After Buoy Beer Company won double gold for its Helles Lager at Sip Magazine’s 2017 Best of The Northwest competition, it started self-distributing beers to a handful of Washington-area accounts. As demand grew in the years following, they decided it was time to create their own distribution company to grow into the market. River Barrel Distributing was established in 2020 to help bolster the presence of Buoy Beer and its sister company, Pilot House Distilling, in accounts throughout the Puget Sound area. Since then, the distributor has been expanding its portfolio with other regional producers. River Barrel’s portfolio includes Buoy
Whether you’re a skim, two percent, or whole milk drinker, Jan. 11 is a day to celebrate anything and everything milk. It’s National Milk Day and, of course, Peaks & Pints celebrates with a flight of milk stouts — a flight we call Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: National Milk Day. ‘Milk stouts originated in Europe in the 1800s. The style emphasizes a malty sweetness with hints of chocolate and caramel. They are sometimes called cream stouts or sweet stouts. Brewers intensified the dark, chocolaty malt body with lactose, the sugar in cow’s milk, hence why they’re more often called
Fermentation, at its most basic, is the process by which yeast eat sugars found in wort and convert them into alcohol. Wort is liquid that contains grain sugars and is nutrient rich, that is then fermented with microorganisms to make beer. In typical modern brewing wort is transferred to a stainless-steel tank where it’s carefully inoculated by a single yeast culture. Depending on the type of beer, and a brewery’s preferred processes, after primary fermentation beer may be either packaged and sold, or it may undergo additional cold conditioning or lagering, also typically in stainless steel. In a barrel-aged beer,
Hemingway drank it in doubles and Bluebeard pirated the seven seas fueled on the stuff. It’s rum, and it’s having a day at Peaks & Pints. Rum is said to have originated in the Caribbean island of Barbados in the 17th century. Since then, it has made its way around the world, becoming one of the most versatile and beloved spirits. Rum is an alcoholic distillate from the fermented juice of sugarcane, sugarcane syrup, sugarcane molasses, and other sugarcane by-products, produced at no less than 190 proof in such manner that distillate possess the taste, aroma and characteristic generally attributed
Apples were among some of the first crops grown in colonial America. Potted seedlings and bags of apple seeds were brought over on the Mayflower. The Bible-thumping Puritans were not teetotalers. Apple orchards in colonial America usually meant one thing: hard cider. Apples flourished in the fertile soil and friendly climate, and soon apples were a key part of most colonial farms and menus. A thirst for beer and the introduction of prohibition laws meant hard cider became an almost forgotten beverage, but it is currently undergoing a revival with small producers and large booze brands all getting in on
You fancy, Deschutes The Abyss! Peaks and Pints Fancy Pants Sunday: Deschutes The Abyss Named for a sharp hook in the Deschutes River in Central Oregon’s high desert, the city of Bend was the abyss; decades ago, it was a bump on the state highway between golf resorts Black Butte Ranch and Sunriver. Lumber ruled the roost until the two large timber mills closed in 1994. Then, Californian Gary Fish opened Deschutes Brewery in downtown Bend on Bond Street, back when Bond Street was the abyss. Deschutes has since grown to become one of the United
Today, the Peaks & Pints bartenders will pour 20.5-percent cocktails — but the plotline thickens with apple wine, which is essentially apple juice that has gone through the same process as you would making wine. Craftwell Cocktails blends apple wine with real fruit and ingredients to recreate the cocktail experience. The Oregon-based team behind 2 Towns Ciderhouse created Craftwell Cocktails, prioritizing taste above all else. The ready-to-drink Craftwell Cocktails rely on the expertise developed over a dozen years using real fruit to make their cider. The initial launch featured four distinct flavors — Pineapple Margarita, Grapefruit Paloma, Blueberry Cosmo, and
Peaks and Pints New Beer in Stock 1.6.24 Here are a few of the new beers that arrived at Peaks & Pints this week. Stock up for the next three days of football. Cheers! BEAST AT THE DOOR, Anchorage Brewing: Hazy IPA brewed and dry hopped a supple base with a heavy dose of Superdelic, Nectaron, and Luminosa hops for notes of ripe melon, drippy mango, and bright citrus, 6.4%, 16oz FOGGY GOGGLES, Everybody’s Brewing: Hazy IPA with flavors of honeydew, orange sherbet, and peaches from Galaxy, Simcoe, Azacca, and Ella hops, 6.9%, 16oz GRAPEFRUIT IPA, Fremont Brewing: Brewed with
In 2009, Epic Brewing Company became Utah’s first brewery since prohibition to exclusively brew high-alcohol content beer. Having started an international aquaculture company in Utah in 1992, David Cole and Peter Erickson were no strangers to food and drink (and the art of making them well), so when they teamed up with acclaimed brewmaster and fellow beer geek Kevin Crompton to open epic Brewing in Salt Lake City, they saw rapid growth early in its existence. In 2013, Epic expanded its brewery operations into Colorado by opening a second brewery in the River North District of downtown Denver. The Denver
There’s a wonderful scene in the 2007 documentary American Brew where late British author Michael Jackson (a.k.a. the Beer Hunter) describes a perfect scenario for sipping a dark ale. He’s in a pub, holding a full pint of heavy ale. “This would be even better on a cold night,” he says, “just as the rain is hammering against your windowpanes, and you’re in a nice, comfortable leather chair, and your wife’s gone to bed, and you’ve a got a bit of peace. You can have a bit of beer and some quiet time.” That’s all fine and dandy, but winters
Why do English and toffee go together like Irish and stew? Belgian and waffles? French and fries? (Er, wait, let’s skip that last one.) What’s so freakin’ special about the English and their toffee? Peaks and Pints searched for an answer. Toffee in and of itself isn’t particularly complicated. It’s basically white sugar (or sometimes molasses) with butter and/or salt heated to the point of caramelization. Once the mixture reaches around 300 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s rapidly removed from the heat and poured onto a surface, at which point it cools and hardens (its malleability depends on length of cooling and
Blueberries. Who doesn’t love them? When we can keep the birds from eating the fruit, blueberries are one of the most rewarding edibles in the garden. They don’t take up a huge amount of space, and they are easy to grow in our area, given sun, acid soil, and plenty of water. And the plants are beautiful. Beer purists typically scoff at a brew that incorporates anything into its recipe besides water, malt, hops, and yeast. Offer them a beer with fruit in it and you’re bound to hear a speech on the German Beer Purity Law of 1516. But
You fancy, Oakshire Rye Whiskey Very Ill-Tempered Gnome! Peaks and Pints Fancy Pants Sunday: Oakshire Rye Whiskey Very Ill-Tempered Gnome When Jeff and Chris Althouse founded Oakshire Brewing Co. in 2006 they were the only employees, brewing Original Amber on a four-barrel system under the moniker Willamette Brewery. In 2008, Willamette Brewery became Oakshire Brewing — a name that embodies the strength of an oak and the connection between people and place that is a shire, an old name for a rural county. Today, New Year’s Eve 2023, we chose a special bottle from Oakshire’s Vintage
Let’s face it, 2023 has been a dumpster fire. We could fill an entire novel with all the tragic and unfortunate events that have proved to be a major bummer over the past 12 months, but will instead focus on turning the page, moving on and looking forward to a brighter future. New Year’s Eve is an occasion to drink with friends (if you wanna), to dress up in your nicest duds (if you wanna), to laugh your ass off (if you wanna), and to remember all the good things that happened over the past 12 months (yes, there were
Mosaic first entered the hop market in 2012, thanks to Jason Perrault, a fourth generation hop farmer — and hop breeder — in the Yakima Valley, where his family owns nearly 1,500 acres of hopyards. Perrault’s breeding company, Select Botanicals, is responsible for creating some of the more popular hops in the States, including Simcoe (impressively bitter, deeply floral), and Citra (citrusy, as the name suggests, and grassy, too). The Mosaic breeding program started in 2001, when they crossed a female Simcoe (YCR 14) and a Nugget derived male, which had a linage including Tomahawk, Brewers Gold, Early Green, and
In 2013, J.T. Merryweather and Chris Browhan opened Real Ale Revival, or RaR Brewing, on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland. The two graduates of Cambridge-South Dorchester High School had left the Eastern Shore for college and followed careers elsewhere before taking their homebrewing hobby to the next level, and by next level we mean a professional brewery in an 80-year-old former pool hall and bowling alley with a goal of producing well-balanced American pale ales and Belgian inspired brews 10 barrels at a time. Another round of RaR beer has landed in Tacoma — this time
In 2015, homebrewer and Doctor of Physical Therapy Sean Buchan, homebrewer and microbiologist Chris Washenberger and financier Dan McGuire opened Cerebral Brewing in Denver’s Congress Park neighborhood along the city’s famed Colfax Avenue. The three met at Washenberger’s Denver homebrew club where the idea “to combine scientific methodology with an artistic viewpoint to create extremely drinkable beers spanning a broad spectrum of styles” became a reality. With their scientific background, Buchan and Washenberger want to make quality one of their hallmarks — and idea that carries through in their name. From its hop-bombs to its luscious stouts and sophisticated saisons,
The Belgian quadrupel is the strongest in a series of Trappist styles, beginning with the single (better known as an abbey), the dubbel (double) and the tripel (triple). Quads are the strongest of the Belgian beers, often over 10 percent ABV. The monks seem to have stopped at four. They probably passed out. Quad is a dark beer that ranges from black to deep red or garnet, with a rich bold maltiness that combines with yeasty hints of raisin, dates, figs, grapes, and plums. The quad is not hoppy. It’s known for alcoholic warmth and a complex sweetness, with wine
Cantillon Brewery is the only traditional lambic brewery located within the city of Brussels, Belgium. Founded in 1900, today Cantillon operates both as a brewery and as a living museum, the Brussels Gueuze Museum (Musée bruxellois de la gueuze). Founded in 1900, Cantillon remains the world’s preeminent source of lambic — a sour style of beer, made by way of open-air fermentation, oak-aging, and meticulous blending. Traditional beer relies upon domesticated yeast in a closed system to maintain consistency; all the major variables are tightly controlled. With lambic production, fermentation occurs spontaneously, using whatever organisms are available in the air
Peaks and Pints New Beer in Stock 12.23.23 Special beer to enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from the Peaks & Pints cooler. … COCOBANGER, Pohjala Brewery: Banging imperial stout brewed with coconut and Caturra coffee from Costa Rica, 12.5%, 330ml FESTIVE MOTHER, Echoes Brewing: Special holiday release of Echoes’ Mother of all Tripels, a fruity, drinkable, Belgian golden ale aged on ripe cherries, 11.9%, 16oz HELL OF THE NORTH, 8 Wired Brewing: Inspired by the traditional uud bruin styles of West Flanders, Belgium, this Flanders oud bruin is aged in a single large oak foudre for 5 Years for
We have Northern California’s Dr. Elmo to thank — or blame — for the unsinkable Christmas novelty hit “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” Annoying radio programmers love the song this time of year. So do kids in elementary school. But why couldn’t Run DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis” be the big contemporary Christmas classic, or “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Darlene Love? Or anything? “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” is now part of our cultural landscape, though, so you must give Elmo props. What the song doesn’t include is the fact that the reindeer each had
Christmas is everyone’s favorite holiday, but true beer fans know that the most wonderful time of the year is made even more wonderful with a pint in your hand. Winter warmers and other dark, comforting brews take over around the holidays to help carolers and Christmas tree shoppers thaw out after a chilly night. These beers dance on the tongue, fill the belly and warm the soul. Many of the traditional winter warmers are malty, high-strength ales with a sweet and/or roasty character. Old ales, strong ales and barleywines fit right in. Some new holiday beers boast Christmas-inspired herbs, fruits,
Today, Peaks & Pints presents our annual toast to barleywine and the holiday spirit, “A Barleywine Carol,” inspired by the classic Charles Dickens holiday tale A Christmas Carol, the festivities held at Mr. Fezziwig’s and Bob Cratchet’s, and a glass of Christmas cheer for the holidays. From open to close, we’ll have eight barleywines on tap. Despite its name, the barleywine is indeed a beer but at wine strength — ranging as low as 7-percent alcohol by volume in British versions and upwards of 15 percent in American interpretations. Despite its name, barleywines aren’t made with tons of specialty grains, as
Peaks and Pints Proctor Presents: Proctor Art Gallery Let’s pair a Proctor District artistic holiday present with holiday dessert sours! Trinda Love is the featured artist during the holiday season at Proctor Art Gallery. Proctor Art Gallery Sometimes the best galleries are not in big fancy buildings downtown but tucked away into awesome little spaces. This is exactly the case with Proctor Art Gallery in Tacoma’s Proctor District. Founded by Carolyn Burt and her husband Chuck Gourley in January 2009, purchased in 2016 by local jewelry designer and Proctor Art Gallery artist member Pamela Phelps, this
If there is one thing about the holidays everyone can agree on, it’s the fact that the season has several of its own, distinct flavors. These flavors don’t often appear any other time of year and are reserved for when the Thanksgiving bloat dies down and the Yule gluttony fires up. The holiday lover in all of us looks so forward to these special favors that we almost forget to stop and recognize their importance. We just accept them as regular occurrences (much like taxes and death) and go on about our Christmasy business without a second thought. Well, we here
Fancy Pants Sunday: Block 15 Hair of the Peach Hair of the Dog Brewing founder and head brewery Alan Sprints hasn’t fully accepted his retirement and subsequent brewery’s closure. Apparently, if you receive a call from Block 15 Brewing to collaborate and help launch a new series of barrel-aged beers for the Corvallis-based brewery, aptly named Pick of the Litter, then you get a wild hair and search your closet for your brewing boots. It’s what Sprints did; Block 15 even named the barleywine after his brewery. The beer, Hair of the Peach, fits our Sunday fancy, big beer column,
As a brewery famous for its experimental ales, the company’s history is just as wild. Founded in 2008 by Patrick Rue, The Bruery began when Rue, a recent law school graduate and homebrewer, figured out that he loved the hobby so much, he’d start a brewery instead of studying for the Bar. Later, in 2015, Rue launched Bruery Terreux — loosely translated as “Earthy Brewery” — as a dedicated space to provide the freedom (and bacteria) to get weird with wild and sour ales. Indeed, in just a handful of years, the brewery created one of the largest barrel-aging programs
Peaks and Pints Proctor Presents: Wag Pet Market and Coffee Kitten Mittens Let’s pair a Proctor District stocking stuffer with a coffee winter ale! Wag Pet Market Wag Pet Market has held a leash for 21 some years in Tacoma’s Proctor District. That’s still a puppy in dog years. The pet store offers a full stock of fun toys and great treats, including a Santa sack full of holiday themed toys. Wag also gives animal birthday shout-outs on Facebook, too. Many of us at Peaks & Pints are pet owners and shop at Wag. We have our eyes on the
From watching Elf to eating Aunt Bethany’s cookies to spraying fake snow on the windows, we all have our seasonal rituals. And it’s impossible to live in the greater Tacoma area and get in the spirit without a spin through ZooLights. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s 800,000 light display depicts everything from a giant Pacific octopus and flame tree to the Narrows Bridge and Sasquatch. This year’s light display also features a magnificent heard of goats and s’mores roasting around a fire. Before or after walking through the twinkling lights from 4:30 to 10 p.m., swing by Peaks and Pints
Structures Brewing founder James Alexander wanted to open a second location since opening in 2015 but kept his head down brewing Belgian farmhouse and mixed fermentation beers and hazy IPAs. During the pandemic Chuckanut and pFriem Family Brewers head brewer Bryan Cardwell and longtime friend of Structures joined the ownership expanding their beer portfolio. In March 2023, Structures finally opened their second location in the former Chuckanut Brewery, which was taken down to the studs. It’s beautiful with two massive glass garage doors in that overlook the water, built a wrap-around patio, beautiful front door and added an entire draft
Peaks & Pints wants you to have a musty, old leather, barnyard, horse blanket, cheesy, fruity, and tart good time today, which should be easy to do since the Grit & Grain Podcast hosts local beer expert Scott Travis and his thoughts on lambics at 4:30 p.m. in our Event Room. Lambics — whether straight lambics, faro, gueuze, or fruit based — are produced only in one area of Belgium, the Senne River Valley, south and west of Brussels in the Pajottenland region. Officially speaking, lambic is an appellation — like “Champagne” and “bourbon” — and the use of the
Peaks and Pints Proctor Presents: Teaching Toys & Books goo Let’s pair a Proctor District stocking stuffer with an Ill-Tempered Gnome! Teaching Toys & Books When Peaks & Pints entered Teaching Toys & Books, we reverted to our elementary school self as we wondered, “How come this didn’t exist when we were kids?” and debated whether we needed to stock up on more Schylling NeeDoh goo balls. (The answer, this time, was yes.) The original Teaching Toys store was opened in 1981 in the historic Proctor District in North Tacoma. Their mission is to, “provide quality toys that support the
6-Pack of Things To Do: December 12-17 2023 Remember that time when you were in college and you read 200 pages of Jacques Derrida and your brain turned to mush so you gave up and smoked a bowl and watched Horse Feathers and then got the munchies and tried to make cookies but ended up setting your hoodie on fire and had to stop, drop, and roll and you almost died? The Peaks & Pints 6-Pack of Things To Do is the opposite of that experience. It’s filled with holiday and beer drinking cheers this week in Tacoma. Cheers! ABT
Brouwerij St Bernardus is famous for both their beers and their heritage. The brewery brewed the famous Westvleteren beers before the monastery returned all production back to within the abbey’s walls. Their Abt 12 quadrupel represents what Westvleteren 12 used to be before the abbey changed their yeast strain. Abt 12, one of the world’s most beloved and highly regarded beers takes the spotlight today, 12/ 12, with the return of St. Bernardus Abt 12 Day! Peaks & Pints will celebrate Abt 12 all day Tuesday with Abt 12, St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, and their Wit on tap and in
’Twas the 14th day before Christmas, and all through the city, everyone yearned for a cider and a Pesto Pastrami. The waffles were devoured, with nary a care, and boredom set in at every household lair. “Hey, it’s Monday,” they realized, “let’s head to Peaks & Pints! This is the glorious day that they serve cider flights!” Peaks & Pints Monday Cider Flight: Holiday Cheer is a thing. Five ciders in an in-house flight, all could be called cider bling. As the 11 p.m. closing time neared, folks grabbed their sandwich order, arm full of craft beer and cider were
Christmas is everyone’s favorite holiday, but true beer fans know that the most wonderful time of the year is made even more wonderful with a pint in your hand. Winter warmers and other dark, comforting brews take over around the holidays to help carolers and Christmas tree shoppers thaw out after a chilly night. These beers dance on the tongue, fill the belly and warm the soul. Many of the traditional winter warmers are malty, high-strength ales with a sweet and/or roast character. Imperial stouts, strong ales, and barleywines fit right in. Some new holiday beers boast Christmas-inspired herbs, fruits,
Charme Natural Nails Studio in Tacoma’s Proctor District Peaks and Pints Proctor Presents: Charme Natural Nails Studio Let’s pair a Proctor District stocking stuffer with a cinnamon bun stout! Charme Natural Nails Studio Want to gift a cool nail design that won’t leave behind any peeling, discoloration, or dehydrated cuticles? Charme Natural Nails Studio in Tacoma’s Proctor District offers everything one needs to keep their nails looking flawless and Insta-ready — with gift certificates available. The trick? Charme owner Martina Ngo works in natural nails services only, which means Ngo and crew do not offer any
It was beginning to sound a lot like Christmas as U.S. Army Soldiers from 56th Army Band will take the Rialto Theater tonight for a free holiday concert. Affectionately referred to as “America’s First Corps Band,” and assigned to I Corps, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the 56th Army Band is the Army’s only active-duty band supporting the Pacific Northwest. The band was originally assigned to the 9th Infantry Division (Motorized). When the division deactivated in 1993, the band was reconstituted under I Corps, as the 56th Army Band. In addition to musically supporting I Corps and Fort Lewis, the
Chalet Bowl in Tacoma’s Proctor District has gift cards! Peaks and Pints Proctor Presents: Chalet Bowl Gift Cards Let’s pair a Proctor District stocking stuffer with a holiday double IPA Chalet Bowl Not all bowling centers are big and garish like airports, malls, and multiplex theatres. Some, called “boutique centers,” are intimate and even tasteful. Chalet Bowl in (where else?) Proctor is a good example. Chalet Bowl, established in 1941, is the oldest operating bowling alley in Washington state, but with the newest in bowling technology. The Frederick family owns the 12-lane bowling alley — by
Like Wise Men and Santa Claus, Old Scrooge is de rigueur for the holiday season. The tale in all its 21st-century Bremerton splendor comes to life courtesy of Silver City Brewery, which has been producing the Old Scrooge beer adaptation of the classic old ale and barleywine since 2009, replete with long boil time, cool fermentation, and extended aging. You know the story by heart, so no need to recap it here. Suffice it to say, it’ll warm your heart and entire body. Encore: In addition to Silver City’s Old Scrooge Christmas Ale 2023, Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Scrooge Christmas
Compass Rose in Tacoma’s Proctor District carries delicious Kelly’s Chocolates. Peaks and Pints Proctor Presents: Compass Rose chocolates Let’s pair a Proctor District stocking stuffer with a holiday peppermint stout Proctor is a boutique Tacoma neighborhood centered around North 26th Street and Proctor Street. It’s a small district packed with locally-owned and operated niche stores in which every detail — every window display, bushel of fresh produce, or interior cheer — is carefully curated for customers. Once again, the Proctor Business District dons candy cane stripes and white lights for their monthlong “Meet Me At Proctor’s
In April 2018, after homebrewing and working in professional breweries and hop farms in the Yakima Valley, and two years of raising money and building, Chris Baum, John Cope, Chad Roberts, David Paulson, and Karl Vanevenhoven opened Varietal Beer Co. in the Port of Sunnyside between Yakima and the Tri-Cities in Eastern Washington. The ownership all had a variety of dreams and life goals, but their Venn diagram centered on owning a brewery in the Yakima Valley. After earning the Enterprise Challenge held annually by the Yakima County Development Association and the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce, Varietal became a
Peaks and Pints New Beer in Stock 12.5.23 It’s gray and rainy. Thankfully, the Peaks & Pints cooler is stocked with new arrivals. Here are a few to get you started. Cheers! BARREL-AGED ABOMINABLE, Hopworks Brewery: Annual special release of last year’s Abominable Ale winter ale aged in whiskey barrels for 9 months for creamy caramel and candy forward, and boozy on the back, 10%, 16oz BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER CHRISTMAS BEER, Evil Twin Brewing: Hazy, double dry-hopped double IPA with big juicy notes of tropical fruit and orange zest, 8%, 16oz BRU SKI PATROL DARK LAGER, Dru Bru: Munich-style
Flash back to the Roaring Twenties, when America was amid Prohibition: Booze was banned, stealthy speakeasies adorned Tacoma, and the Paramount Theatre sat in Tacoma’s Proctor District, which in 2016 became Peaks & Pints bottle shop, taproom, and eatery. Prohibition, the law that prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol in the United States, was ratified as the 18th Amendment on Jan. 16, 1919, and went into effect on Jan. 16, 1920. Dec. 5, 1933, passage of the 21st Amendment, brought an end to Prohibition. You might think there are already enough reasons to party in December. You might
