Peaks and Pints Mountain Beer Fest: Dru Bru IPA
Peaks and Pints we will host an all-day Mountain Beer Festival Saturday, June 3. Craft beers and ciders from mountain community breweries and cideries as well as mountain moniker brews will flow from our Western red cedar tap log and into keepsake Peaks and Pints Mountain Beer Festival glassware, for those who want to donate to Green Tacoma Partnership. At 8 p.m., Tacoma bluegrass band Barleywine Revue will perform their hits live inside our lodge, including “Peaks and Pints,” the song the band wrote specifically for us.
Let’s meet Mountain Beer Fest participant Dru Bru Tap Room & Brewery and its IPA that will be on tap Saturday, June 3.
The Craft: Dru Bru IPA
Where in the World: Wenatchee National Forest, 10 Pass Life Way, Snoqualmie Pass, Washington
Mountain Cred: Dru Bru is 3,000 feet above sea level next door to The Summit at Snoqualmie ski resort.
Engineering a passion: Dru Ernst, his wife and several partners opened Dru Bru Tap Room & Brewery in December 2014 with the intent to brew European-influenced craft beer lower in alcohol content, which makes sense since he brews on a mountain pass surrounded by outdoor activities. His love for German beer arose after spending a summer in the country with his former exchange student. His love for brewing arose after discovering a friend’s homebrewing hobby. Ernst, a civil engineer grad from Gonzaga, homebrewed for 10 years before trading in traffic circles for a 15-barrel steam-fired brewhouse.
Dru Bru IPA: Dru Bru takes advantage of its locale using Snoqualmie Pass water sans filtration, then adds a combination of Washington state and Germany malts and Yakima Valley hops. The IPA has a mild fruity nose — a pleasant soft mix of grapefruit and oranges with fresh piney notes, thanks to Simcoe, Chinook and Amarillo hops. It slides down the tongue with lightly toasted caramel, a clear mix of fruits and piney notes leading into a light, minimal resin, very clean finish. It’s easy drinking.
PEAKS AND PINTS MOUNTAIN BEER FEST, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 3, Peaks and Pints, 3816 N. 26th St., Basecamp Proctor, Tacoma, no cover
LINK: Peaks & Pints cooler inventory
