A year ago Ken Thoburn’s vision came true. The Wingman Brewers co-owner and head brewer launched the South Sound Craft Crawl, a beer trail program involving a map, his fellow South Sound breweries and a growler reward for visiting all 15. With the help of JayRay advertising agency, and the Travel Tacoma + Pierce County and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater Visitor and Convention Bureau promotion experts, the South Sound Craft Crawl was a success, bring folks from outlying areas to visit 15 breweries in the area.
Last week, South Sound Craft Crawl 2.0 launched with more breweries and cideries, a new map and a new reward, a 32-ounce mini growler for those who collect 15 stamps from 21 locations serving locally made beers and ciders.
That’s right, Crawlers, in year two you have 21 breweries and cideries in which to nestle up to the bar. Some locations are within walking distance of each other, and seven are along the Tacoma Light Link train in downtown Tacoma.
Printed “passports” for collecting stamps are available at Craft Crawl participating locations and at the Visitor Information Center at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. Passports also are available via download from southsoundcraftcrawl.com.
Don’t forget to bring your Craft Crawl passports to Tacoma Beer Week. From Aug. 1-6, a number of local breweries and restaurants will have special deals, concluding with the Beer Fest of Destiny beer festival featuring Pacific Brewing & Malting Co., Wingman Brewers, 7 Seas Brewing, Tacoma Brewing, Cockrell Hard Cider, Harmon Brewing, Narrows Brewing and others pouring in a warehouse next to Wingman Brewers Aug. 6.
“It’s exciting to see how the brewing community is growing in the South Sound,” said Thoburn in a news release. “Where there was just a smattering of breweries a few years ago, now there are many.”
Of course, seasoned — or saisoned, as the case may be — South Sound beer drinkers may already have visited all of the South Sound Craft Crawl breweries. For them, it’s all about adding another growler to their collection.
For participating venues and more details, visit southsoundcraftcrawl.com.
