Wednesday 5th of September 2007 06:58:17 PM

link
13 miles South of the Canadian border sits the little town of Northport, Washington and the newest brewery/brewpub in the state. Open just 3 months (May 2007), brewmeister Steve is a former marine engineer that got turned on to brewing by one of shipmates. After sending away for a home-brew kit, he was hooked so he & wife Andrea decided to give it a go.
And they are going!
Persimmon & I arrived late in the afternoon after lunch in nearby Colville. Hearing our quest of visiting all the breweries / brewpubs in the state he wondered, "Have you been to Northport?"
Huh? Never heard of it. A quick call to the County Assessor who called the Northport Mayor resulted in directions, hours & names. I LOVE small towns!
Steve had 3 brews to offer of his regular line-up of 6; he says it's hard to keep up with the demand. Regular customers often come down from Trail for his beer which include:
- Honey Basil - @ 9.5%ABV(!)w/multi-levels of both ingredients
- Pale Ale - @ 5.5ABV
- Smoked North Porter - w/a pound of peat moss in each batch
- Smelter Stout - @ 9.5%ABV w/6 different hops & 5 malts (This one wasn't quite ready but we got a early taste. Mmm-mmm good w/a bit of sweetness!)
- English Old Ale
- Flagstaff Scotch Ale
- and an EPA-IPA (and yes, EPA means what you think it means but he says it stands for "Extra Potent." Ask him for the real story when you stop in!)
Live music reigns on Wednesday Open Mic night where the "hippies & rednecks mingle and really enjoy one another" according to one resident who has lived in Northport for 10 years and she doesn't drink beer! She comes in, she says, to talk with Andrea.
This place is certainly out of the way but if you're in the area, don't miss it. If Steve is having trouble now keeping up with demand, his brews are going to cause him to start working 40-hour days! They're that good!
In fact, later that same afternoon, we stopped by Lost Falls Brewery and mentioned Northern Ales to coupla of people who were surprised to learn of its existance...and they said, they lived just outside of Northport.
I LOVE turning people on to new places!
Especially when the attitude is "Hi! Come in and sit a bit. Glad you're here. What can I pour for you?"
Will have to revisit this place to try that Stout after it's "ready" -- and the English Old Ale -- and the Flagstaff Scotch -- and sit and talk a spell w/Andrea.