SEATTLE -
Our state's beer industry is getting a big lift from some of its smallest breweries. It's all part of a new trend: mini-microbrews. They've been judged as some of the best beers in the country, and they're right in your own backyard, if you know where to look.
If you didn't know where Big Al's Brewery was in White Center, you might miss it. But big things are going on inside this mini-microbrewery. It's one of more than two dozen breweries opened across the state in just the past two years. And these smaller brews are making their mark locally, and nationwide. Al just took home a bronze medal at the North American Brewers Association contest this summer. Not bad for a guy who's been in business just over a year. As Al puts it, "We're living the dream. I mean, our motto is, live your dreams, drink ours. And that's exactly what we're doing."
But behind that dream is what seems like nightmare competition. Breweries like Georgetown Brewing in Seattle put out 20,000 barrels a year. Big Al? Closer to 2,000. Al says his smaller size is an advantage. He can change beer varieties quickly and attract new, different beer lovers. And, that size is to your advantage too. As more of these mini-micros spring up, you get a lot more choices. Al says, "We're constantly changing. So it's like we're getting new customers every month, but we're losing customers every month to the next hot thing."
Two customers Big Al will never lose are Mike and Steve Brown--no relation to Al other than that they all like to brew beer. Big Al, a homebrewer himself for nine years before he went, well, big, allows guys like Mike and Steve to take over his brewery every three months. They work up their own recipe, then watch it pour from Big Al's taps as a ''local hero'' brew. The brothers say, "It's what you dream of as a homebrewer. It's awesome to have that for us, for something we've been doing for a long time."
And there could be a long future ahead for mini-microbrews in our state. A new state law allows you to brew more beer at home, and share it in more places. Big Al says, bring it on. "Every neighborhood should have their own little brewery to be proud of." As Al sees it, it's time mini-micros went big.
If you'd like to check out some of the region's best microbrews this weekend, check out the Winter Beer Festival at Hale's Brewery on Leary Avenue in seattle. The event runs from 5:00 to 10:00 Friday night and 1:00 to 10:00 p.m. Saturday night. For more information on the price of admission and other details, click here. For more information on Big Al's Brewery, follow this link.
If you didn't know where Big Al's Brewery was in White Center, you might miss it. But big things are going on inside this mini-microbrewery. It's one of more than two dozen breweries opened across the state in just the past two years. And these smaller brews are making their mark locally, and nationwide. Al just took home a bronze medal at the North American Brewers Association contest this summer. Not bad for a guy who's been in business just over a year. As Al puts it, "We're living the dream. I mean, our motto is, live your dreams, drink ours. And that's exactly what we're doing."
But behind that dream is what seems like nightmare competition. Breweries like Georgetown Brewing in Seattle put out 20,000 barrels a year. Big Al? Closer to 2,000. Al says his smaller size is an advantage. He can change beer varieties quickly and attract new, different beer lovers. And, that size is to your advantage too. As more of these mini-micros spring up, you get a lot more choices. Al says, "We're constantly changing. So it's like we're getting new customers every month, but we're losing customers every month to the next hot thing."
Two customers Big Al will never lose are Mike and Steve Brown--no relation to Al other than that they all like to brew beer. Big Al, a homebrewer himself for nine years before he went, well, big, allows guys like Mike and Steve to take over his brewery every three months. They work up their own recipe, then watch it pour from Big Al's taps as a ''local hero'' brew. The brothers say, "It's what you dream of as a homebrewer. It's awesome to have that for us, for something we've been doing for a long time."
And there could be a long future ahead for mini-microbrews in our state. A new state law allows you to brew more beer at home, and share it in more places. Big Al says, bring it on. "Every neighborhood should have their own little brewery to be proud of." As Al sees it, it's time mini-micros went big.
If you'd like to check out some of the region's best microbrews this weekend, check out the Winter Beer Festival at Hale's Brewery on Leary Avenue in seattle. The event runs from 5:00 to 10:00 Friday night and 1:00 to 10:00 p.m. Saturday night. For more information on the price of admission and other details, click here. For more information on Big Al's Brewery, follow this link.
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