Clark County’s growing beer culture is giving residents dozens more reasons to stay in the ‘Couv to enjoy a pint or two. From Washougal to downtown Vancouver to Ridgefield, the number of breweries has swelled to 18 — with a couple more set to open by year’s end and big hopes for 2016.
“I believe that by 2018 the number will be 30 to 35 breweries,” said Steve Bader, owner of Bader Beer and Wine Supply in Vancouver. “At that level, competition will push that number back to the mid- to high 20s.”
Bader has a front-row seat on the county’s beer boom. His shop has been servicing local brewers since 1992 and has sold enough malt, hops and yeast to homebrewers in the past 12 months to make 45,000 gallons of beer — which equates to Loowit Brewing’s estimated 2015 production.
From sour beer to fresh hop, bourbon barrel-aged to dry hop, wild ales and more, North Bank brewmasters have a style for every beer drinker and those who say they’re not, according to a few of them.
BEER 101
A glossary of a few commonly used beer terms.
ABV: Alcohol by volume.
IBU: International Bittering Units, a measure of bitterness. The higher the IBU, the more bitter the brew.
IPA: India Pale Ale, a complex, “hoppy,” sometimes bitter brew.
“Sessionable”/Session Beer: Lower-alcohol brew suitable for extended periods of drinking.
A big advocate of proving this claim is the man responsible for opening the newest brewery in the county: Bolt Minister. Customers were welcomed to 54°40’ Brewing Co. in Washougal by Minister and co-owner Charlie Hutchins on Oct. 24.
“My mom doesn’t drink beer so, basically, the whole reason I’m in the profession is to find a beer to win my mom over,” Minister said.
At the core of unifying this rapid growth is an ambitious festival schedule.
Ending this year will be Winter Brewfest, held at Esther Short Park from Dec. 11-13. On the schedule for 2016 are the inaugural Irish Brewfest held in March to showcase Irish-themed brews and whiskeys; the spring edition of the Vancouver BrewFest; the Craft Winefest held in June (which is quickly morphing into The Craft Beer & Winefest according to event coordinator, Rusty Hoyle); Vancouver BrewFest’s summer event; and September’s CouvFest NW, which spotlights Clark County breweries.
Additionally, three times a year Drink This! Vancouver holds a pub crawl-style event for makers of craft beverages in downtown and uptown Vancouver (brewery owners outside the area can arrange to bring their wares and set up shop for the night in an area business along the route).
For a snapshot look at current breweries in Clark County, read on:
54°40′ Brewing Co.
Owner: Bolt Minister and Charlie Hutchins.
Specialties: Focusing on sessionable beers like the clean and crisp Kascadia Kolsch — a German-style ale at 4.8 percent ABV, or alcohol by volume, and the big hop aroma of Broken Record IPA without the bitter bomb at 5 percent ABV. Featuring several collaboration beers including SMASH (single malt and single hop), made with Astoria’s Buoy Beer Co.
Food on-site: Bellagios Pizza delivers and occasional rotating food trucks.
Hours: 3 to 10 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 8 p.m. Sundays.
Info: 3801 South Truman St., Suite 1 Washougal; 360-844-5932; www.54-40Brewing.com
Amnesia Brewing
Owner: Kevin King.
Specialties: Twelve taps are filled with six to seven year-round favorites and a cider option. Seasonals round out the lineup, including the recently released Milk of Amnesia — a classic milk stout — and the December return of an old favorite; Copacetic IPA, made with Amarillo and Chinook hops.
Food on-site: Specializes in house-smoked barbecue, with a solid menu of starters, salads and sides.
Hours: 3 p.m. to close Mondays and Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to close Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (at least) Thursdays and Fridays, noon to close Saturday and Sundays.
Info: 1834 Main St., Washougal, 360-335-1008, www.amnesiabrews.com
Barrel Mountain Brewing
Owner: Troy Steigman.
Specialties: Steigman prefers small-batch beers as opposed to a seasonal program. The 15-barrel system brewhouse is pumping out tried-and-true sessionable beers like No Bad Days IPA, Ash Cloud Amber, Be Happy Hefe and Peak Freak Pale. A yet-to-be named (as of press time) stout was recently tapped.
Food on-site: Made-from-scratch lunch and dinner.
Hours: Noon to 11 p.m. daily.
Info: 607 E. Main St., Battle Ground, 360-342-8111, facebook.com/SilverStarBrewing.
Beerded Brothers Brewing
Owner: Max Scudder.
Specialties: Scudder brews small batches with his one-barrel system out of a shop in east Vancouver. Black Beerd IPA and Papa J Bear Stout round out the three-beer selection with his smooth signature beer, Agave Amber Ale, on tap at several Vancouver restaurants and bars, as well as by the bottle at a handful of Clark County markets. Scudder is also expanding in Western Washington.
Food on-site: No
Hours: Production nanobrewery pouring at Vancouver Farmers Market and area festivals.
Info: 15005 N.E. 26 St., Vancouver, 360-606-5806, www.beerdedbrothers.com
Brother Ass Brewing
Owner: Wally and Liz Wakeman.
Specialties: Wakeman proves small is beautiful as he grows the hops for his Fresh Peril Fresh Hop IPA, uses Vancouver’s Relevant Coffee for his Stiff Back Stout Heart and sources local blueberries for his Uncle Albert Farmhouse Blueberry Ale. Seven beers on tap and rotating at over a dozen area restaurants and taprooms.
Food on-site: No
Hours: 4 to 7 p.m. Thursdays and by appointment
Info: 11700 N.E. 54 Court, Vancouver, 360-607-3275, www.brotherassbrewing.com
Doomsday Brewing
Owners: Erik Cloe and Jake Walton.
Specialties: One of nine unique brews — Beatdown Beet Wheat — derives its color and earthiness from a crate of beets. Six seasonals include an off-the-charts 170 IBU Come at Me Bro! Double IPA for the extreme hop head and their sour beer intro, Project Mayhem Raspberry Berliner Weisse.
Food on-site: Six different hotdogs start with a quarter-pound German sausage (tofu option available); pizza-by-the-slice; and a weekly food special.
Hours: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Info: 421 C St., Washougal, 360-335-9909, www.doomsdaybrewing.com
Fortside Brewing
Owners: Mike DiFabio and Mark Doleski.
Specialties: Looking to promote the “fort side” (i.e. north side of the Columbia River), all eight taps celebrate and elevate Vancouver’s beer culture. They include the recently released barrel-aged Kanaka Saison, their fresh-hopped Straight Outta Yakima and Couve A’licious — an American brown ale.
Food on-site: Rotating food trucks
Hours: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays
Info: 2200 N.E. Andresen Road, Vancouver, 360-524-4692, www.fortsidebrewing.com
Ghost Runners Brewery
Owners: Jeff Seibel and Rob Ziebell.
Specialties: A running-inspired company that utilizes locally made Marks Design stainless steel brewing tanks. “We make stouts and hoppy-piney IPAs and stouts but are introducing Saison and Belgium ales and darks. You’ll see a lot of Belgium style from Ghost Runners,” Seibel said.
Food on-site: Outside food welcome; food trucks on Thursdays and Fridays.
Hours: 4:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 to 7 p.m. Saturdays.
Info: 4216 N.E. Minnehaha St., No. 108, Vancouver, 360-989-3912, www.ghostrunnersbrewery.com
Heathen Brewing
Owners: Sonny Parsons and Rodney Stryker.
Specialties: Hoppy-style IPAs, pale IPAs, heavy sour beer program and barrel-aged using a broad spectrum from gin to white wine, red wine, rye whiskey and rye bourbon.
Food on-site: Full restaurant at Feral Public House open for brunch on Sunday and lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Hours: The brewery is open for tastings 4 to 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 1 to 7 p.m. Saturdays. Feral Public House open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Thursdays through Saturdays.
Info: The Brewery: 5612 N.E. 119 St., Vancouver, 360-601-7454; Feral Public House: 1109 Washington St., Vancouver, 360-836-5255, www.heathenbrewing.com
Loowit Brewing
Owners: Devon Bray and Thomas Poffenroth.
Specialties: Brewing abilities allow Loowit to span the spectrum of beer styles from Irish-style red ale to historic German styles to Northwest style IPAs. Flagship beer: Shadow Ninja IPA.
Food on-site: Bar snacks and occasional food trucks.
Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 4 to 10 p.m. Fridays, 2 to 10 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 8 p.m. Sundays.
Info: 507 Columbia St., Vancouver, 360-566-2323, www.loowitbrewing.com
Mill City Brew Werks
Owner: Mark Zech.
Specialties: IPAs such as Alpha IPA at 7.1 percent ABV or Log Splitter IPA, which is 10 percent ABV. Citra Pale Ale is popular for lighter beer drinkers and the inclusion of stouts shows Mill City’s wide-ranging capabilities.
Food on-site: Upscale Gastro Pub sources locally for a varied lunch and dinner menu that appeals to meat lovers, vegetarians and children.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Info: 339 N.E. Cedar St., Camas, 360-210-4761, www.mcbwbeer.com
Mt. Tabor Brewing
Owner: Eric Surface.
Specialties: Surface has plans to relocate to a much-larger Felida space in June 2016. Specializing in approachable beers in the 4.5 to 6.5 ABV range, their SMASH series (single-malt and single-hop ales) is a crowd favorite, as is the P5 Pale Ale — their flagship ale that pays tribute to Mile Post 5 erected on Mt. Tabor in 1854. The current location has 20-plus beers on a 12-tap rotation. New Felida location will increase to 20-27 taps being created in a Portland production facility.
Food on-site: Order in from nearby Tommy O’s menu. Felida facility will feature a full restaurant.
Hours: 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, 4 p.m. to close (typically 9:30 p.m.) Fridays.
Info: 113 W. Ninth St., Vancouver, 360-696-5521, www.mttaborbrewing.com
Northwood Public House and Brewery
Owners: Eric and Paula Starr.
Specialties: On-site nano-brewery, Little Dipper Brewing Company, strives to keep 10 percent ABV flagship beer, The Village Idiot Imperial IPA, on rotation. Brewers are also excited about their Need of the Many Bourbon Barrel-Aged Vulcan Imperial Stout that pays homage to Leonard Nimoy and is set to be released on Jan. 6 — the last day of their Twelve Beers of Christmas event.
Food on-site: Substantial lunch and dinner menu includes burgers, seafood, pasta, salads and much more.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Info: 1401 S.E. Rasmussen Blvd., Battle Ground, 360-723-0937, www.northwoodpublichouse.com
Old Ivy Brewery and Taproom
Owner: Dave Nunez.
Specialties: Conventional-style beers such as IPA, pale ale, red ale and porter dominate, but Old Ivy bumps up brown ale with more grain to make it a Russian imperial stout, and offers an imperial brown ale brewed with figs to shake things up. Some beers also aged in oak chips.
Food on-site: Winner of CouvFest NW’s gourmet burger category. From scratch lunch and dinner menu.
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Info: 108 W. Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver, 360-993-1827, www.oldivybrewery.com
Rail Side Brewing
Owner: Anna Davis Postrozny.
Specialties: Known for excellent IPAs and pale ales. RSB Cherry Stout and Tinder Box Porter are two popular brews.
Food on-site: Nachos, Reuben sandwiches, pizza.
Hours: 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 3 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Info: 309 N.E. 76th St., Vancouver, 360-907-8582, www.railsidebrewing.com
Trap Door Brewing
Owners: Bryan Shull, Dave Forster, Zane Shull Singleton and Zakary Shull Singleton.
Specialties: Debuting a Co-Hop program to encourage the community to grow and harvest local hops to be crafted into special brews each fall. Two beers on tap: Currantly Walter — a blend of Finn River Cider and Walter Wheat Ale — and Tiger Trap Coffee Stout, made with Vancouver’s Paper Tiger Coffee.
Food on-site: Food cart pod, with three carts to choose from.
Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4 to 11 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 1 to 8 p.m. Sundays.
Info: 2315 Main St., Vancouver, 360-314-6966, www.trapdoorbrewing.com
Trusty Brewing Company
Formerly Dirty Hands Brewing. No updated information as of press time.
114 E. Evergreen Blvd, Vancouver, 360-258-0413, www.trustybrewing.com
West Highland Brewing
Owners: Don Stewart and Sam Simms
Specialties: Focusing on mildly hopped brews. Mango Moon Ale and Almond Roca Stout are top sellers, but others include Battle Ground Market IPA, Morning Mist Ale, Michel’s Brown and Scottish Ale.
Food on-site: No.
Hours: Appointment only. Distributing locally. Booth at Battle Ground Village Outdoor Market seasonally.
Info: 18012 N.E. 22 Way, Vancouver, 360-433-7147. facebook.com/WestHighlandBrewingCompany
