I agree with those who recommend staying on US 101 north of Crescent City and going into Oregon. You’ll be in for some spectacular scenary provided you don’t mind the rain. My favorite stretches of 101 are (going north) between Florence and Yachats and Manzanita and Cannon Beach (I took this shot a few miles north of Manzanita overlooking Neahkahnie Beach).
Also, since you said you were interested in beer, there are many microbreweries along the way. For example, I’m rather fond of the beers brewed by the North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, the Rogue Ales Brewery in Newport, and theLost Coast Brewery in Eureka. If you have time, you may want to take a brewery tour.