Two Reasons To Celebrate Yesterday as Two Beers Expands
Yesterday marked two momentous occasions for a wonderful little brewery down in SoDo, Two Beers Brewing. Coinciding with the brewery's 4th Anniversary celebration, Two Beers unveiled their brand spanking new 4,800 square foot tasting room to the public from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The new space boasts an insanely long, gorgeous, custom built wood bar and seating area -- twice the size of the previous tasting room. Just behind the bar, patrons can look in on the brand new 30-barrel fermenter (so shiny!) and the expanded Two Beers canning line.
Excited customers lined up at the doors before 2 p.m., anxiously awaiting the opening of the tasting room, while Skillet Diner set up their mobile food truck in the parking lot in front of the brewery. I saw a few mouth-watering plates full of fish and chips, perfect for pairing with a pint of Two Beer's infused Evo IPA. Inside the brewery, Molly Moon's special Jive Espresso Stout ice cream was being served up in dishes or in the form of delicious Jive Stout floats. I had a chance to try the ice cream a la carte, and holy beer ice cream, Batman, was that stuff amazing! A few scoops of that along with my pint of Infused Jive Espresso Stout was just what I needed to keep me going on a long, dreary Saturday afternoon.
For each pint purchased during the event, a dollar was donated to Washington Trails Association. Judging from the hundreds of participants in yesterday's five-hour event, I'm certain the brewery raised tons of buzz and a nice chunk of cash for WTA.
A note from owner and brewmaster, Joel VandenBrink about the expansion:
The added space allows for the installation of an automatic canning system capable of producing 60 cases per hour, bringing the brewery's can production - currently accounting for 23 percent of the brewery's total sales - up significantly from the current 12 cases per hour. The new production capabilities will allow for the introduction of five new packaged products to the market. New 22-ounce bottle offerings include Heart of Darkness Imperial Cascadian Dark Ale (CDA) and SoDo Brown, while new 12-ounce cans - available in six-packs - include Persnickety Pale Ale, Immersion Amber and SoDo Brown.A dedicated tasting room is another feature of the newly expanded quarters. Double the size of the current space, the new tasting room features twelve tap handles showcasing Two Beers Brewing's award-winning beers, six dedicated growler filling stations, seating for 62 people (not including the sun-filled dock) and a beautiful custom built bar. Additional features include a dedicated storefront, HD TVs for watching the game and more. The tasting room - which will continue to serve pints and tasters, as well as offer growlers, kegs, cans and bottles to go - will feature new tasting room hours, open Tuesday through Friday, 3 - 8 p.m. and Saturday, noon - 6 p.m.
Here's to a new year of exciting possibilities, more beer, and more good times. And, not just one beer, but two beers; one for you, and one for me. Cheers!
