfortunately, Travis said, the anniversary boxes, at $70 each, were limited to 150 and are already sold out. However, he invites all craft beer lovers to stop by and celebrate with their ample selection of lagers, stouts, ales and IPAs.

Lake Arrowhead Brewery is open from 12 to 8p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call them at (909) 744-8322.