Changes at Skookum Brewery – Finalizing the Move

Have you been to the new Skookum Brewery location? Well, we were just there and have some pictures for you. Some news as well.

At the Washington Brewers Festival, on Sunday afternoon, Skookum Brewery had the longest beer line. The truth is, that is probably because of the gravity of the beer they were pouring (the Hopinoscopy weighed in  just north of 9 percent ABV), but I like to think that more and more people are coming to recognize the quality of Skookum Brewery’s beer. It might be the best least-known brewery in Washington. That may change as Skookum Brewery is now poised to expand at its new location in Arlington.

Last weekend Kim and I stopped by the new location near Arlington Municipal Airport to see how things are progressing. Not exactly new but new to us, they moved the tasting room last September. What we found was a large tasting room with a lovely patio area and a big, beautiful, freshly poured concrete pad waiting for a brewhouse. Ron Walcher (owner/brewer/builder) told me that they’ll be moving the brewery to the new location very soon.

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As it is, they still brew at the old location down the road, but no longer use the tasting room there. As much as I enjoyed the bucolic setting of the old place, it was pretty obvious that the constant stream of traffic up and down the shared driveway was probably not entirely appropriate for the location. In other words, it irked the neighbors something fierce. On the bright side, the new location is much easier to find and has food. Bring cash, they don’t accept plastic, but they do have an ATM. From Interstate 5, take Exit 206 (172nd St.) and head east for 2 miles. Turn left on 59th Ave and go a half mile. Skookum Brewery will be on your right. It is right across the street from the airport.

At first blush, the new brewery space seemed over-sized, but talking to Ron I learned that he has plans to expand the operation. He showed me where the brewhouse would be set up and then explained that rest of the concrete pad will host a forest of new stainless steel tanks.


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Ron imagines distributing Skookum Brewery’s beer across the state. He didn’t sound too interested in crossing the border into other states, recognizing that there is plenty of business to be had in Washington.

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No word on exactly when the brewery will be moved and production will begin at the new location, but in the meantime you can stop by and have some of Skookum’s delicious beer and a sandwich as you hang out in the beer garden and listen to the planes come and go. Expect to see some activity there in the very near future. Keep an eye on the Skookum Brewery Facebook page.

Skookum Brewery
17925A 59th Ave NE
Arlington, WA 98223
Map

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