Whitstran: Deathless Prose in Prosser

  Prosser, Wash. sits in the middle of one of the premier hops growing regions of the world, the Yakima Valley, yet its tourist appeal is for all those wine drinkers out there.  The original brewpub in the town in fact sits on the main drag, called Wine Country Drive.   But walk into Whistran Brewing and check your Bacchus worship at the door: this place is for the devotees of Ninkasi and Gambrinus. 
  Throughout the centuries, many of our greatest leaders and deepest thinkers have spoken on the centrality of beer in the human condition.  Whitstran has collected these thoughts and framed them with well-deserved dignity to adorn their walls.

 

The quotations are attributed to the great minds who first uttered them when known: Plato, Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln ("the great point is to bring the people the real facts and beer"), Winston Churchill, W. C. Fields, Homer Simpson, Cliff the letter carrier, and many others are remembered here in Whitstran.  A table on the side contains a number of essential books which can be perused for more pearls of wisdom. A gem among the books: He Said Beer, She Said Wine.  It's about food pairings, for guys who always wondered why you have to have a chardonnay with a good cheese.

  The ambiance and menu are both family-friendly, as a four-year old grandson verified. He scarfed down the macaroni and cheese and the root beer brewed on premise. They make some good beer out back, including the Highlander Scottish ale I had with a good cobb salad.  They bottle in 12-oz bottles for off-sale and sell by the 6-pack or the single bottle.  I took a couple of bottles of Friar's Decadence home: this is a double chocolate imperial stout, 8.1% ABV and a truly decadent after-dinner drink.  I'd match it up against a tawny port any day, to complement a way too rich dessert.

(Visited 7/09, 9/19/10).