Travel with purpose and confidence

Let’s start out by getting you there. To find this brewery, which is approximately one hour north of Seattle, you need confidence and faith. The brewery is not exactly in plain view–quite the opposite, actually. At the end of this article we provide precise directions. You might think you’ve made a wrong turn because there are no signs to guide you, but you are not lost. Trust the directions, map, or GPS. Skookum might be a bit hard to find but a visit to this brewery is very much worth it.

About a quarter mile up a gravel road, this is the closest thing to a Skookum Brewery sign you will find.

Relax and soak in the country life. And the beer, of course

Set in the woods, this is one of the most relaxing and peaceful breweries we’ve ever had the pleasure to visit. The buildings—engineered and built by owner/brewer Ron Walcher—are beautiful. The tasting room and brewery is reminiscent of a mountain lodge, with river rock and beautiful timbers.

Across the way, you’ll notice a large and beautiful old barn. Ron and his wife relocated and rebuilt the historic barn piece by piece. In its previous life, it was a dairy barn in Marysville. In his previous life, Ron worked in construction. Judging by the buildings here, he was very good at it.

When we arrived, we found all of the doors wide open, with a nice crowd of people scattered about, indoors and out, enjoying Ron’s beer. We parked ourselves at a large, heavy picnic table just outside the brewery’s garage door, though the patio furniture in the woods looked like a nice option as well. Within moments a woman approached us and offered us beer.

Inside the brewery, you’ll find a 10 barrel system that Ron uses to brew his selection of Skookum beers. His beers are solid. The Jackass IPA was the only one unavailable to us. He was sold out. Instead, he was pouring Olde Tom IPA, which we thoroughly enjoyed, taking a growler with us when we left. We also liked the Cat’s Paw Blonde, which had a nice story to go with it, which Ron was happy to share with us.

We quickly realized that this is a dog-friendly establishment, which made our two dogs very happy. Just as quickly as they fetched our beers, our hosts brought treats and a bowl of water for our dogs. Not long after we arrived a man approached us with a camera and a large, framed poster. He showed it to us–a collage of dogs. “I’m the photographer,” he told us. “We do a Dogs of Skookum calendar every year, so we need to go take pictures of your dogs.”

He leads us to a grassy area next to the barn where he takes a few pictures and explains that they sell the calendars at cost and they just do it because they love animals. Turns out, the photographer is Ron Walcher’s brother-in-law.

This is a friendly place. The service is outstanding, not because they have any deep drive to provide you with top notch customer service, but because they are happy to see you. Everyone seems genuinely glad you’re there. I didn’t ask, but I feel safe in assuming that the three women who were waiting tables and pouring beer are part of the family.

When we arrived, they had just opened for the day. There were already a handful of people scattered about. As time went on, the crowd grew steadily: guys on Harleys, young men in pickup trucks getting kegs, neighbors carrying empty growlers needing satisfaction, and other wide-eyed beer hobos like ourselves.

“I cannot believe it took us so long to do this,” Kim said to me. “This place is awesome. It might be the best place we’ve ever been.” At the moment, it was hard to disagree with her assessment.

In retrospect, that might be overstating it a bit. But just a little bit. I am comfortable saying that the Skookum Brewery is, without a doubt, one of the most inviting and relaxing stops we’ve ever made on our many beer tours.

What, exactly, is Skookum

The word Skookum is Chinook jargon. That is, a native American word that has been interpreted and bent into having meaning in English. Skookum has a couple of meanings. First, it is a word with positive or strong connotations, used synonymously with words like good, powerful, and ultimate. “Holy cow, this beer is skookum!” Second, Skookum is a name given to a mythical woodland beast. A Sasquatch, basically.

Getting there and other info

From I-5 take exit 208 (the Darrington/Hwy 530 exit) and head east on Highway 530.

After approximately .25 miles (a quarter mile) veer right onto Smokey Point Blvd.

Head south for 1 mile and turn right onto 200^th Street NE. This road goes over the freeway.

Follow this road west (200th Street NE, a.k.a. King Thompson Road) for approximately 1 mile and turn left onto 17^th Drive NE.

Yes, it looks like a private road. You will think you’ve made a wrong turn, but you haven’t. Follow the road, slowly, to its end at the Skookum Brewery.

In order to appease the neighbors, who are less than thrilled to have a popular brewery and tasting room up the road, there are no signs to guide you.

Skookum Brewery
19529 17th Drive Northeast
Arlington, WA 98223
(360) 652-4917
MAP

Tasting room hours:
Friday 3:00-7:00
Saturday 2:00-5:00

With all of this in mind, we left Seattle on a Thursday morning headed for nowhere. That is to say, we pointed the Washington Beer Cruiser east and motored our way over Snoqualmie Pass, headed for the drier side of the mountains. The adventure would take us to one of our favorite breweries, an amazing winery, and one of the most remote breweries in Washington. Along the way, we stumbled upon a surprisingly good beer bar where you would least expect it—the middle of nowhere.

First Stop: Iron Horse Brewing (Ellensburg, WA)

Located just 100 miles east of Seattle and just 1.5 miles off of Interstate 90, Iron Horse Brewing is a great pit stop for eastbound beer cruisers: it is a great place to stretch your legs and fill some growlers. They have a small but comfortable tasting room and, of course, very good beer. Enjoy a set of samples, tip a pint, or fill a growler.

When we arrived, Natalia greeted us. While the boys were busy with the business of making beer, Natalia was kind enough to fill our growlers and engage us in some conversation about what’s going on at Iron Horse these days. We recognized that the grain silo out back was a new addition. Natalia told us that it came from Yakima, where it served Bert Grant dutifully for many years.

We thanked Natalia for her kindness and settled the bill. We had many miles to drive before we could enjoy the freshly filled growlers. While we love Iron Horse Brewing and Ellensburg, it is far from nowhere.

Second Stop: Cave B Estate Winery (George)

Yes, this is a tale of beer adventure. Yes, we did stop at a winery. The Cave B Estate Winery is located a stone’s throw from the Gorge Amphitheater. In fact, old-timers might remember that when the venue was new, it was part of a winery. Without going into the boring historic details, this is the winery that originally built the amphitheater back in the 1980s. Again, skipping the details, these are some of the oldest vines in the state.

Like the Gorge Amphitheater, Cave B Estate Winery is spectacular. The view is amazing and so is the wine. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and maintained. You will find plenty of picnicking opportunities. If you are not prepared, they sell sandwiches and snacks in the tasting room. We practiced great restraint and left the tasting room with only three bottles of wine.

The Cave B winery and tasting room is part of the larger SageCliff destination resort, which also features a spa, restaurant, event space, and hotel. The 30-room boutique hotel–the Cave B Inn at SageCliffe—is simply the best place to stay when attending a concert at the Gorge. Park the car, check into your room, take a short stroll through the vineyards to the show, wake up the next morning and maybe you’ll get to sit next to a rock star at breakfast. On concert nights, the hotel is completely booked months in advance. The waiting list is always impossibly long. Get on it early.

Base Camp: Sun Lakes State Park Resort (Coulee City)

This is one of Washington’s best kept secrets. Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park is a 4,000-acre park at the foot of Dry Falls. This is a geologic wonderland: Dry Falls is one of the great geological wonders of North America. Sun Lakes refers to a series of pristine lakes scattered across the floor of a coulee. Surrounded by towering basalt cliffs, Sun Lakes is a hidden oasis for fun and relaxation. Water sports, golfing, fishing, hiking, biking, putt-putt, paddle boats, and more.

Within the confines of the State Park you will find the Sun Lakes Park Resort, where a private company operates a modest resort that focuses on affordable fun for people of all ages. It is particularly well-equipped for families and large groups. The affordable lodging options include RV hookups, rustic cabins, slightly less-rustic mobile homes, and a few more-luxurious duplexes. There is also a State Park campground if you feel like sleeping on the ground.

We opted for a rustic cabin, as we have many times before. The cabin includes all of your bedding, a very basic kitchen, and a bathroom with shower. Bring your own kitchen and dining utensils. Don’t forget the coffee maker.

The Road to Rocky Coulee Brewing (Odessa)

After a relaxing round of golf at Sun Lakes on Friday morning, we headed south to Soap Lake where we were surprised to find Van’s Coffee and More. Conveniently located in the middle of nowhere, you will find a surprisingly hip coffee shop, café, bar, wine shop, furniture store, karaoke lounge, and tanning salon all wrapped up into one convenient little business.

Van’s had a few beers on tap. Although their selection of craft beer might not impress highfalutin city folk, they did in fact have a selection which surprised me. My experience has been that in towns like Soap Lake (pop. 800) and Coulee City (pop. 600) it is rare to find craft beer on tap at all.  We marveled at the beer selection, grabbed a couple sandwiches to go, and got back on the road.

It was not exactly a Chamber of Commerce day in Soap Lake. The weather was threatening. We headed east on Highway 28, chased by a vicious storm. Around us we could see nothing in all directions, save for the fields of young wheat and the occasional power pole delivering electrical current to nowhere. Behind us, the sky wasn’t merely ominous; it was biblical—bible-black and falling. Ahead of us, the vast blue sky was dotted with flat-bottomed and billowing white stratocumulus clouds floating like puffs of whipped cream on a glass tabletop.

It seemed that the hand of a gray-bearded Charlton Heston had reached down from heaven—propelling the Washington Beer Cruiser down the road like a child’s toy, keeping us just ahead of the storm. With radio reception failing and very few static-free options, we began to sing Road to Nowhere by the Talking Heads. I’m not kidding.

Click the image once to see a larger version. Click again to see an even larger version.

“I’m feelin’ okay this morning, and you know, we’re on a road to paradise. Here we go. Here we go.”

It was awesome.

Impossibly cute

Forty-something miles east of Soap Lake lies the town of Odessa (pop. 1,000). To us, it was just a name on a map. We had no idea what to expect. Several miles from town, we could see towering gray grain warehouses in the distance. As we neared town, we realized that the storm had changed direction behind us. It decided to give up the chase, knowing it could not keep up with the mighty hand of Charlton Heston.

In a very Americana sort of way, Odessa is perfect. It is impossibly cute. You will notice the disproportionately large number of churches, some of which have been repurposed or seem nearly abandoned. Adorable old homes with manicured yards and shining flag poles line the streets. Main Street looks like something out of a Frank Capra movie in Technicolor. The grocery store is Denny’s Thrift. The drug store is Odessa Drugs. Seemingly uncorrupted and pristine, Odessa is perfect.

You will not stumble across the brewery, I promise. Even with the address, you will have to ask a stranger for directions. The woman we asked, apologized as she gave us rather vague directions (all we needed) and offered to call her husband who apparently would have been able to give us much more precise instructions to navigate the three or four blocks to the brewery. People are nice in Odessa.

The town’s Germanic heritage is unmistakable. On Main Street we passed businesses like Voise Sausage by Schumacher and Das Kraut Haus. In the late 19^th century and early 20^th century, eighty percent of the immigrants who settled in Odessa were German.

German roots, firmly planted in Washington soil

Tom Schafer’s great grandfather was one of those German immigrants. A lifelong resident of Odessa, he is proud to tell us that he still has the original deed to the farm, signed by President Teddy Roosevelt. Tom is right to be proud. In America few people have such a strong bond to the land. Tom and his family are a part of this place, not merely residents. They still work the farm his family homesteaded more than 100 years ago. They also operate Rocky Coulee Brewing.

The Rocky Coulee Brewing Company has a 15 barrel brew house and produces close to 500 barrels per year. They do very little distribution. You can find it at a few spots around the tri-county area (Grant, Adams and Lincoln counties), and in a few locations in the Spokane area. Every Friday, from 2:00 until 10:00, you are welcome to stop by the brewery’s tap room to enjoy a pint or pick up beer to go. Beyond that, you’re out of luck.

Tom Schafer is a farmer turned brewer. I guess his Germanic blood got the better of him. He apologized for the brew house being a mess. It wasn’t.  He told us about his distribution chain, which amounts to little more than an agreement with Odom Distributing to get his beer to Spokane. His tasting room includes a few barstools, a couple of tables, and a patio seating area. Like the town of Odessa itself, Rocky Coulee Brewing serves the larger farming community that surrounds it.

Right now, Rocky Coulee has little interest in distribution beyond what they’re already doing. Tom told us that one of his sons has taken an interest in the brewery. “Maybe he’ll have more interest in that stuff. For now, we do a lot of the events around here,” he says as he points to a poster near the door. “Like the combine demolition derby next week, we’ve got a dozen kegs going out for that.”

Aint that America

Yes, you heard me right. The annual Washington Combine Demolition Derby, which takes place 30 miles south in Lind, WA, proudly pours beer from Rocky Coulee Brewing. Apparently it is a famous event, covered by ESPN and Playboy. So we are told.

I can’t really explain it, but the thought of locally-produced craft beer—brewed by a local farmer—being poured at a combine demolition derby somehow makes me insanely proud to be an American.

Tom’s beers are solid. He embraceds his local audience, addressing them on terms they can understand. For instance, his lightest offering is a Golden Ale called Wuss. Although he called it a wuss beer, I thought it is pretty good. When we were there, the Rocky Coulee lineup included: Wuss Golden Ale, Fireweed Honey Blonde, Dunkel, Brown Ale, Creamed Copper, and Amber. As any good brewer is wont to do when entertaining guests, he disappeared into the brewhouse and returned with something not on the list—I believe he called it red ale. Next to the Fireweed Honey Blonde, the red was probably my favorite.

We enjoyed a long conversation with Tom. We talked about brewing and the politics of beer. Truth is we actually talked surprisingly little about beer. Among other things, we talked about the history of the town and its changing demographics, the nature of the modern farming industry, the way Wal-Mart (though many miles away in Moses Lake) has impacted local businesses, and the combine demolition derby. In other words, we talked about America.

We sampled all of his beers and picked up two six packs of the Fireweed Honey Blonde Ale to take with us. If you bring growlers, bring your own lids. We learned this the hard way. No worries, they sell the Fireweed Honey Blonde in 12 oz. bottles.

We thought that our trip east on Highway 28 from Soap Lake to Odessa was the road to nowhere. We were wrong. From Odessa, we headed north on Highway 21 towards the town of Wilbur, and then west on Highway 2 to Coulee City, taking the long way back to Sun Lakes where our friends were waiting.

During the 36 mile stretch of Highway 21 from Odessa to Wilbur, we saw two other cars. It was 5:00 on a Friday afternoon. Rush hour, I suppose.

Saturday

We will start in Seattle on a Saturday morning, since Seattle is where the majority of people reading this blog reside. You will want to hit the road at about 10:00 A.M., depending on your exact starting point. Your first stop is Birdsview Brewing in Concrete, WA – approximately 2 hours away from downtown Seattle. Birdsview Brewing does not open until noon.

Head north on I-5 to Burlington and then head east on Highway 20 for approximately 21 miles. As you head up the Skagit River keep an eye out for a diamond-shaped caution sign that says, “Beer Crossing.” Look for the sign about 400 yards east of Memory Lane. If you get to the intersection with Baker Lake Road, you’ve gone too far.

Tap selection at Birdsview Brewing.

Birdsview Brewing – This could be your lunch destination. Your next stop is just over an hour away. If you eat at Birdsview Brewing, the hamburgers are absolutely delicious. Only the most dedicated Washington beer adventurers have made it this far up the Skagit River. Leave Birdsview Brewing knowing that you are a rare breed. (Read our profile of Birdsview Brewing.)

Alternate Route: To skip the I-5 doldrums and get into the hills, take the Mountain Loop Highway. This will add approximately 30 minutes to your drive time but offers a lovely, two-lane alternate route. From I-5 northbound, take exit 208 and follow the signs for Highway 530 East, following Highway 530 45 miles to the intersection with Highway 20. Turn left and head west. You will approach Birdsview Brewing from the east. You will find the brewery and pub 0.8 miles west of Baker Lake Road.

North Fork Brewing – Next, we’ll head north to North Fork Brewing (a.k.a. the  Beer Shrine). From Birdsview Brewing, head west on Highway 20 for approximately 15 miles. Turn right onto Highway 9 and head north. After 22 miles, turn right on Highway 542 and head east towards Glacier and Mt. Baker. After 6 miles, start looking for the Beer Shrine on your left. It’s hard to miss if you’re looking. When you get to the fish hatchery (Hatchery Rd.) you have gone too far.

Like Birdsview Brewing, only the most dedicated beer trekkers have visited North Fork Brewing. The idea of calling it a beer shrine arose from a need to get passersby to slow down and notice that something was there to see. It worked. More than a kitschy name, you can get hitched at the beer shrine. They have a legally ordained officiant on site to perform the wedding service.

The beers here are rock solid. Like Birdsview, distribution really isn’t part of their business model. This aint no downstream beer. They don’t even make it out to beer festivals. We were particularly fond of the ESB, which we later learned was a crowd favorite. The crowd, by the way, is often on their way home from the mountains. In the winter, expect to see the parking lot full of cars topped with ski racks. In the summer, expect to see backpacks and kayaks. (Read our profile of North Fork Brewing.)

Bellingham
The next stop on your tour is Bellingham, where there are two breweries and one outstanding beer bar to visit. If you’ve stayed on schedule you will be rolling into Bellingham in the late afternoon—a good time check into your hotel/motel if you plan to spend the night (and we think you should). Take a nap. Let your designated driver finally crack into one of those growlers you filled earlier in the day. Relax for a bit and get ready to hit the town. We’ve provide some lodging options at the end of the story.

You should eat dinner at one of the breweries. They both have excellent food. You’ll have to decide which kind of beer you want to drink with your dinner. Chuckanut makes fabulous German-style lagers and Boundary Bay brews up some of the Northwest’s best ales. We recommend the food, as well as the beer, at either.

Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro – Boundary Bay is more than a restaurant, bar and brewery, it is an integral part of the community. They recently sponsored (and hosted) the first-ever Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade and are deeply involved with the upcoming April Brews Day beer festival, which happens right across the street. Great beer, great food and a great vibe.

Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro.

Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen – They’re new to the Bellingham scene, having opened less than two years ago. As we reported in October, Chuckanut hauled in some serious hardware at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival. While most savvy beer travelers have been to Boundary Bay, significantly fewer have been to Chuckanut.

The Green Frog Cafe Acoustic Tavern — Catch a show, if you can. At the Green Frog they do live music and craft beer. And they do them both very, very well. You will find an exceedingly well-selected choice of beers. The Green Frog has a reputation for attracting musical talent that makes much larger venues green with envy. At the Green Frog, people don’t play pool or darts, they play guitar. There is a wall of acoustic guitars waiting for you and you are welcome to take one down and serenade the crowd (as long as nobody is performing on stage, that is).

Hit the Green Frog before the crowd and you might be lucky enough to land a seat at the bar, where the bar stools are fashioned out of tractor seats. A farmer’s butt often spends all day sitting on a tractor; therefore, a great deal of engineering effort goes into the design of tractor seats. Since farmers and beer drinkers often have similarly proportioned derrieres, tractor seats work exceedingly well for long bouts of beer drinking. I speak from experience.

Sunday

After you’ve checked out of your hotel, find breakfast. It won’t be hard. Bellingham has a lot of great breakfast spots. We recommend heading towards the Fairhaven district for breakfast, since that’s the direction you’ll headed anyway. At the end of this story we list some options in the Tips/Suggestions section.

From Bellingham, head south on Chuckanut Drive – Highway 11. Arguably one of the most scenic drives in the state, Chuckanut Drive is a great way to get to the Skagit Valley from Bellingham. This winding road hugs the shore along Chuckanut Mountain. For you geologists, “Chuckanut” actually refers to a range of mountains—a range that is within the Cascade Mountains and is the only place where the Cascade Mountains come far enough west to meet the sea.

As if that geological factoid isn’t enough useless knowledge, you should know that during prohibition this route was particularly dangerous after dark, when bootleggers ruled the road, protecting the coves and beaches where clandestine shipments of booze frequently arrived from nearby Canada.

Eventually Chuckanut Drive straightens out. You have now hit the northern edge of the Skagit Valley. Instead of giving you an itinerary, we’ll just give you suggestions and let you find your own way. We will, however, present these suggestions as a path. It isn’t likely you’ll be able to make it to all of these places, but you can try.

The Breadfarm – From Chuckanut Drive (Highway 11), go west on Bow Hill Road. Not only will this lead you to the Breadfarm, it is the route to Anacortes and LaConner. To make bread, you need grains and yeast. Sound familiar?

After leaving Chuckanut Drive you will quickly enter the small, charming burg of Edison. In the heart of downtown (it’s tiny) you’ll find the Breadfarm Bakery. This is an amazing bakery, but don’t take my word for it. Find out for yourself.

From the Breadfarm, continue through town and follow Bayview-Edison Road. It will take you through farm lands and wet lands before intersecting with Highway 20. From this intersection, go straight across the highway to LaConner and the tulip fields, or turn right and head for Anacortes.

Anacortes Brewery/Rock Fish Grill – Located in the heart of old downtown Anacortes and you likely will not have to fight a crowd here on a Sunday afternoon. They have a wide variety of beers for you to sample. The menu is diverse as well, but I always end up getting the pizza.

Anacortes Brewery - Rockfish Grill.

LaConner Brewing – This time of year, downtown LaConner can be a bit of a mad house. Don’t let that frighten you. It’s small and easily navigated on foot. At the brewpub, expect to find LaConner’s regular line up of beers, perhaps a seasonal selection or two, and very tasty wood fired pizza.

Tulips – I don’t need to tell you how to find these. You’ll see them on your way to Mt. Vernon, the next and final stop on our tour.

Skagit River Brewery – Many of us are familiar with Skagit Brewing’s Sculler’s IPA, but they have many more selections that are less familiar to us southerners. Consider trying a DelRio Lager, a surprisingly tasty “light” craft beer. Wood-fired pizza seems to be a theme in this neck of the woods, but consider trying their cherry wood smoked ribs. Want a real treat? Order up a Pub Burger, cooked on a cast iron grill in the wood-fired oven.

The Porterhouse – Maybe you want a wider selection of beer. Maybe you’ve had enough with breweries for the weekend. For beer geeks, the Porterhouse cannot be missed when you’re in Mount Vernon. Like their newer, sister pub in West Seattle, the Porterhouse in Mount Vernon has a delicious menu and an extremely well thought-out tap list.

It’s late in the day now. You’ve had quite a weekend. Your belly is full. Hopefully you’ve filled a couple growlers for your designated driver and your friends back home. There’s nothing left to do but jump back on I-5 and head south. Thank your designated driver kindly, tip your servers generously, and tell them all that the Blog sent you.

Suggestions/Tips

Lodging in Bellingham:

Hotel Bellweather – This is kind of fancy, but not really. It’s not the Motel 6, but it’s not the Four Seasons either. It’s down by the  marina on Bellingham Bay – About .5 miles (or less) from Chuckanut, about .75 miles from Boundary Bay.  http://www.hotelbellwether.com

Coachman Inn Motel – This is your budget option. It is highly rated on tripadvisor.com. You won’t be overly impressed, but you will not be disappointed either. It is about 1.2 miles from Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro. About 1.5 miles from Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen. http://www.coachmaninnmotel.com

Breakfast on the way out of Bellingham:

Harris Ave. Cafe  – Like we said, a very solid breakfast. This place is connected to Tony’s coffee. http://www.yelp.com/biz/harris-avenue-cafe-bellingham

Skylark’s Hidden Cafe – Very tasty. The portions are not skimpy. Enough said. http://www.skylarkshiddencafe.com

Chuckanut Manor – If you can hold off for a little bit, the Chuckanut Manor (approximately 20-30 minutes south of Bellingham on Chuckanut Drive) has a lovely Sunday brunch. http://www.chuckanutmanor.com

In this story, we’ll explore the beer scene in Palm Springs and head west to one of California’s brightest, newest brewing stars: an up-and-coming brewery in Redlands.

A horse with no name

We visited two grocery stores in Palm Springs, Alberstons and Ralph’s, where we found a decent selection of craft beer. We immediately stocked the fridge with good beer. If you go to Palm Springs, we advise you do the same.

Firestone Walker was just about the only impressive draft beer we found in Palm Springs. Why Firestone Walker? I do not know for certain why they seem to have a foot in the door that other craft beers do not. I have a hunch, though. After four days in the desert sun, you won’t care if it rolled of the back of a Budweiser truck, you’ll just be glad to drink such good beer. (Speculation based on observation. I won’t pretend to have researched it.)

NYPD Brew

We enjoyed Firestone Walker DPA at a pizza place called NYPD, which stands for New York Pizza Delivery. Clever. It is located in the heart of Palm Springs on South Palm Canyon Drive (the main drag). The beer lineup included a full compliment of Anheuser-Busch beers, plus Firestone Walker DBA, Widmere Hefeweisen, and Kona Longboard Lager. Like I said, I have a hunch the A-B distributor runs the show around here.

The bartender told us Firestone Walker was on tap at a couple other places around town, but otherwise knew nothing about beer. The music was loud and the X Games were on the tube. We would gladly drink at NYPD again, assuming they continue to have at least one solid craft beer option. While there, we were entertained by some hard-drinkin’ retired cops. Perhaps they didn’t get the memo about the Pizza Delivery thing and thought this was a cop bar. Perhaps we didn’t get the memo and it was. Whatever the case, we like this place.

God save the Queen

Quite near NYPD we found Hair of the Dog – the only English pub in Palm Springs. This, we thought, would be a good place to get good draft beer. At Hair of the Dog we found Bass, Boddingtons, Newcastle and Guinness. The craft beer selection included New Belgium Fat Tire, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Widmere Hefeweizen and Widmere Drop Top Amber.

While Hair of the Dog was a perfectly peachy place to tip a pint and watch a rugby match on the tellie, it seemed like it was our duty to Queen and county to move along and continue our noble quest for good beer farther down the road.

The Village Idiot

In most places, pub means beer. Around Seattle, it frequently means lots of beer. With that in mind, we paid a visit to the Village Pub. Like the previous two bars, it’s on the main drag in downtown Palm Springs.

This is a casual place where they play classic rock way too loud, earning them an immediate smiley face in our travel book. After dinner, the crowd turns over and bouncers show up at the door. On this Friday night, the Village Pub was replete with women dressed in clothes that were both age and weight inappropriate, and hootin’-n-hollerin’ local boys who seemed to like it that way. The boys pounded down yellow beers and the girls sucked on tall drinks with long straws. The band –the same band that’s been playing the Village Pub twice a week for 11 years– pretty much rocked the house, cranking out classic rock favorites.

At the Village Pub, we found a house beer called Village Idiot Ale – a perfectly serviceable amber. It was a simple beer and not at all offensive. It was not overly sweet nor was it overly hopped. It was entirely unsucky. It was surprisingly consumable.

I asked, “Who makes this beer for you?” Our server did not know and apparently figured nobody else working at the bar would either. From the look on his face, I’ll assume it was brewed by Deer in Headlights Brewing. Seriously, you’d think I was the first person to ever ask the question. Maybe I was.

Is that a mirage?

Twenty minutes to the east of Palm Springs, in Rancho Mirage, there is a Yard House Restaurant – a national franchise that offers 150 draft beers. Reviews on Ratebeer.com suggested that we should not waste the gas or time. As one reviewer said, “Every imaginable brand of American swill, Euro swill, and a few flagship beers from America’s largest craft breweries.” Been there, done that.

Still farther to the east, in the sprawling suburban metropolis of Indio, you will find Back Street Brewing (Lamp Post Pizza). It is very new. Everything in Indio is very new. Quite by accident, we drove through Indio on our way back from Joshua Tree National Park. I swear, the entire city looks like it dropped from outer space two years ago. It frightened us.

We learned that Back Street is a chain of breweries in Southern California that recently took over a place called Lamp Post Pizza. We read some less-than-favorable reviews of the place and the beer – overpriced, uninspired beers. Still, they say there is a brewery in Indio. Someone braver than I will have to confirm it.

At last, an oasis

There was still hope. We’d heard fables of a brewery beyond the San Jacinto Mountains. Seeking nothing more than a meaningful beer experience in what was beginning to seem like a barren badlands of beerlessness, we pointed our rental car west on Interstate 10 and headed out for Redlands, just 40 minutes from Palm Springs. Ah, Redlands, CA. “Where the beer flows like wine and beautiful women flock instinctively like the salmon of Capistrano.” (From the movie Dumb and Dumber)

We found a great brewery in Redlands – Hangar 24 Brewing. (Pictures below.) As the name might suggest, they’re out at the airport. Hangar 24 was founded by Ben Cook, a graduate of the UC-Davis Master Brewers Program, a pilot, and an impressive entrepreneur. The brewery is growing. They opened in March 2008 and produced 1,100 barrels that year. In 2009, they more than quadrupled that number.

The person brewing the beer at Hangar 24 is Kevin Wright. When we visited, neither Kevin or Ben were available. Apparently they were on their way to England to accept an award. Kevin won the J.S. Ford Award, given annually to the earner of the top score in the London-based Institute of Brewing and Distilling’s general certificate in brewing exam. Cheers to that!

We arrived at about 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon and found their taproom overflowing into the parking lot. This place was rockin. Hangar 24 was the place to be in Redlands, CA. The endless stream of locals coming in to fill growlers was amazing. They sell bottles, growlers and kegs to go. And they sell a lot of them. We must have seen them fill 30-50 growlers in the time we were there.  A pick-up truck backed up to the garage and loaded 10 cases of bottles.

Hanger 24 offers a full compliment of beers. We were particularly impressed by the Porter, which was robust and full-bodied. Not quite an imperial, but big. Their Pale Ale and their IPA did not disappoint. My favorite was the Helles Lager. Kim’s favorite was the IPA.

Get out of your comfort zone

Renowned travel author Rick Steves says that in order to have a truly great travel experience you need to get out of your comfort zone. While he might be talking about eating strange foreign foods and trying to communicate without the luxury of a common language, for me getting out of my comfort zone involves fruited beer.

You literally drive through orange groves getting to Hangar 24. This is the Inland Empire, after all. To pay homage to the agricultural history of the area, Hangar 24 produces an Orange Wheat ale. I believe they consider it their flagship. It’s good. I mean, it’s really good. It was perfectly balanced, with just enough orange to make the point. It was refreshing and effervescent.  Because an Orange Wheat ale is so far from my comfort zone, and is something I would usually choose to avoid, I might need to revisit this one to make sure it is as good as I remember.

The grass is always greener

We met some really nice people at Hangar 24. Some local guys, who seemed to know a little bit about beer, were quite interested to learn that we were from Washington. They raved on and on about their great California beer. They were fans of Stone, Firestone Walker, Port Brewing and Lost Abbey, and some other breweries with which we were less familiar.

We told them that we drank those great California beers in Seattle. We also told them that there were plenty of people in Seattle who thought California beer was better than Washington beer.  That’s when one of the guys began to tell us about an amazing beer that he drinks every time he’s in Seattle. He claimed that it is better than any beer he’d had in California. He raved about this magnificent, mysterious beer from a distant land. He lit up when he talked about it like he was talking about his first real girlfriend.

We quizzed him.

He didn’t remember the name of the beer. All he could remember is that he drank it in a couple of different bars and that his buddy had to bring it home in growlers because you can’t get it in bottles. The only other thing he remembered about this amazing beer was something about Africa and a lion.

We never did figure out what beer he was talking about.

In the end

Our advice? Don’t worry too terribly much about beer when you visit Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. Stock the fridge so you have something to drink at day’s end. If you’ve got a car, go find a brewery somwhere. Obviously we recommend Hangar 24. Go to Joshua Tree National Park. It’s amazing. Hike Palm Canyon. Take the tram to the top of the mountain. Ride bikes. Swim. Lay in the sun. Eat breakfast on the patio at 8:30 a.m. in January. Do all those things that you cannot do here in Washington.

The beer will be waiting for you at home.

Heading across the Narrow’s Bridge? Stop by 7 Seas Brewing in Gig Harbor. The tasting room is open from 12:00-6:00 on Saturday and Sunday. To find 7 Seas, find the Inn at Gig Harbor. From Hwy. 16 take the Olympic Dr. NW exit. Turn left onto Olympic View Dr. (if you are headed towards Strangebrew. Turn right if you are coming from Strangebrew). Take the first right onto Point Fosdick Dr. Follow that road to the Inn at Gig Harbor. Drive right through the Inn’s parking lot to the big water tower and you’re there. 3207 57th ST CT NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Taking the ferry to/from Kingston? Consider planning a visit to the Hood Canal Brewery. From the Kingston ferry terminal, travel about 4 miles west on Highway 104. Where the highway bends hard to the right, stay straight onto Bond Road (Hwy 307). Coming from Strangebrew, a few miles past Port Gamble turn right onto Bond Road. You are there. 26449 Bond Rd NE, Kingston, WA 98346

Taking the ferry to/from Winslow (Bainbridge)? If you haven’t been, you’ll be surprised by the size of the operation at Silver City Brewing’s pub. The large, freestanding pub/restaurant is very easy to find. Just head for the Kitsap Mall, just off Hwy 3 north of Bremerton. Silver City is located across the parking lot from the Kitsap Mall. It is north-east of the mall, near the corner of NW Myhre Rd and Silverdale Way. Stop in, sample a beer and get some food. Saturday 11:00-11:00, Sunday 11:00-9:00. 2799 NW Myher Rd., Silverdale, WA 98383.

Are you even more adventurous? Consider taking Hwy. 101 to or from Strangebrew and include a trip through Shelton to visit Grove Street Brewing, one of Washington’s newer breweries. They are located in the heart of downtown Shelton, right along the highway, at the corner of Grove Street and First Street. 233 S. First St. Shelton, WA. Saturday open from 2:00-10:00, Sunday 2:00-8:00.

And while you’re there… No trip to Port Townsend would be complete without a visit to Port Townsend Brewing. As you come into town, and you come down the hill, you will see a bunch of boats (a shipyard) on the right. It’s across from the Safeway. Turn right at the light. You’re there. Only open Saturday, noon – 7:00. 330 10th Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368.

Ye Old Beer Cruiser in Chilliwack, BC

UPDATE: We have named a winner in our Facebook contest. Lorraine -a.k.a. the Beveridge Place Beer Goddess- was the very first person to guess and she got it exactly right. Behold the awesome power of Lorraine. This was not rigged. It kind of freaks me out, actually. She’s got powers, or something. The complete list of breweries is below.

We put a lot of miles on the Washington Beer Cruiser in 2009. From Whistler, BC to Milton-Freewater, OR, we crossed borders and visited exotic lands. From Neah Bay to Walla Walla, we traveled interstates and back roads to meet interesting people and drink beer with them. We’d be lying if we said that the purpose of each adventure was the pursuit of good beer, but wherever we go we seem to find a way to make it about beer.

I just did some math and the total for 2009  is somewhere around 3,400 miles. That’s a conservative estimate and does not include a lot of local trips to places like Mukilteo, Tacoma, and Snoqualmie. Along the way we visited a total of 42 breweries. We wrote about many of them here on the Washington Beer Blog.

Here is the list of the breweries we visited in 2009:

1. 7 Seas Brewing
2. Alpine Brewing
3. Baron Brewing
4. Big Al Brewing
5. Big Horse Brewing
6. Big Time Brewing
7. Black Raven
8. Boundary Bay Brewing
9. Cashmere Brewing
10. Chuckanut Brewing
11. Diamond Knot Brewing
12. Dick’s Brewing
13. Double Mountain Brewing
14. Elliott Bay Brewing
15. Everybody’s Brewing
16. Flyers Brewing
17. Full Sail Brewing
18. Georgetown Brewing
19. Grove Street Brewing
20. Iron Horse Brewing
21. Naked City Brewing
22. North Fork Brewing
23. Old York Brewing
24. Pike Brewing
25. Port Townsend Brewing
26. Ram Brewing U Village
27. Rock Bottom Brewing Bellevue
28. Roslyn Brewing
29. Salmon Creek Brewing
30. Schooner Exact Brewing
31. Silver City Brewing
32. Skagit River Brewing
33. Snipes Mountain Brewing
34. Snoqualmie Falls Brewing
35. Trade Route Brewing
36. Two Beers Brewing
37. Walking Man Brewing
38. Walla Walla Brewers
39. Water Street Brewing
40. Whistler Brewing
41. Whitstran Brewing
42. Yakima Craft Brewing

This is the final installment in our series of reports on our recent trip to the Columbia Gorge. Our previous post talked about the breweries on the Washington side of the river (Walking Man and Everybody’s Brewing). In this post, we’ll talk about our stay in Hood River, OR.

If you’re going to do the Gorge, there’s no better place to stay than Hood River. A delightful little town with a very cool, young and energetic vibe, it is centrally located for touring the area’s breweries. Hood River is outdoorsy and hip, but it is also just your average small town. It’s where Walmart meets Wilco – where Carhartt meets Patagonia. Downtown is charming and easy to stroll. There are galleries selling local artwork alongside adventure shops selling kayaks and snowboards. Within easy walking distance of each other in downtown Hood River, there are three breweries/brewpubs: Double Mountain, Full Sail and Big Horse.

First, let’s talk about where to stay. We opted to save some money and stay at the Comfort Suites (out by the WalMart, just an $8 cab ride from downtown). This was an affordable room, but also provided us with a free breakfast –not an outstanding breakfast, but a serviceable breakfast. The room was fine. It was clean, which is the most important thing when you’re traveling on the cheap.

Downtown Hood River. Hood River Hotel on the right.

Another recommendation would be the Hood River Hotel. It is a European style, historic hotel located in the heart of downtown. We stopped in and took a look around. It is lovely and the rooms were reasonably priced – more expensive than we’d budgeted for this trip, but certainly not at all out of reach.

Next, let’s talk about food, and then we’ll get to beer. On Saturday night, at the recommendation of someone at one of the breweries, we had dinner at Brian’s Pour House. This place is billed as a sports bar and gastropub. They offer an impressive, thoughtful selection of mostly-local beers, but the food is what will knock your socks off.  This is not normal pub grub. The fried calamari was as good as any I have ever had. For the main course, I had an amazing pasta dish. House smoked duck, seared sausage, roasted root vegetables and mushrooms tossed with rigatoni pasta in a rich duck stock. Kim enjoyed her fish tacos, served with lime cured cabbage, pico de gallo and jalapeno remulade with jasmine rice and salsa. We cannot recommend Brian’s Pour House enough. It was outstanding in every respect.

Now let’s talk about beer. We would be lying if we said that Double Mountain was anything short of our favorite place in town. Three times in two days, we found ourselves enjoying this casual brew pub, which is obviously the favorite choice of the adventuresome locals as well. On Friday night, we stopped by Double Mountain thinking that we’d have a bite to eat, sample a couple beers and then move along. Then we learned that there was going to be live music. Then a very fun and energetic crowd showed up and Mrs. Beer Blog ended up dancing with the rest of the crowd to Tony Smiley, a two-man electronic wonder band. Then we ended up closing the joint. It’s that kind of place.

When you walk through the front door, it is cozy. In addition to tables there are couches. Through a doorway to the right of the bar you will find another, large room. There are moveable tables that are pushed aside to make a dance floor as the night wears on and there are deep, comfy couches. This part of the pub is, basically, a garage. Large garage doors open to the street. This room also houses the brewery.

They have a simple way of doing things here. You must step up to the bar to place your order. If you order food, they’ll come find you once it’s ready. They specialize in Pizza – thin crust, yummy pizza.

The bar at Double Mountain Brewing

The beer is outstanding. I was particularly fond of the IRA (India Red Ale) and the Hop Lava IPA. We’ve noticed that Double Mountain is beginning to have a presence here in the Seattle area; therefore, many of you will have the opportunity to try their beers soon. (They’ll be in town for a brewers night celebration at Naked City on Tuesday, Dec. 15^th and hopefully we’ll be pouring the Double Mountain Fa La La later this month at the Winter Beer Burcham).

On our way to Hood River, someone told us, “If you go to Double Mountain, it will be your new favorite brew pub.” They might be right.

I know that some craft beer aficionados look down their noses at Full Sail. It is a production brewery, after all. In my opinion, the most important thing is that a brewery still cares. Sure, Full Sail might be big, but they still care. They still make some damn good beers. They just make them 1,100 kegs at a time. (Not all of their beers are produced on that scale, but you get my point.) Full Sail is a green business. It is employee owned. I’m sorry if it they’re big, but there’s a lot to like about Full Sail.

The bar at Full Sail.

The Full Sail pub is awesome. The view is outstanding, the food is good, and they’ve got a ton of beer on tap, some of them Full Sail offerings you have likely never even heard of.  In my opinion, any trip to Hood River would be incomplete without a stop at Full Sail.

On the south side of downtown, up against the hill, is a large house that is home to the Big Horse Brewery and Pub. There are a lot of stairs. How old is the house? We didn’t really get a straight answer. We really didn’t learn a lot when we visited. We tried. Although they weren’t busy, perhaps we came at a bad time (9:00 on a Saturday night).

The one thing we did learn is that the beer is very good. I suppose that is the most important thing, right? Seriously, we really liked the beer. After we wrestled a few samples and a couple of pints from the staff, we decided to head back down the street to Double Mountain where we were welcomed warmly and our presence was appreciated.

The next morning we went for a hike and enjoyed the waterfalls of Eagle Creek (you got to do some outdoorsy stuff when you’re down at the Gorge) and then headed for home.

We made one last stop for lunch in Battle Ground, WA and paid a visit to the new Laurelwood Public House. It is brand-spanking new, located in a freshly-spawned suburban village. While the Public House will have a small brewery, our bartender told us that it will only produce seasonal beers. On tap we found the full complement of Laurelwood beers.

Portland's Laurelwood Brewing - the new public house in Battle Ground, WA

After lunch, we put the pedal to the metal and headed north, satisfied that we’d gotten the most we could out of our Thanksgiving weekend.

From Vancouver, Highway 14 (the Lewis and Clark Highway) winds its way east along the Washington side of the Columbia River, passing through small, historic towns. It affords you some spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge as it takes you to the towns of Stevenson and White Salmon – the destinations in this Beer Trails installment, as we visit Walking Man Brewing and Everybody’s Brewing.

Walking Man Brewing

Leaving Vancouver, we ignored the GPS and opted to take the more scenic route to Stevenson. Highway 14 might be slower, but the views of the gorge are amazing. Curves, cliffs, and all, it’s a quick jaunt up the river to Stevenson (about an hour).

Stevenson is a very small town and Walking Man’s pub is very popular. At 3:30 on a Friday afternoon, we were lucky to get seats at the bar. Soon thereafter, the entire place was packed and there were no more seats to be had. This is the place to be in Stevenson. The pub is in the basement of the building. Outside, there is a lovely, rustic beer garden that is much more natural than many beer gardens – this isn’t a roped-off area of a parking lot. There’s grass beneath your feat and bushes at your side. Kim has visited Walking Man Brewing in the summer and she assures me that the beer garden is very popular on warm, sunny days, which are common in Stevenson during the heated months.

The Walking Man theme is everywhere – the familiar pedestrian crossing sign with a beer in hand (familiar to most craft beer aficionados, anyway). The accessibility sign is a similar drawing of a person in a wheelchair with a beer. The handcrafted, wrought iron bar stools include the walking man logo cut into the seat backs. Everything about this pub feels handcrafted and home spun. If you are looking for a bathroom, you will have to decide whether you are a dreamer or a reader, not a man or woman. The two bathrooms are unisex. The pub is warm, cozy and friendly. It’s the kind of place you do not want to leave: you just want to sink deeper and deeper into your seat and your next beer. The food menu includes pizza and very little else, but beer is the real focus here.

Most of us up here in the Puget Sound region are familiar with Pale Strider (pale ale), Homo Erectus (imperial IPA), and Knuckle Dragger (strong pale ale), but Walking Man has a lot more to offer than that. We ordered the complete sample platter. The High Road Scotch Ale was outstanding. The aptly named Old Stumblefoot Barleywine was a favorite as well. I am not normally a fan of fruited beers, but even I liked the Black Cherry Stout.

If you are a fan of Walking Man Brewing, you will be amazed at the diminutive scale of the operation given the impressive stature of the beers they produce. Jacob Leonard, brewer at Walking Man, greeted us and gave us a tour of the brewery. We talked to Jacob a couple of days before we arrived. He informed us that Friday was a better day for us to visit. Saturday was going to be a brew day. Now we understand why he didn’t want us around when they were actually brewing. There isn’t room for visitors on a brew day.

Jacob showing us around the brewery.

The Walking Man brewery is nothing if not efficient. They do amazing things in the space they have. As any truly decent, dedicated and kind brewer will do, Jacob offered us a couple of samples straight off the tanks. We like that. We sampled some of the brown ale, which was still a bit green, but is coming along nicely.

“We’d like to make it up north for the brew festivals in the Seattle area, but it’s not easy,” Jacob tells us. “We’re a small business and it’s logistically difficult. I’d like to be at those events not just to turn people on to our beers but also to enjoy other people’s beers.”

We assured him that the people of the Seattle area would love to see more of Walking Man and pledged to do what we could to help him find volunteers to pour at festivals and places to crash that don’t cost a fortune.

Each year, in June, Walking Man hosts the Blues, Brews and BBQs festival in Stevenson. Great music, great beer, barbequed food, and a free campground. We’ve been told it is an excellent reason to visit Stevenson. I mean, if visiting the Walking Man brewery isn’t enough of a reason for you.

Walking Man Brewing
240 SW First Street
Stevenson WA 98648
(509) 427-5520
map
www.walkingmanbrewing.com

Closed Mon & Tue
4-9 Wed through Fri
3-9 Sat
3-8 Sun

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

Another 30 minutes east of Stevenson on Highway 14 is the town of White Salmon, WA directly across the river from Hood River, Or. The town is actually just a touch north of the highway. Don’t worry. You’ll find it. Just head up the hill into “downtown” White Salmon.

We recently reported that Everybody’s Brewing (open as a pub for the past 13 months) was now brewing beer. Doug Ellenberger and Christine McAleer opened Everybody’s Brewing fully intending it to be a brew pub, but a few roadblocks slowed the process of reaching their ultimate goal.

At this time, the small sign on the door is it. Look for the Goodwill Lodge.

“We’ve had a few delays along the way,” Christine explains. “Including the fire next door that burned an art gallery and some apartments to the ground. That was a close call.”

In July 2009, everything finally came together and they began brewing beer. Doug is the brewmaster. His career as a brewer began in Lafayette, Indiana at the Lafayette Brewing Company. He later moved west where he worked for Full Sail. Most recently, Doug worked for Point Blank Distributors in Portland—a company focused on distributing local beers. Christine has always worked in the service industry as a server and a manager. She manages the front-of-house, Doug manages the brew house.

Lots of wood and lots of light.

“We have a 17-barrrel system,” Christine says. “Doug has decided that it’s better to grow into the system than to just jump straight in and start brewing at full capacity. So we’re bringing things along at a controlled pace. We’ll start distributing before too long.”

When we visited, they had brown ale, porter, pale ale, ESB, two different IPAs, and an oatmeal stout on tap. They also had a beer that they called Common Ale, which was hoppier than many breweries’ IPAs. That one was my favorite. Many of the beers we sampled were first batches. Christine told us that Doug still had to do some dialing in to get some of his recipes in sync with the new 17 bbl brewing system.

Could have fooled us. We thought all of the beers were excellent.

They also have a few other craft beers on tap, mostly from other local breweries. Furthermore, they offer Hamm’s on tap. This is, after all, White Salmon.

The pub is in the center of historic downtown White Salmon. Perched on a hillside a few hundred feet above the river, the pub affords visitors an amazing view of the Columbia River gorge and Mount Hood. They have a large deck with plenty of seating to take advantage of the amazing view.

This picture doesn't do the view much justice, but it might give you an idea.

In its previous lives, the building has been a sporting goods store, an Odd Fellows hall, and who knows what else. Completely remodeled, the space now offers tons of natural light and a lot of wood – beautiful old wooden posts and beams surround you. There is even a full-sized shuffleboard for your gaming pleasure. The remodel makes the space feel new and clean yet there is still plenty of rustic charm.

The food menu consists of salads, sandwiches, burgers, burritos, and seasonal entrées. This is not typical pub grub. For example, how does pumpkin lamb curry or wild mushroom stroganoff sound? Or perhaps some pulled pork nachos. They offer house smoked chicken after 3:00 pm.

And finally… the burger! Kim and I opted to share the hamburger “XXX style.” This big juicy burger included Munster cheese, pickles and peanut butter. It is not something you would think of ordering unless someone recommended it. We are recommending it. It sounds a bit funny, I know, but you just have to trust us. This is a seriously good burger. With sweet potato fries on the side, you cannot go wrong.

Everybody’s Brewing frequently has live music on the weekends. It’s a fun place. I cannot adequately describe the view from the deck. You must see it. Like the Columbia River Gorge in general, it is breathtaking.

Everybody’s Brewing
151 E Jewitt Blvd.
White Salmon, WA
509-637-2774
map
www.everybodysbrewing.com

Tues through Sunday – Noon ‘til close.

Salmon Creek Brewery and Pub

We had long heard about this place but had never stopped in to visit. In 2007 and 2008, Salmon Creek Brewery and Pub won top honors for Best Brew Pub in the NW Brewing News Readers’ Choice awards. They must be doing something right.

Located downtown in old Vancouver, the historic brick building provides a unique atmosphere that is both historic and utilitarian. Vintage copper ceilings and crown moldings do not distract from the working man’s pub feel. A lovely patio divides the building into two separate sections – one side that welcomes children (the restaurant) and one side reserved for grownups (the bar). On a chilly November day we could only imagine how popular the patio must be during the warmer months.

From the street, it almost appears to be two separate businesses.

Larry and Ana Pratt run Salmon Creek Brewery and Pub. Their passion fuels the pub’s success. Larry is a native of Maine and has the accent to prove it. Ana is a native of Croatia. The couple has been married for 23 years. Shortly after introducing herself, Ana says, “I tell people that the secret to a long, happy marriage is,” she pauses, throws up her hands and says, “My husband makes very good beer.” We immediately like this woman. 

We found our way to the back of the building where Larry was waiting for us in the brewery. Like most brew houses we come across, this one had a previous life. This particular seven-barrel system came from the dungeon at Elliott Bay Brewing in West Seattle. Larry produces seven house beers and usually has a couple of seasonal beers -or something special- on tap as well.

The 7 bbl brew house, formerly in the dungeon at Elliott Bay Brewing.

Larry is a Vietnam veteran who served his country in the most difficult of ways. In other words, he got shot up pretty good. He describes it as being the best and worst thing that ever happened. Obviously an optimist, he tells us that his pension has allowed him to pursue his passions. He’s not the kind of man who could ever just sit back and wait for the check to show up, so he’s always worked. After a career with United Airlines, he decided to pursue his passion for good beer.

Larry tells us that it is not an accident that he graduated into professional brewing. “I started out as a home brewer, but I always knew that this is what I wanted to do. Most home brewers just want to make beer for themselves and their friends, make beer for those home brew competitions, but I didn’t care about that. I wanted to make beer for people.”

The diverse selection of Salmon Creek beers ranges from a well-balanced and quaffable IPA to a winter ale made using rum-soaked oak chips. Yes, rum. The Fresh Hop Bitter and the Oktoberfest were both outstanding; however, it was Brother Larry’s Belgian that won my heart. Made with Belgian malts, noble hops and a touch of Belgian candy, Brother Larry’s is an old style Belgian golden ale that weighs in at 8.4% ABV. My wife, Kim, was driving so I was able to sample most of the beers and enjoy a couple of pints with lunch. No, they were not both Brother Larry’s. I was not ready for nap time just yet.

Brother Larry's Belgian Ale - sweet, golden goodness.

We enjoyed the food as well as the beer. The lunch menu is diverse, with a nice selection of salads, sandwiches and delicious-sounding entrées. Kim enjoyed the house chicken salad, which included fresh, warm, roasted chicken. I had the Cuban sandwich – pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese and dill pickle on ciabbata bread. The food was excellent.

We very highly recommend Salmon Creek Brewery and Pub. Larry and Ana will likely be there if you stop by. Make sure you ask to meet them. They are very genuine, warm, and hospitable people. It’s no wonder they’ve won awards for being a great brew pub.

Salmon Creek Brew Pub
108 W Evergreen Blvd
Vancouver, WA 98660
(360) 993-1827
MAP

Monday through Wednesday -12pm to 10pm
Thursday and Friday – 12pm to 11pm
Saturday – 4pm to 10pm

By the Bottle

Right next door to Salmon Creek Brewery and Pub we happened to find By the Bottle, a very nice and well-stock bottle shop. This was an unexpected surprise. The proprietor, Arlene Nuñez, was there and we chatted him up a bit about his business.

“I drive a lot, chasing beer,” he tells us. “I’m the hardest working man in the bottle shop business.”

By the Bottle rivals any of our local Seattle-area bottle shops in terms of selection. Arlene regularly seeks out beers that do not otherwise make it to the Vancouver market. His shelves are filled with things that are familiar to us, but must seem exotic to the locals. Of course, he has an assortment of beers that don’t regularly make it to the Seattle market as well. We grabbed a few bottles and a couple cans of stuff we’d never seen in any of our local joints.

We told Arlene about our road trip and about which breweries and pubs we intended to visit in the coming days. He had valuable advise for us. “You’re going to love Double Mountain. It is going to be your new favorite brew pub,” he said. “Oh, and you’re going to Everybody’s Brewing? You have to get the XXX burger.”

He was the second person to tell us about this burger, though we still didn’t know exactly what it was. He gave us directions to Highway 14 and we headed out for Stevenson, home of Walking Man Brewing – our next destination.

By the Bottle
104 W. Evergreen Blvd.
Vancouver, WA 98660
(360) 696-0012
MAP