On the surface, you might notice changes like canned beer, a remodeled taproom, an outdoor seating area, and a new kitchen. These visible changes are the result of a more significant change beneath the surface. Snoqualmie Falls Brewing, one of the oldest breweries in the state, is now under new ownership.
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing started as a production brewery in 1997, operating out of a space in downtown Snoqualmie, just a short distance upriver from the local landmark after which the brewery is named. Eventually the brewery expanded to include a taproom and pub.
The brewery’s founders are all Snoqualmie Valley residents. Local beer lovers and local breweries owe a dept of gratitude to people like this who helped get the craft beer industry off the ground more than 20 years ago. The founders are all now either retired or ready to retire. So cheers to Pat Anderson, David McKibben, Tom Antone, LeRoy Gmazel and Dave Eiffert. Thank you for all you’ve done over the years. We look forward to seeing what the future has in store for the brewery that you’ve built.
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Here’s the press release announcing the change of ownership.
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Changing Hands
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After 20 years of growth and success in brewing some of the best beers in the region, Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company has been sold. Incoming owners Vojislav and Juljia Kokeza, and Dalibor and Bjanka Marceta have been making big changes in the brewery, including installing a new kitchen, remodeling the interior, adding an outdoor seating area with full-wall mural, and introducing canned beer.
“While we are looking to improve and grow, we want to keep what is good, such as our staff and management”, Dalibor says.
Sales Manager Danny Anthony has big plans for sales of Snoqualmie Falls Brewery beers. “We are going to focus on getting more of our great beers in more places,” he said. Part of that plan is to begin canning this year. “We’ll start with three products, Sunny Si Citra hopped IPA, Sno Falls Pale Ale, and probably most importantly, our root beer. People have been urging us to can it for a long time, and now we will be able to.”
Danny expects that their new line of cans will hit the shelves as soon as July. Brewers Rande Reed and Kevin Gesell are the brains and brawn behind the wide range of tasty ales.
The group has begun renovating the interior. Taproom Manager Jeff Nelson is enthusiastic on the changes. “Between the new capabilities in the kitchen and the updated menu, we’re going to throw some wonderful parties,” he said. Dalibor brought up the outdoor seating they are building: “This is such a beautiful area, and the patio where people can enjoy a pint of our great beer after they visit our valley is going to be hugely popular.”
“We want to focus on improving the food offerings and service; we’re going to be able to serve our customers much faster,” buyer Vojislav Kokeza said. Since April, the remodeled kitchen can serve people what they’ve asked for and much more quickly, such as burgers and fries, fish and chips, and poutine.
Brewery Manager Dave Eiffert is excited to be working with the new owners: “Voyislav is a man of action. He gets an idea, checks it out with us old hands, and about two days later it’s done. Dalibor, on the other hand, is a savvy analyst. He pours over reports looking for ways we can bring better value to our customers. Danny has many years of experience in the brewing industry and brings a deep wealth of knowledge to the table. This is going to be an exciting team to work with.”
The commercial brewery and taproom are the cornerstone business in the Snoqualmie Historic District. Founder Pat Anderson remarked, “We spent 20 years building this business from a small production brewery. We’re thrilled to see our business not only continue, but also grow in such significant ways.”
The company was originally formed by Snoqualmie Valley residents Pat Anderson, David McKibben, Tom Antone, LeRoy Gmazel and Dave Eiffert in 1997.
Eiffert says “This is an exciting development for us. We wanted an exit strategy since we’re all retired or retiring. The last thing we wanted to happen would be closing this business.”
The changes can be seen at their FaceBook page, https://www.facebook.com/snoqualmiebrewery
and on their Twitter feed,
https://twitter.com/snoq_taproom
