Wednesday 20th of May 2009 01:07:22 AM

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Whistran Brewing’s new location is a generic cinder-block building that looks more like a no-frills restaurant than a bar. The floor is rubberized, the decorations are beer-related quotes in simple wooden frames, and there are tall chairs at a generic bar. The atmosphere is utilitarian (at least on a quiet weekday afternoon - the bartender proudly told us that they are packed on Thursdays to Sundays).

HOWEVER, the beer is unexpectedly special and that plus the friendly service makes this a place well-worth seeking out. The D20 Heavy Water Stout especially is unbelievable. Also available on our visit there were: Steamy Cream (CA Common Ale), Horse Heaven Hefe (Bavarian-style Hefeweizen), Highlander (Scottish-Style Ale), 11th Hour (Pale Ale), Over-the-Edge (dry hopped Pale Ale), Palouse (Porter), and a specialty Friar’s Decadence (Chocolate Chocolate Imperial Stout).

On one side of the building is a pleasant fenced outdoor patio with quite a few very nice metal mesh chairs and tables with umbrellas.

The menu isn’t particularly inspired - salad, sandwiches, and burgers. But then again, the burger we tried was good.

Tuesday 16th of September 2008 07:17:37 PM

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So next on the list was Whitstran Brewing Company in Prosser Washington the heat of Washington Wine country. This little oasis tucked in wine country was found in a strip mall dedicated to wine and vineyards showcasing there wares. So Whitstran stands out and wow it was full of the ones that love hops. A little brewery with a tasting room with a rumor they are going to open a brew pub soon I am ready to check that out when I come through again. They have a great taster package and when you’re all done the pint glass is yours to keep and show off your souvenir. I tried 9 different beer and they where all very tasty The Brewer/owner was serving and he made sure when you tried certain brews that you ate or drank it with special stuff on the side. Like the Double Chocolate stout with some yummy Belgian chocolate to make the beer experience that much better. A fun little place with card and games to play and beer quotes on every chair you sat on. If you have some time to kill in Prosser Washington send the wine drinker next door you drink the beer and you will be both happy. They have some wonderful beers if they have time the tour is also very nice with a small but very good 5 bbl system. I can’t wait to see the brew pub it has to be something else to stand out in wine country.

Wednesday 2nd of April 2008 06:40:57 PM

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The brewer has set this up to cash in on the wine tour people, which is why it's in such an obscure town.
Tastings are $1 each but, IIRC, free if you actually buy something. I do recall that the beer was, frankly, pretty awful. Some of them may as well have been soda water and, nonetheless, he kept trying to get me to try the lighter stuff. I was with someone who likes lighter stuff, and they also really disliked the beer.
The selection was also pretty bad. The one that actually sounded good was out, and the rest weren't very interesting.
You can stop if you're already on a wine tour. The brewer is really nice and will be glad to talk to you. Otherwise, don't waste your time.

Friday 11th of January 2008 12:20:42 PM

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Prosser, Washington lies smack-dab in the middle of the state's wine and hop country, a hour each way from Yakima or Richland. There's not much here unless you like watching the hop and grape vines grow...but there is the Whitstran Brewery.
It's a bit difficult to find...wife Persimmon and I got lost once we crossed the railroad tracks and found ourselves on a dirt road, in the middle of vinyard. "Oh, you just made a left instead of a right" said owner/Brewer Larry Barbus (after our frantic phone call). "Just come back down the road and keep going a quarter mile. We're on the left."
In a small, mini-mall. We found it and on this hot, August day were more than ready to cool off.
But Whitstran is not a bar nor a pub but, keeping in line with the territory, more of a tasting room. Small by any account, the 6 other people there and us proved a crowd. While waiting to be served, we saw that each of the 4 chairs per table had been adorned with a "beer" quote and on the wall, the Beer-iodic Table of Elements. Laughter first to stimulate the mind. Then it was our turn to taste: Highlander Scotch Ale, smooth with tastes of caramel and malt; Friars Decadence Imperial Stout well-balanced and chocolatey and the D2o Heavy Water Stout with a hint of oats and coffee over-load. A perfect breakfast beer named in reference to the nearby Tri-Cities area and the Hanford Nuclear Power Plant. Larry also brews a barley-wine and Belgium Wit once a year in winter along with a Horse Heaven Hefe, a Friars Raspberry Lambic and a dry-hopped Pale adding hops to the keg. But the D2o...well, we left with a growler. 'Nuff said.
Touring Washington's wine country is become quite the summer "vacation for some and this is a great place to stop for a little something different. I only wish their brews were available on this side of the Cascade Mountains because I just finished my last D2o and now have to wait until Spring.