Ramifestations in the Hilterland: Ice Harbor Brewing

The final stop on my recent trip to the hilterlands (a Molly Ivins reference...we could sure use her humor this political season) of eastern Washington was Ice Harbor Brewing in Kennewick. I had hoped to also visit White Bluffs Brewing in nearby Richland, but the timing of my trip and their limited hours put the kibosh on that plan. Next time, hopefully.

The big board at Ice Harbor Brewing

I've recently seen some snarky comments in reference to the breweries and beers of  the inland Northwest. These were Facebook comments made by self-anointed craft beer experts. These experts have a limited knowledge of beer and the beer business and a low opinion of rural sod busters who apparently ought to be making moonshine, not beer.

I'm tempted to go off on a rant about the many rural-based breweries that produce great beer, but that's probably best left for another day. I'll leave it at this: A brewery does not have to reside in the state of Multnomah in order for it to produce good beer. Brewing systems may be smaller and less sophisticated in the hilterlands, but there are many good beers there...even if they aren't always poured in the fanciest, trendiest, hippest (think hipster) joints. Good beer has no shame, wherever it lives.

Salvaged dairy equipment 

Ice Harbor Brewing is not a new kid on the block. The brewery was established in 1996 in a building on Benton Street that was formerly a grain mill. In recent years, they opened a marina location on Clover Island on the Columbia River. All of the brewing is done at the Benton St. location, which is also a brewpub and homebrewing supply store.

The 10 bbl brewing system at Ice Harbor is old school, fabricated from recycled dairy equipment. Lest you laugh, please recall that a lot of early craft brewers, including Kurt and Rob Widmer, used recycled dairy equipment to get their brands off the ground. What they have at Ice Harbor isn't fancy, but it works just fine, thanks.

Four modern fermenters keep things moving

Supplying their pubs and distribution channels, which I'll get to momentarily, would be nary impossible if not for the four 30 bbl fermenters on the brewery floor. They also have a flat, 1000 gal. tank used exclusively for dry-hopping...they believe a flat tank improves hop absorption over a conical tank, where hops settle and must be stirred up. Makes sense.

Back to distribution...beyond the two locations, Ice Harbor distributes its beer by the keg and bottle primarily in the Tri-Cities area. They were selling 12 and 22 oz bottles at the pub and those can evidently be found in local stores. An industry friend says Ice Harbor is looking to have its beer distributed in Portland and possibly Seattle in the near future, which would up the ante, for sure.

Specifically for dry-hopping

In a strange twist, Ice Harbor owns a small 12 oz bottling line. I had never seen one before... it looks much like the mobile setup that does 22 oz bottles, except it uses smaller bottles. The problem with the 12 oz system is it is quite inefficient...you spend a lot of time bottling not very much beer. They will likely want to enter the larger urban markets in 22 oz bottles or 16 oz cans, and you suspect they will be using a mobile arrangement to make that happen, at least initially.

Brewing capacity won't be a huge issue until extended distribution takes hold. If and when that happens, they will likely want to install a larger brewhouse and maybe a more fermenters. Fortunately, they have a bit of space in this location to update and expand their brewing capacity. This runs contrary to most places I've been to in recent times.

Take a look down the bar

There is a wee bit of Back to the Future here. When I walked in and sat down at the bar, 70's classic rock was playing on the sound system. The surroundings are quaint and somewhat dated. It was lunchtime and the place was mostly empty, although folks started shuffling in soon after I arrived. I'm not saying you won't hear old classic rock or find quaint surroundings in Portland; however, this felt a little retro...but not in a bad way. I almost looked around to see if I could spot my dad as a young man. McFly!

They were serving up a nice list of beers. I ordered up a tray of tasters that included Tangerine Hefeweizen, Columbia Kolsch, Runaway Red, Nut Brown Ale, Harvest Pale Ale and IPA. The gal at the bar gave me separate, smaller samples of their Fresh Hop IPA and Fresh Hop Double Red. Rural charm.

The tasting tray

The Tangerine Hef reminded me vaguely of the Peach Hef I'd recently tasted at Laht Neppur. The tangerine version is mildly tart with a hint of something Belgian...I suppose the combination of yeast, wheat and fruit. Not bad, though I must say the Peach Hef from Waitsburg is a bit more refined.

The most accomplished beer on the plate was the IPA, which featured a perfect balance of malt backbone and hops. This beer is reminiscent of Boneyard RPM, nicely dry-hopped to maximize piney, pineapple notes in aroma and flavor. Of the beers I tasted, the IPA is the one I would definitely bring to Portland.

Spinning wheel determines the price of your next beer

Of the two fresh hop beers, I much-preferred the Red, which had some interesting hop flavors and aromas without being overbearing. This beer was vaguely similar to Laurelwood's Fresh Hop Red, although the Ice Harbor version has a thinner, less assertive core upon which the fresh hop laminate resides. It occurs to me that I prefer fresh hop reds because they do a better job of concealing earthy, leafy, compost-like fresh hop flavors than a pale or IPA.

They were not pouring their imperial IPA, Hop Warrior, when I stopped in. Hop Warrior isn't huge by IIPA standards at just over 8 %, and not much bigger than their standard IPA, which comes in at 6.8%, I bought a bottle of each to take home and eventually got around to tasting them. Hop Warrior is a bigger hop bomb than the standard, but these are both nice beers that could attract interest in urban markets. In my opinion.

Tap handles mark the territory

This is certainly a spot worth checking out if you happen to be on the road between Portland/Seattle and the hilterlands of eastern Washington. If you do make it in, be sure to listen for a passing train (the tracks are close), which will cause the barkeep to spin the wheel mounted on the wall at one end of the bar. This is an apparent reference to Wheel of Fortune, only in this case where the wheel winds up determines the cost of your next beer. Cool stuff!

Special thanks to the folks at Ice Harbor for showing me around and making me feel right at home, in particular brewer Adam Crane. Adam subbed in nicely for Ice Harbor's fearless head of brewing, Russ Corey.

Laht Neppur Mixes Great Beer with Rural Charm

Laht Neppur Brewing wound up on my radar screen for the recent trip largely on the strength of their Peach Hefeweizen, which I tasted at the Oregon Brewers Festival this summer.  I'm not normally a fan of that style, but I liked the Peach Hef. Thus, the stop in Waitsburg, home of the Laht Neppur brewery. And more good beers, I hoped.

Difficult to miss

If you're wondering, Waitsburg is out in what many refer to as "the middle of nowhere." More specifically, its roughly 30 miles northeast of Walla Walla. Folks who frequent the wine country around Walla Walla surely know of Waitsburg. And Dayton. Possibly Pomeroy. Lots of Aggies over there, producing the stuff we eat and drink here in the city.

The Laht Neppur brewery (and similarly-named winery in the same building) is located just off the main road through Waitsburg. It's tough to miss because they've managed to place a cute little sign near the side of the road a few hundred feet ahead of the spot...assuming you're headed east.

A view of the brewery/winery from the sidewalk

The short version of the Laht Neppur story is that the place was founded by Court Ruppenthal, a longtime homebrewer who came to the area to learn about wine making. Not long after arriving, Ruppenthal realized what the area really need was good beer. He reasoned that you need a lot of great beer to make good wine. Makes sense if you think about it.

So he decided to start brewing, and opened taproom in 2006. Actually, it isn't just a taproom. They have a pub menu here. Families and kids are welcome. More recently, they opened a pub in Walla Walla. Plus, they operate a beer garden where the Walla Walla Sweets (minor league baseball) play. Check their website for information on days and hours, which vary by season.

The rather small brewing operating was idle

Let me back up for just a moment. Before he decided to embark on the wine and beer adventure, Ruppenthal was living in Vancouver, enjoying the good life. The move to wine country happened because of wine, but the idea of brewing good beer here is ingenious. Why? Because the entire inland Northwest is underserved from a craft beer standpoint. Portland-area brewers who want to open their own place ought to make a note of that fact.

Oh, in case you're hoping to attach some deep meaning to the name, don't bother. Read it backwards. Got it? Good. There's some definite wit here.

The tasters

The brewing operation at Laht Neppur isn't large. They've got a 3.5 bbl brewhouse and several 7 bbl fermenters. There were at least 10 beers available on draft, and these guys recently started bottling some of their beers, so I'm guessing the brewery is operating at close to capacity. There was no activity the day I visited, which makes me suspect it was a wine making day.

My taster tray (these are 4 ounce glasses, so you need to be careful) included Backseat Blonde, Golden Ale, Peach Hef, Scotch Ale and IPA. These are all good beers. I thought the Peach Hef was a little less fruity than what I tasted at the OBF, but still pretty good. The Blonde and Golden are both nice summer beers. The best of the bunch was the Scotch Ale, super smooth with a perfect smokey malt backbone.

The peanut shells add a touch of charm

If you stop by the tasting room/pub, you'll notice it's rather homey. The decor is decidedly "early grubby," and I think that's a good thing. The floor is lined with peanut shells. They even have a land line phone with a standard ring...hadn't seen or heard that in a while. The typical patron comes from the local Ag community and you may have a chance to mingle...if you're lucky.  It's not fancy place...doesn't need or want to be.

I mentioned the bottled beers. These are 22 oz bombers of Peach Hef, Strawberry Cream Ale and Backseat Blonde. They apparently bottled the IPA and Scotch Ale days ahead of my arrival. I saw a number of growlers and bottles leaving the shop. I was told distribution is limited for now, although we may be seeing bottles on Portland shelves in the near future.

Next time you head out to wine country or other destinations east, check out Laht Neppur. They've got the beer and the charm.

Riverport Brewing Builds Momentum in the Old Hometown

I first heard about Riverport Brewing Company at the Oregon Brewers Festival a couple of years back. They were pouring Blonde Moment, a decent summer beer. But it wasn't the beer that initially perked my interest. Nope. I was intrigued because this brewery is located in Clarkston, Washington, my hometown.

Hard to miss the snappy branding

Clarkston is located in the southeastern corner of Washington state, across the river from Lewiston, Idaho...at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. Spokane is about 100 miles north. Clarkston is easy enough to locate with Google Maps, for those who aren't using an iPhone 5 and Apple's disastrous Maps app (Steve Jobs would be so proud).

Looking south on the Valley from the Lewiston grade

Back in the day, Clarkston was a town of roughly 6,000, small enough that I actually knew most everyone in my high school class. I was surprised to discover the official population comes in at only 7,200 as of 2010. That seems odd since there are clearly many more people there now. Old friends say the figure is lower than it should be because most of the population growth has happened outside the city limits and nothing has been annexed. Alrighty, then.

The main seating area is pleasingly open

As I mentioned the other day, there was no such thing as good beer when I lived in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. We subsisted on a steady diet of Lucky Lager, with the occasional Budweiser or Coors thrown in to spice things up. The Valley is still wildly behind the times in a lot of ways, but beer is no longer one of them.

The bar features a retro projection TV 

Riverport Brewing was born in 2010, the brainchild of two couples who decided to get into the craft beer business. When I visited on a brilliant afternoon last week, I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Marv Eveland, brewer and co-owner. Marv kindly showed me around, answered questions and gave me insights into what they are doing at Riverport.

In contrast to some of the hipster-focused breweries in Portland, Riverport is an adult-owned and operated business. Refreshing. The partners have slowly and deliberately built this operation from the ground up and they continue to do much of the work here. They have apparently done what they've done without taking on much if any debt, which is good given the seemingly unsustainable flood of new breweries coming online.

Newly acquired kegs will help satisfy draft accounts

The physical space at Riverport is quite comfy. On warm days, there are three garage doors that roll open to reveal a patio and spectacular view of the hill to the north, officially marked with a big white "C," which was refreshed on a yearly basis by Clarkston High School seniors when I was in school. I can't say what the arrangement is these days, but the "C" is looking a little washed out.

Back door scenery on a warm day

Riverport is building its brand via draft channels. Marv said their beers can be found at pubs and taverns in and around the Valley. You won't find these beers beyond that area until brewing capacity is increased. They have a 7 bbl brewing system and three 15 bbl fermenters. More fermenters and kegs are part of the plan and they have the space needed to make that happen thanks to a recent addition. Bottles and wider distribution are probably a ways off.

The good looking taster tray

My taster tray beer line-up included: Blonde Moment, River Rat Red, Cedar Rock Pale, Bullseye PA, Grand Ronde Rye and Seven Devils IPA. You need to have grown up or spent time in this area to fully appreciate the creative nature of these names. Anyway, the beers are well-executed and clean. My favorite was Bullseye PA, which is loaded with hop aroma and flavor, though not especially bitter. Blonde Moment, light and crisp, is a perfect beer for a hot summer day.

Marv and his high tech pilot system

Marv uses a small pilot system to experiment with new recipes. You aren't going to find anything trendy here...indeed, the breweries in this area are several years behind what's happening in Portland. They have no barrel-aging program or sour beers at Riverport. Instead, they are focused on brewing quality standards and seasonals that please local pallets. That strategy appears to be working out well.

If you find yourself driving through Clarkston, a stop at Riverport is certainly in order. Keep in mind, however, that they have no food here...aside from complementary popcorn. You are free to bring in your own food or order something from one of the nearly foodie spots. Very user-friendly here. It's great to see Riverport tapping into and expanding the beer scene in the old hometown.

Note: In case you're wondering, I'll soon be posting thoughts on the other breweries I visited on my recent trip. They include Laht Neppur (Waitsburg), Palouse Falls and Paradise Creek (Pullman) and Ice Harbor (Tri-Cities). Coming soon.