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Central Washington breweries
Central Washington, filled with mountain peaks and cattle filled, rolling pastures, is nothing short of diverse. However, one thing that everyone can agree on is that the only thing better than the outdoors, is a cold pint from any one of the local breweries. Nestled between Seattle and Ellensburg are an array of breweries and cider houses with full tap systems ready to be the icing on your cake, the cherry on top, the cold beer at the end of your adventure.
Dru Bru
Inspired by the mountains, Dru Bru’s tap room is sure to “peak” your interest. With two locations, brew consumers can enjoy a pint in Cle Elum as well as on Snoqualmie Pass. Cle-Elum’s all ages tap room has 20 active taps, a year round patio, and panoramic views of the Cascades. If you are one of the few people in the room who doesn’t like beer, no worries! They have non-alcoholic specialties such as carbonated mountain water, root beer that’s made in house and they also offer award winning ciders, seasonal and small batch offerings and partner wines. There’s so many delicious options to try you’ll have to order some grub from one of the local vendors partnered with Dru Bru for sustenance. Try a pizza from Swiftfired Pizza Co. or something lighter from Stella’s such as a salad or handheld wrap or sandwich.
Dru Bru’s Sno Pass location offers a year-round taproom and heated patio. With views of Guye Peak and Snoqualmie Mountain you’ll enjoy 20 tap choices, hot dogs and fries from their food truck- Squatch Box, and a relaxing time surrounded by the Cascades. Whether you’re hiking, shredding the slopes, or out for a bike ride this is one pit stop you won’t want to miss.
MULE AND ELK BREWING
Established in 2016, Mule and Elk Brewing is Cle Elum’s first nano-brewery. Their tap room features 3 flagship beers on tap as well as a multitude of rotating and seasonal beers throughout the year. Head on down every Thursday for trivia night! They also have live music and a killer outdoor space to hang out after your hike, ride, or climb. Mule and Elk Brewing are all about 3 things; “creating unique, delicious beer, supporting [their] community, and enjoying life outdoors.”. Their beer ranges from traditional English ales to hoppy, west coast style IPA’s. Grab your gear, get outdoors, and celebrate with a crisp, unique micro brew.
TANEUM CREEK BREWING
Kveik is a family of Norwegian farmhouse ale strains, which are top-fermenting. Many brewers use Kveik yeast to make a lager-like beer due to the extremely clean fermentation profile of different strains. Sound refreshing? We think so too, we’ll meet you for a Taneum Creek Brewing pint! Taneum Creek Brewing is a small, family owned and operated brewery that produces 100% Washington ales using Kveik and wild yeasts, fermented in aged oak barrels and finished with honey. Wow! Sounds like a mouthful… of deliciousness. Taneum Creek Brewing does not have a taproom and focuses mainly on their website and distribution so peep on over to their website at www.taneumcreekbrewing.com to see where you can try a pint of this ultimate local beer.
ELLENSBURG BREWING & TILTED TREE CIDERY
So you’ve found yourself in Ellensburg, Washington, a small, country town. Let us just say, “small country town, BIG brew culture.” With 5 breweries and cider houses you have plenty of opportunity to track down a cold one. Let us recommend Ellensburg Brewing and Tilted Tree Cidery and Taproom. Serving craft beer, cider and cocktails with scratch-made German bar food, this place is the ultimate Ellensburg tap experience. Open Tuesday-Saturday and Football Sundays, customers can come try a sampler of 4, 4oz beers or ciders, pints from rotating taps, craft cocktails, and an array of German bar food from pretzels with bier cheese to a Haus Salad, to the classics such a schnitzel, jagerschnitzel, and various handhelds. This is a place to grab your friends, meet on main street, and have a blast enjoying local libations.
ENCHANTMENT BREWING
Inspired by The Enchantments region within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area of Washington state’s Cascade Mountain Range, this brewery features locally drafted brews. Born in the PNW, Brewed in the Burg…Ellensburg that is, their taproom offers 15 taps and a Mexican street inspired menu. Their taps include Otter Rock IPA- a classic Northwest beer balancing citrus, hops and malt flavors, their Darkest Hour Stout- a rich, full body stout with hints of chocolate and coffee, and their Apricot Pale Ale made with a real apricot puree that balances the bold Eldorado, Mosaic, and Citra hops. For those of you who are craving a classic beer, don’t worry they have that too! Their Just Beer brew is “exactly what the name implies”, uncomplicated, predictable, reliable, cold beer. Their taproom is a family friendly environment so come as you are and order up a cold one.
IRON HORSE BREWERY
Most notably known for the classic Irish Death, Iron Horse has since expanded their beer portfolio to include 10 rockstar brews making them an award-winning craft Brewery and Washington’s 6th largest beer producer! Their pub is located in Ellensburg, Wa and believe us, this is an absolute “must stop here” location. Like their beer, their story is a bit unconventional but with hits such as the High Five Hefe, Mid-Light Crisis, and Irish Death, you know that something just has to be working. They also feature rotating seasonal brews as well. Check out the Aloha Death May through August for a tropical, coconut take on their classic Irish Death. Bundle up with their Cozy Sweater, a vanilla milk stout September through December, and finally, ring in the new year with a Double Rainbow. A real IPA featuring a sweet malt base mashed together with Eureka hops for a beautifully balanced brew. You can order their beer online but trust us, you’ll want to make the stop to take in the full experience.
WHIPSAW BREWING
Whipsaw Brewing started as a 4 tap, tap room and has quickly risen to one of the most popular breweries in Ellensburg. This nano-brewery and taproom now offers 13 taps and a production facility. They believe that good beer stems from good people and you can taste the difference. Starting with only 4 taps, their portfolio has grown to offer wheat beers, Blonde and pale Ales, Ambers, Reds, Sours and Fruit beers, Ciders, Meads, and even a Hard Seltzer. Talk about variety. While on that note, the only thing we find better than drinking a Whipsaw brew, are the friends you swap stories with over a pint.
ROSLYN BREWING CO.
As you make your way over Snoqualmie Pass celebrate your adventure with a stop at Roslyn Brewing Company! Their handcrafted, full flavored beers have been enjoyed since 1990. Their beers are full-bodied, German-style lagers that are reminiscent of those brewed by the immigrant miners who settled Roslyn, Washington. With local, Washington ingredients such as Northwest grown malted barley, hops from the Yakima valley, and Cascadian winter-fed water you better believe that this beer features the best of the PNW taste. Their tap room is open Friday through Sunday with an occasional Monday when holiday weekends run a little longer. Grab your picnic blanket and a cold one, we’ll meet you in their beer garden.
WHEEL LINE CIDER
Okay, so you’ve made it this far. You’ve read all about Central Washington’s breweries but you’re still holding out for a craft cider house. We get it. Enter Wheel Line Cider House! This multi-generational, family owned craft cidery is located in the beautiful countryside just outside of Ellensburg, Washington. The Cider Barn offers a unique experience overlooking rolling farmlands and the Steward Mountains in the peripheral. As you enter the barn you can see the homage paid to its previous farming purpose. The repurposed wheel light fixtures take center stage highlighting the new brand and a Normal Rockwell painting commissioned during Prohibition. 4oz tasting flights are recommended and served on silver platters. Talk about luxury. During the warmer months, Wheel Line Cider house offers live music outdoors to accompany your flights. Can’t wait to share your experience? Book a private tasting for an even more memorable experience.
As you plan your next adventure through Central Washington you’ll want to keep in mind all the delicious stops to cheers in Kittitas County! Raise a cold one and give a hoot or holler as you experience all that Central Washington has to offer. To get started planning your next grand outdoor adventure visit centralwashingtonoutdoor.com.
BATTLE THE BOT
Have you heard of chatGPT? Put simply, ChatGPT is a chatbot that can engage you in a conversation, just like a human would. Is this a breakthrough AI technology with far-reaching impact, or a new, hyped, fad hype that will slowly dissipate as initial curiosity fades?
We thought we’d take some questions to the chat-bot and see how it stands against our expertise. We’re battling the bot! The screenshot below shows the responses:
Clearly, chatGPT took the loss this round. We see that it’s pulling incorrect information. We also would like to add that we had to wait in a waiting room to enter the generator for over an hour. Find up to date information on our website 24/7 right at your fingertips..
Our Central Washington Outdoor Experts win this round! Better luck next time, Chat-bot.