SEATTLE - For 121 years, the Old Rainier Brewery did just what the name said. It brewed beer. But the brakes were put on the brew biz in 1999 as this one-time icon to localism fell victim to major shifts in the global beer market. Rainier Beer is still brewed, but down in the Los Angeles area.
Enter Rick Hewitt of Emerald City Beer Co. I asked Hewitt if he was a micro-brewer. He says he's actually more of a "nano-brewer." But, he has a lease with the landlord that now owns the old brewery. In a few months, Hewitt will be making beer in the same area that once kept Rainier Beer cool before shipping, in an area where you can still see the thick cork insulation and the lager tanks that once held Rainier Beer remain behind a classic wooden door.
Those old tanks are museum pieces now, but Hewitt is bringing in new equipment - on a smaller scale. Hewitt calls it the "beer lab." It's an experimentation area - a tasting room where customers can try the latest recipes in a fun environment along with pretzels and tavern food.
There could be lots of customers. The stadiums aren't that far away and the Old Rainier Brewery has people living there. The big complex has become part condominium, part artistic space, part corporate headquarters and training facility for Tully's coffee along with other businesses. The Old Rainier Brewery is now a community.
Emerald City Beer's flagship drink, called Dottie's Seattle Lager, will be brewed under contract at another location, at least until the business grows a little more. Hewitt says he has the option for more space inside the Old Rainier Brewery.
"It's always been my dream to open my own production brewery. And I started getting serious about last September." says Hewitt.
Capturing the localism that was once the province of Rainier Beer and its quirky commercials is something that Hewitt hopes will rub off onto Emerald City Beer.
"Washington is the Napa Valley of beer and we produce 75 percent of the country's hops," Hewitt points out. Add to that, grains from Southeast Washington, and Hewitt hopes to start building a beer magnet for a growing number of fans who belong to beer clubs or are just out looking for something different.
There are some caveats. Don't expect Dottie's Seattle Lager in a can anytime soon. He says it will start showing up as a draft item in restaurants in late June or early July. As for the "Beer Lab" tavern in the Old Rainier Brewery, expect opening day sometime in late July.
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