The catastrophic landslide in Oso last month brought the nearest incorporated town into the news, too: Darrington, Wash. Until the mountain fell, the biggest news in Darrington this spring was the planned opening of the Whiskey Ridge Brewing Co.
This is smaller than nano, a ten-gallon brew kettle made out of a recycled keg. From little acorns,
mighty oaks have been known to grow. While Darrington is a mill town, the kind of place where a guy moves up from PBR or Rainier to Bud for special occasions, a craft brewery can make it in such a setting. Mill City Brew Werks in Camas is a good example. A strong sense of community, even before the mudsliide, should help. And the plans for the building--it had been the city hall, the fire hall, the library in various municipal applications--has left it with a good hardwood floor upstairs and the option of converting that space into a nice pub and restaurant.
Jack Hatley owns and runs the brewery with his wife. The building's owner intends to put a distillery in a space to the side, and the option of a shot and a pint, hand crafted, could be a good draw.
Whiskey Ridge is the kind of start-up you have to root for. The highway from Arlington will reopen someday soon; for now access is just off the North Cascades highway, SR 20.
(Visited 5/22/14)
No comments:
Post a Comment