Tag Archives: kitsapbeer

New brewery planned in West Bremerton

badbulldogsThe former Grainger building across from Safeway could soon be home to Bremerton’s fifth brewery.

Silverdale residents Dave and Dawn Dodge (pictured) bought the Callow Avenue building last year and have applied for licenses to begin brewing in a portion of the 11,000-square-foot space. They hope to launch their Bad Bulldog’s Brewery as early as December.

Dave is a retired Arizona police officer who home brews beer and now works at Sound Brewery in Poulsbo.

“It was a blessing,” Dave said of landing his job at Sound, which has familiarized him with brewing on a commercial scale. “They’ve been really inviting to me.”

14034912_1412432445437392_2110010914126635088_nThe Dodges plan to build out their Bremerton brewery in stages. They’ll start by installing a 3.5-barrel brewing system in the lower level of the building and open a simple tasting room with a patio for outdoor seating.

Later the couple will add a full-scale tasting room one of the building’s street-level storefronts. A bar built around an opening in the floor will allow patrons to sip beers while watching brewers at work below.

Eventually the Dodges hope to transform the entire building into a beer-centric hub. The structure encompasses four separate commercial spaces with individual addresses, giving them plenty of room to experiment. They envision hosting a home brewers collective and perhaps a bottle shop.

It’s an ambitious vision, but Dawn is confident they can pull it off.

“When Dave decides to do something, he does it right,” she said.

Marijuana, not beer, was the Dodges’ initial plan for the building. They owned Emerald Coast Collective on Wheaton Way before it shut down at the end of June along with other medical marijuana dispensaries.

The couple applied for a license to place a recreational marijuana shop in the Grainger building, but were never approved. They joined a class action lawsuit against the Liquor and Cannabis Board with the hope of still landing a license.

If they prevail, Bad Bulldog’s Brewery could share the building with a marijuana store.

Kitsap brewers medal at Washington Beer Awards

wba_007_bwPoulsbo’s Sound Brewery and Silverdale’s Rainy Daze Brewing claimed gold at the Washington Beer Awards this month.

Overall, four Kitsap-based breweries — Sound, Rainy Daze, Silver City Brewery and Bainbridge Brewing —  combined for 13 medals. 

Kitsap breweries made an especially strong showing in Belgian- and Abbey-inspired categories, where Sound picked up three golds.

Rainy Daze won the American-style pale ale category with its Stash Box III.

Here’s the full list of Kitsap medalists:

Other Wheat and Rye Beers

Bronze: Rainy Daze Brewing Co. – Rainy Rye IPA

English Ales

Bronze: Rainy Daze Brewing Co. – English Pale Continue reading →

Hale’s Ales bringing tasting room to Bremerton

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Hale’s Ales left the Kitsap Mall but it’s not leaving Kitsap.

The Seattle-based brewery hopes to open a tasting room in West Bremerton, across the street from Hi-Lo’s 15th Street Cafe. Hale’s applied for a state liquor license Monday at 1509 Wycoff Ave.

hales.logoMike Hale said the brewery already had plans for a satellite distribution and storage warehouse in Bremerton. While setting up the warehouse, Hale and his partners decided they might as well open a “simple tasting room” on the corner.

The taproom could open as early as September.

“It’s a pretty fun building, a pretty fun spot,” Hale said Tuesday.

Hale’s will join Hi-Lo’s at the corner of Wycoff Avenue and 15th Street. An Irish restaurant called Bualadh Bos could also open soon near the intersection.

Hale said the mix of businesses should make for a busy, “beer-centric” hub.

Hale’s Ales closed its Silverdale alehouse in September, after failing to draw enough customers at the mall. Mike and Kathleen Hale, who’ve lived in Kitsap County since 1986, said they wouldn’t rule out another Hale’s location on the peninsula.

Now Silverdale’s loss will be Bremerton’s gain.

Kitsap brewer takes action to defend brand

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 5.15.34 PMWith hundreds of Washington microbreweries producing countless varieties of beer, some trademark conflicts are inevitable.

Kendall Jones of the informative Washington Beer Blog posted this week about one such brand kerfuffle involving a popular Kitsap brewery.

According to Jones, Three Magnets Brewing Co. of Olympia renamed its Rainy Day IPA after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Rainy Daze Brewing Co. of Silverdale.

Rainy Daze owner Mike Montoney told Jones he didn’t want to take legal action against another brewery, but felt it necessary to protect the brand he’s worked to build.

For its part, Three Magnets said the IPA in question was named in honor of Rainy Day Record Co., an iconic store in Olympia. The beer has been renamed 3Mag Rain IPA.

Read the full story on the Washington Beer Blog.

In happier beer news, Rainy Daze just won the Favorite Brew Award at the Gig Harbor Beer Festival for the second year in a row.

Cidery gives fresh spin to Kitsap craft brew scene

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In a county bursting with microbreweries and distilleries, a cidery was only a matter of time.

Homebrewers Joel Atteberry and Melissa Kittrell have stepped up to fill that fresh niche in the local craft beverage market. They recently founded the Bushel & Barrel Ciderhouse, a small cider making operation just north of Poulsbo.

logo with no backgroundWhile still in its “infancy,” Bushel & Barrel’s hard cider is starting to pop up in stores and drinking establishments around the county.

Kittrell said starting the cidery was a way of becoming more involved in the community. Sales of specialty ciders will benefit local charities.

Their business motto is “Micro cidery… macro cause.”

“I have always wanted to find a way to give back to the community that I love so much,” Kittrell said in an email. “The ciderhouse seemed to be a fun way that also added to the growing craft brewing culture that Poulsbo is embracing.”

Bushel & Barrel is making cider in a traditional style.

IMG_20141218_171639“I am striving to create a cider that is similar to and English style cider in craft, but exhibits an off dry and tart flavor from an abundance of granny smith apples,” Kittrell said.

Farmhouse Apple Cider is the cidery’s flagship variety. Kittrell is also producing limited specialty batches, including a hopped cider, and an oak and ginger cider.

Bushel & Barrel doesn’t have a tasting room yet, but you can find the cider on tap at Hare and Hounds Public House and Slippery Pig Brewery in Poulsbo; the Wig Wam Pub in Gorst; and Slaughter County Brewing and the Central Docks in Port in Port Orchard.

Marina Market in Poulsbo carries 22 oz. bottles.

Check the cidery’s page on Facebook for information and updates.

Courtesy images.

Silver City announces major expansion

563799_6944701_ver1.0_640_480Silver City Brewery, already the county’s largest beer maker, is tripling the size of its brewing system, according to a Wednesday news release.

The Bremerton brewery plans to add a new 35-barrel brew house in May to replace the 10-barrel system it’s used since 1996. AAA Metal Fabrication of The Dalles, Oregon, is manufacturing the hardware.

“They do quality work and we can’t wait to employ the new system and continue making great beer for our fans,” Silver City owner Scott Houmes said in the release.

Silver City already installed larger fermentation tanks and bright beer tanks (tanks where beer matures after fermentation) to keep pace with increased output.

The brewery produced about 8,600 barrels (267,000 gallons) last year. The new system could allow Silver City to eventually brew 20,000 barrels annually, said Kurt Larson, director of sales and marketing.

While Silver City has grown, Larson said the brewery is still focused on serving the same Western Washington market.

“The number one goal isn’t to sell more beer,” he said. “The number one goal is to sell beer fresh.”

PrintSilver City is  rolling out new branding and packaging this year.  Larson said the new logos are intended to give the brewery’s offering a “clean and crisp look” that’s easier for customers to find on busy supermarket shelves.

Four Silver City beers — Ridgetop Red Ale, Cold One Pilsner, Ziggy Zoggy Summer Lager and a Sieben Braü, set for release next month — will be offered in 12-ounce cans.

The Sieben Braü is being brewed specially for Seattle Beer Week. Silver City is the first brewery outside Seattle to be invited to brew the official beer for the event, which runs May 7-17.

Bremerton brewery meets fundraising goal

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LoveCraft Brewing Co. felt the love from donors.

The planned downtown Bremerton microbrewery received contributions from more than 300 people on Kickstarter, exceeding its $30,000 fundraising goal before the Monday deadline.

Founders Jesse and Tasha Wilson say the seed money will help them secure financing and launch the business. They hope to have the brewery up-and-running in 2015.

“Our next steps are finding the right location, building it out to our needs and acquiring equipment,” Jesse said in an email.

Jesse Wilson is an Olympic High School and Olympic College graduate who gained brewing experience as an assistant at Port Townsend Brewing Co.

See my previous post about LoveCraft’s plans here.

New Kingston brewery starts pouring Saturday

10469077_632285936869231_1134511466380340708_nA much-anticipated Kingston brewery and taproom is set to begin pouring this weekend.

The aptly-named (given our recent weather) Downpour Brewing plans to open Saturday in the former Sacks Feed building on Highway 104.

Suquamish electrician-turned-brewer Dan Williams and wife Kristen began work on the brewery early this year.

Dan said the Downpour taproom features seating for 30 and bar seating for nine. There’s also a play area for kids and outdoor seating for when the sun reappears.

Nine tap handles will pour a rotation of Downpour’s brews, including an IPA, blond, pale,  stout and SMASH (single malt, single hop),  among other styles.

“We love trying new recipes using fresh local ingredients and experimenting with our standard favorites, substituting different malts and hops to vary the flavor profile,” Dan said in an email.

Downpour will offer its own root beers and cream sodas, a guest hard cider and beers from other microbreweries. Like most microbreweries, Downpour will also provide a selection of snacks and patrons are invited to bring their own food. Menus from local restaurants will be on hand.

For information and updates check the Downpour page on Facebook, visit the brewery website (under development), email downpourbrewing@gmail.com, or call 360-881-0452.

Downpour is the eleventh brewery open in Kitsap County. It joins Hood Canal Brewery in the Kingston area. You can find more local brewery info on our beer page.

Watch for a full story on Downpour in our upcoming Monday edition.

Bremerton native raising money for downtown brewery

lovecraft

Bremerton craft beer drinkers have long craved a brewery in downtown. An Olympic College grad wants to satisfy their thirst.

Jesse Wilson and wife Tasha recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for LoveCraft Brewing Company, a small-batch brewery they plan to locate in the midst of downtown. Their goal is to raise $30,000 by the end of October. As of Wednesday evening, 76 backers had already kicked in close to $9,000.

bruthulhuThe crowdsourced money won’t cover all the costs of launching a brewery, but Jesse said it will give them critical boost.

“It’s enough we can go to a bank with a solid business plan and collateral,” he said.

Jesse, a 2004 Olympic High graduate and 2006 OC graduate, is currently an assistant brewer at Port Townsend Brewing and has previous experience at Hale’s Ales in Seattle. He and Tasha met while working in the craft beer industry.

They like brewing “farmhouse” beers – traditional Belgian and French styles. But Jesse said he also has a lineup of Northwest favorites like IPAs.

When it came to picking a location, the couple saw untapped opportunity in downtown Bremerton. They’re looking for space near Sixth Street and Pacific Avenue.

“We see a lot of potential there,” Jesse said. “It seems like a great place to open a brewery to us.”

LoveCraft would join Kitsap staple Silver City Brewery and Manette’s Der Blokken Brewery in the Bremerton area. An additional eight breweries are scattered across the county, with another set to open in Kingston soon.

If all goes to plan, Jesse believes LoveCraft could be brewing by mid-2015.

“I’m excited to join the ranks of Kitsap brewers,” he said. “I think there’s plenty of room.”

Courtesy images. Inset art by Eric JS Wahlquist.

Check out my Kitsap On Tap coverage from earlier this year and the Sun’s beer page to read more about the county’s brewing scene. You can also find beer news and profiles of every Kitsap brewery here.