Oakhurst Beer Guide 2026: Getting Frothy in the Foothills
You’ve hiked to a waterfall or two, stood under El Capitan, and wandered Mariposa Grove waiting for the trees to reveal ancient truths. Maybe you sat in some weekend Yosemite traffic too. It was a long day. Now you’re full up on nature and ready to wash it all down with a cold one. And while Oakhurst isn’t yet a full-on beer destination like San Diego or Bend, there are some truly delicious local options on offer in 2026.
Between Oakhurst, Bass Lake, Fish Camp, and Mariposa, we’ve identified some favorite spots and must-try beers. Here’s your Oakhurst Beer Guide, updated and refreshed for summer 2026.
Ales, Lagers, & More in Oakhurst
South Gate Brewing Company is still the anchor of Oakhurst’s growing brewing scene, and for good reason. Casey and Lindsay Hawkins moved up from San Diego in 2012 wanting to build a new gathering spot for locals. They opened South Gate with brewmaster Rick Boucke and have stuck to the plan ever since. It’s now a lively brewpub near the Highway 41/49 junction with a cozy bar area and separate inside and outside dining areas.
Wood-fired pizzas and burgers pour out of the South Gate kitchen and a rotating house lineup of original beers covers a lot of ground. We’ve seen everything from a British-style brown ale with hints of pecan and chocolate to the obligatory hazy IPA and a solid oatmeal stout. There’s even a house made root beer for the kiddos. They’ve run Oktoberfest here for over a decade now, and there’s regularly live music with no cover. Sit inside, sit outside, or nestle up to the bar and get to know this Oakhurst institution!
Shuteye Brewing is the new kid on the block, and it’s easy to miss if you’re just cruising through on your way to the Yosemite South Entrance. It’s part brewery, part coffee shop, and is tucked into a small storefront set back off Highway 41. Morning coffee and WiFi soon give way to a variety of craft beers after noon, which usually includes a pilsner, amber, and a stout. It’s so refreshing to find a beer menu that makes room for some varieties that don’t start with the letters “IPA”!
Shuteye often features live music on Wednesdays and Sundays, and you’ll nearly always find a refreshing mix of unassuming locals and tourists sampling whatever is on tap. Bring the whole family, play some Uno or Jenga, and embrace the slow mountain vibe alongside a collection of welcoming locals and thirsty tourists.
If you’re in the mood for something with a bit more punch, Oakhurst Spirits distillery offers a tasting room where you can sample their locally made whiskeys, gins, and rums. There’s a nice outdoor patio and a companion art gallery to keep everyone entertained. They operate on a limited schedule Friday through Sunday so check the website before you try to pop in for a quick taste.
The Snowline Saloon: Rebooted for 2026
If you’re staying at Boom Chalet, The Snowline Saloon is your closest official watering hole. It sits on the outer edge of Oakhurst on Highway 41 and is one of the last signs of civilization as you head north towards Sugar Pine and Yosemite. The Snowline has been a fixture here since 1960. It was known as both the Snow Line Depot and the Snow Line Lodge before being shuttered for many years. It was briefly reborn as a somewhat rough-and-tumble country bar back in 2019, but those days appear to be over.
The Snowline closed to the public again in late 2025 and its brand new owners have now completed a full refresh of the entire situation. They remodeled inside and out, overhauled the menu, repainted the structure, and have teed up an ambitious program with live music, dance sessions, and more. The view from the back deck alone is worth a visit and it’s the best spot around to watch whatever big sporting event just can’t be missed. The bar food leans hearty, with big burgers, generous baskets of onion rings, and even fried mushrooms on the menu. Of course there are plenty of beers too. As of July 2026, hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon to midnight, and Sunday 11am to 7pm.
Yosemite Wine Tails: The Unexpected Beer Stop
The name says wine, but Yosemite Wine Tails also runs a rotating tap list and a curated beer fridge that’s better than you’d expect from a wine bar. It sits right on Highway 41 and your dog is as welcome as your money! There’s also live music on weekends and karaoke once a month. If you’re traveling with mixed company and can’t get consensus for a brewery, this might be the perfect compromise.
🌲 Host Insider Tip
If you want the full local experience, the revamped Snowline Saloon is your best bet. If it’s open, drop in for a leisurely pint on the back deck and stick around for whatever is going on that evening. Where else would you want to be after a full day in Yosemite?
Bass Lake’s Best Beer Spots
Bass Lake doesn’t have its own brewery (yet), but the scene makes up for it with fantastic lake views and a wide selection of local beers. The Pines Bar pours more than 16 draft beers, including hazy IPAs, classic lagers, and nearly everything in between, with a daily happy hour from 4 to 7pm and a deck that looks straight out over the water. Nearby, Ducey’s Bar & Grill runs a more selective rotating draft and bottle list that leans more towards the evening dinner crowd.
Forks Resort, on the south shore, is the more casual option with cold domestics on draft that pair nicely with their delicious burgers. If you’re not picky and don’t want to drive all the way around to the north side, this is a perfectly legitimate place to enjoy the sunset with beer in hand.
Tenaya Lodge & Yosemite Valley
Fish Camp, just seven miles up the road from Sugar Pine and only two miles from the South Entrance, is home to Tenaya Lodge. That’s where you’ll find Jackalope’s Bar pouring the Tenaya Red IPA, a hoppy West Coast-style ale produced exclusively by South Gate Brewing for this one special location. Is this beer alone worth the drive from Fresno? Probably not. But it’s definitely worth a quick stop if you’re passing through. And if you’re going to Yosemite from points south, you’ll most certainly be passing through Fish Camp!
Inside the national park, your beer options narrow considerably. This is the wilderness after all and beer is heavy. Maybe even heavier than water? I don’t really know. In any event, both the Mountain Room at Yosemite Valley Lodge and Bar 1899 at Curry Village pour a solid rotating selection of local craft beers alongside their cocktail menus. They are both worthy destinations. Otherwise, pack a big cooler for the journey and hope the bears don’t get to it before you do!
They Drink Beer in Mariposa Too
If you’re coming or going through Mariposa, there are actually four stop-worthy establishments for beer lovers.
1850 Restaurant + Brewing Company is an authentic brewpub serving up hand-cut steaks and burgers alongside house beers that include a blueberry honey blonde ale and a stout brewed with coffee beans from a local roaster. The Grove House is a few blocks over and is more of a bar and live-music venue. They feature a wide selection of mostly California craft beers plus a farm-to-table food truck parked on site.
There’s also The Alley, a sort of wine and beer garden that also offers pizzas and a few other light bites. If you’re also trying to keep some wine drinkers in your group happy, this will do the trick, but the beer selection is a bit more run of the mill than The Grove House. We’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention The Hideout Saloon. It’s just so funky and cool inside with dollar bills everywhere that it’s worth dropping by for a quick PBR at the bar if you have the time and inclination. They have a remarkably good salad too. Who knew?
Beer for the Cabin
If you’d rather just stock the fridge and stay in, we won’t judge. The back deck at Boom Chalet is pretty sweet and there are few places I’d rather drink a beer after a long day of hiking.
Raley’s and Vons in Oakhurst both carry a solid regional selection, which usually includes Firestone Walker, Dust Bowl, and Tioga-Sequoia, among others. Grab a cooler’s worth on your way up to Sugar Pine and you’ll always have a cold one waiting for you back at the cabin.
For more on what’s nearby, our Yosemite Guide covers a wide range of Oakhurst / Bass Lake / Yosemite topics.
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