By TIM WILCOX
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
This is Part 3 in a “Let’s Dine Out” series about local high school graduates who’ve worked hard and smart to become successful purveyors of hospitality in Lake Arrowhead.
Travis and Megan Lanthier (Lan-theer) are another pair of Rim of the World High School graduates who’ve established a personal home and professional presence in our local mountain communities. Travis (class of 2004), originally from La Habra, has been here since he was in third grade, while Megan (class of 2005) is a Lake Arrowhead native.
They weren’t a couple in high school. “We knew each other, and we kind of hung in the same group,” says Megan (whose maiden name is Stauble), “but it wasn’t until college that we actually started dating.”
Both earned degrees in business administration – Travis at Portland State University in Portland, Oreg., and Megan at the University of Redlands. On occasions such as the holidays, they’d see each other in the mountains, connecting here with their carefully cultivated circle of friends.
After graduating, the now-committed couple lived in Mammoth for a while, then in Carlsbad. Megan was a manager for the Coach store in those communities (she’d originally worked at the Coach outlet in Lake Arrowhead Village), while Travis was employed by Flow Snowboarding, a snowboard and binding manufacturer based in San Clemente. But the San Bernardino Mountains were an irresistible magnet.
“After living at the beach, we realized that we’re mountain people,” says Travis, so they returned here and were married in 2015. “This is definitely where we wanted to raise our family,” Megan adds. Now the Lanthiers have two daughters – Remy, 6 ½, and Rylo, 1½.
With business opportunities in mind, they eyed the Village’s old maintenance building, just downhill from the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa and steps away from Burnt Mill Beach Club. Travis had beeen running an ambitious screen-printing operation for some time and thought of moving it to that building, which had been purchased by an extended-family member. But then the Lanthiers, who describe themselves as “big beer people,” decided to take their dream of opening a brewery seriously. Recalls Travis: “We sensed that the stars might be aligning and that this was the time to go for it.”
They did exactly that, leasing the building in 2018, then launching what was more than a year and one-half of planning, permitting, renovation and equipment installation. (They purchased the structure last year.) Taking a leap of faith, the couple moved forward without a master brewer. “We just knew that our mountain communities needed a brewery and trusted that someone would present themselves,” says Travis.
Master brewer Rich Shaltz, who taught the art at Cal State, Pomona, makes expert adjustments along one row of stainless-steel tanks at the brewery.
Enter Richard Shaltz, who as a respected instructor at Cal Poly, Pomona’s brewing program, had stellar credentials. He signed up with the Lanthiers before Lake Arrowhead Brewing Co. opened and has been a key player in the enterprise ever since.
Ah, the grand opening. . . According to Megan: “We had it all planned. We were ready to open the tasting room and the beer garden. And, of course, we were really excited about welcoming our first customers.” That was late March of 2020. Then a malevolent, enormously unwelcome specter forced the Lanthiers to postpone their celebration: COVID-19. The national lockdown began just two days before the scheduled event.
Recognizing that a public opening was out of the question and realizing they had a generous supply of craft beers ready for consumption, the couple improvised. They canned the brews in 32-ounce “crowlers” and began curbside sales, with weekly releases of new beers announced and ordered online. That strategy, which proved to be remarkably effective as an initial connection with the community, tided the brewery over until June. Then the Lanthiers opened the beer garden and experienced a booming summer business in that outdoor venue. Eventually, of course, they were able to open the indoor spaces as well.
As a clear sign of ongoing success, last week the brewery added four 10-barrel tanks and two 15-barrel fermentation tanks, more than doubling its holding capacity. The expansion will allow it to fulfill in-house demand more efficiently while amplifying distribution from Crestline to Big Bear and down in Redlands.
On the Menu
The brewery’s lineup of fine craft beers is constantly evolving. The most recent slate included Belgian Golden Ale, Holiday Pie Sour Ale, Czech Dark Lager, Pinnacles Pale Ale, A-Frame Coffee Stout, Flatlander Blonde Ale, North Bay India Pale Ale and Maple Donut Stout.
Simply FYI, here’s the brewery’s description of the last offering on that list: “Back for its second release, we brewed a beer that captures the nostalgia of a Saturday morning donut run. . . . We used fresh maple bar donuts, direct from the Jensen’s bakery, coffee and toasted coconut to create an indulgent breakfast stout.”
Two Poké bowls – The Ripper and Blazer – exemplify the colorful, healthful and flavorful nature of these selections.
Unusual and creative? Oh, yes! Libations are the clear stars here. But there are appealing and decidedly healthful edibles as well. They’re prepared and delivered to the brewery by Rippin’ Bowls, the Lanthiers’ food venue next to Bank of America in the Village.
Poké bowls, most tagged at $18, include The Ripper, Blazer, Scooby Snack and Killer Tofu. As one example, The Ripper features marinated ahi tuna, sesame seeds, edamame, cucumber, pickled ginger and umami sauce drizzled on seaweed salad. A teriyaki chicken plate ($17) is also available.
Among the açaí bowls, $15 apiece, are The Hippy, Local Knowledge, Soul Surfer and Island Boi. The last of those features a passionfruit base with mango, toasted coconut and agave drizzle.
Like the poké bowls, these colorful, “to your health” picks are a reflection of the high-energy snow, surf and skate culture—an amalgam that’s near and dear to the Lanthiers. Proudly, they share that “we’ve created a community space that’s perfect for getting together with old friends and meeting new friends. It’s become like a big family for us, and that’s very rewarding every day!”
Lake Arrowhead Brewing Co.: 329 Villa in Lake Arrowhead; (909) 744-8322; first come, first served; major cards; $5-$18; 12-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sun.; kegs for special events.
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