Dispatches from the PNW
Hermit crab breweries and a list brought to you by the letter B
One of my favorite terms that I’ve recently come across in beer this year is “hermit crab brewery.” That’s a new brewery that takes over the space — and sometimes even the equipment — of a closed brewery. In an era where more breweries are closing in the US at any time since Prohibition, and yet openings still outpaced closings last year, this is really going to become a trend. Case in point? In the very mature beer scenes of Seattle and Portland, I’ve already visited seven hermit crab breweries since last Saturday.
One in particular, Living Häus Beer Co., is actually the second hermit crab brewery in the same space. The space on the Eastside of Portland first housed The Commons Brewery until they closed in 2017. Within weeks, San Diego’s Modern Times Beer took over the space for a Portland brewery and taproom. That ill-fated effort ended in February of 2022 when the brewery vastly scaled down their operations. A couple months later, Living Häus announced they would launch in the space, which sits on a popular corner that was begging for a taproom in the brewery-dense Rose City. I really enjoyed my visit here, and I’m really rooting for this one to last more than the three and a half and five years of their predecessors.
There are no hermit crab breweries in New York City yet, though there were a couple recent attempts to resurrect brewery spaces that were unsuccessful, including a reboot of Braven’s East Williamsburg space that was scuttled by Covid-19. But it might just be a matter of time in these tumultuous times.
Anyway, this newsletter was hastily put together while on a trip to the West Coast. Last night, I had a couple beers in Seattle with my friend and fellow beer writer Ben Keene, and in the process of talking shop, I came up with an extremely niche piece of content for this week. So, I present to you…
The Top 5 Small American Beer Cities That Start With The Letter B
Here’s the criteria for this list: cities with urbanized areas of less than 150,000 people according to the 2020 census. And obviously, the city must start with the letter B. Those are objective criteria. The rest is subjective. Let’s go!
(5) Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a fast-growing town, and its beer scene is no different. While Bozeman Brewing Company has been a staple in this part of Montana for more than two decades, newcomer Mountains Walking Brewery has put Bozeman on the map among a certain subset of beer nerds for their hazy IPAs, fruited sours, and pastry stouts. Don’t miss Montana Ale Works for a long list of local beers and a stellar meal.
(4) Bellingham, Washington
This underrated college town in Washington State’s northwest corner sits between two well-regarded beer destinations in Seattle and Vancouver. As a result, it packs a punch with its beer scene. Bellingham boasts over a dozen breweries, from Aslan to Kulshan to Wander. On a nice afternoon or evening, head over to Schweinhaus Biergarten for some liters of beer and lots of sausage.
(3) Boulder, Colorado
One could argue that Boulder is practically the birthplace of the modern craft beer movement, as the dearly-departed Boulder Beer Co. (which still lives on as a contract beer brand) got its start here in 1979. The city still plays host to big-name breweries like Avery and Upslope along with smaller noteworthy brewers like the whimsical Finkel & Garf and the trippy VisionQuest Brewery and the stalwart Twisted Pine.
(2) Burlington, Vermont
Vermont’s beer claim to fame has often been rooted in more rural breweries, but the beer in the state’s largest city is nothing to sneeze at. Foam, Zero Gravity, Switchback, and Burlington Beer Co. are just a some of the stops you can make on a brewery crawl through the Queen City. And if you want beer from those breweries outside town, a stop for dinner at The Farmhouse Tap & Grill is a must.
(1) Bend, Oregon
Head to the high desert of Oregon to experience arguably one of the best small town beer scenes in the country. Deschutes got its start here, as did A-B owned 10 Barrel. The well-regarded Boneyard, Crux Fermentation Project, and The Ale Apothecary are here, too. Yet that’s still just scratching the surface of this city, which is also an outdoorsy person’s paradise, where opportunities for hiking, biking, and whitewater rafting abound. Pack a beer for your excursion.
Brewery Tracker
Total brewery count: 3,146
Total breweries visited in 2023: 251
Total breweries visited in Washington: 154
Brewery Visit of the Week
Brewery #3146, Wheelie Pop Brewing, Seattle, Washington (Visited 2-Aug-2023)
Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood is a beer lover’s playground. Within the span of just a few blocks, there are enough breweries to fill a weekend worth of beer-drinking. And yet, just when you think the neighborhood has hit peak brewery, another one opens. Wheelie Pop is among the newest, and visiting last night was just perfect. The Italian Pilsner and Cold IPA were delicious, the staff was friendly, and the vibes were immaculate (it probably helped to foster a chill environment that they were live-streaming last night’s Phish show at MSG). It goes to show that you can still find a niche and draw people to a new brewery even when drinkers aren’t lacking for options. Good on them.
The Weekly Reader
Get a pint from Flagship for donating blood [Ann Marie Barron, Staten Island Advance]
Scholarships are helping to change the face of the beer industry [Kate Bernot, Good Beer Hunting]
Bigots are still hurting Bud Light sales [J. Edward Moreno, NYT]
Happy Pumpkin Beer Season, everyone [Hannah Staab, Vinepair]
One More Thing
I’ve always preached “drink what you like” and have avoiding writing about beer subjectively knowing that everyone’s palate is different. If you know this about me, you can probably picture just how much I cringed when a guy next to me at a brewery in Portland last weekend straight-up refused a suggestion from the bartender, who had asked some questions to help the customer choose a beer. Why did he refuse? Because “the Untappd rating isn’t as high as that other one.”
Please don’t be this guy.
Cheers,
Chris