Rocky Coulee in ooom-pa-pa Odessa

     Odessa, Washington sits amid gently rolling, treeless plains, growing a lot of wheat. A tidy-looking little town, settled by Germans who once a year act like Leavenworth and put on a Deutschesfest. Bratwurst and pretzel stands pop up along the main street and Bavarian band music fills the air.

Across the tracks and apart from the town's official program, Rocky Coulee Brewing Co. puts on its own party. Started in 2002, Rocky Coulee sells 12-oz glass bottle 6-packs in a respectable chunk of eastern Washiington.  The flagship is Fireweed Honeyh Blonde Ale and brewer-owner Tom Schafter buys from a beekeeper who takes pains to assure that his bees are working with fireweed almost exclusively. They also bottle a winter ale and a golden lite summer ale, in season.  Several other brews are draft-only, such as the Dunkel I tasted.  Very rich and amlty; I would llove to taste it side by side with Chuckanut's Dunkel one day.

                                                                                                                                                                   There was no time for more than a peek at the brewing equipment, as a band was tuning up to play for the festiival.  A sunny day to close out a fine sunny summer in Washington.

(Visited 9/20/13)