Reuben's

Seattle Thrillist creates list for Ballard brewery crawl

Guest — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 17:43:18 +0000

Guest (not verified) Fri, 08/09/2013 - 10:43am

Anyone in Ballard -- heck, anyone who has heard of Ballard -- knows that we've had an invasion of breweries lately. What does that mean for us? It means that we can hit all of them up in one day. Duh. After all, they're all in semi-walking distance.

Luckily, Thrillist is helping promote our neighborhood by crafting a list for your very own Ballard brewery crawl. It features all of the latest and greatest, as well as the old powerhouse mainstays. Check out their article here.

Here's what they have on their list, in order (though, to be honest, geographically it kind of bounces around):

Hale's Ales (4301 Leary Way NW)
Jolly Roger Taproom (1111 NW Ballard Way)
Hilliard's Beer (1550 NW 49th St)
Reuben's Brews(1406 NW 53rd St #1A)
Urban Family Public House (5329 Ballard Ave NW)
NW Peaks Brewery (4912 17th Ave)
Populuxe Brewing (826B NW 49th St)
Peddler Brewing (1514 NW Leary Way)

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Ballard brewers nervous, furious about beer tax proposal

Guest — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:18:14 +0000

Guest (not verified) Thu, 04/18/2013 - 11:18am

The folks at Hilliard’s Beer would be just a few of the people who could experience hardship under the proposed beer tax. The team, from left to right: Adam Merkl, Ryan Hilliard, Todd Garrett

Photo by Jerry Gay

Update, April 24

According to the Associated Press, House Democrats have dropped the beer tax expansion.

AP reports, "Democratic Rep. Reuven Carlyle, one of the chamber’s budget writers, said the tax might have been subjected to a ballot challenge from large beer companies. He said it could have created problems for the larger goal of increasing education funding."

The tax extension would have raised a projected $60 million over two years.

Original, April 18

Several small breweries in Ballard are shifting their feet nervously as the Washington State Legislature considers a beer tax that could sky rocket the cost of running business for them.

"The increased excise taxes which are being proposed would mean an even greater challenge for us not just to grow, but just to keep the doors open," said Amy Besunder, co-owner of Populuxe Brewing.

The tax in question would be an extension and expansion of a new excise tax on breweries made in 2010. That tax, which only affects breweries that produce more than 60,000 barrels per year (just Red Hook brewery), put on an extra 50 cents per gallon. Effectively, it increased the price for Red Hook from $8 per barrel to about $24 per barrel.

Meant to be temporary, the tax is supposed to sunset in July of this year, but Inslee's budget proposal would keep it going. His proposal would also include getting rid of the exemption on smaller breweries, meaning it would affect anyone and everyone in Washington.

It would include all of the new breweries that have sprouted up in Ballard in recent years, even those as small as Populuxe, a nano-brewery which produces roughly nine barrels a month.

The tax right now is just $5 per barrel for smaller breweries, but Inslee's tax would increase it to $20 per barrel, sources say.

In addition, a separate but similar budget proposal in the state house of representatives would have the tax doubled for small breweries, while at the same time giving a small tax break to bigger corporations.

In an interview with the Ballard News-Tribune, Ryan Hilliard of Hilliard's Beer was noticeably upset by both of the proposals.

"That kind of math baffles me," he said. "It just baffles me how they want to stifle our industry."

He explained that Hilliard's Beer paid $7,500 in excise taxes last year. If the House's beer tax expansion were to go through, he would end up paying $15,000, if production were to stay the same. But, he said, production has been increasing and they could be paying as much as an extra $10,000 in excise taxes. Under the Governor's proposal, they would be paying even more.

"At this point in this year, we're not cashful positive. If those taxes go through, I don't know if we can keep everyone," Hilliard said.

He added that he would like to employ more people but wasn't sure if he could with the new taxes. Currently, he employs six full-time employees.

According to a report on the Beer Institute, "from grains to glass," beer adds $4.3 billion to the state economy. Washington is home to 300 brewers and beer distributors and accounts for more than 42,000 jobs, including growing grains and hops, brewing, bottling, distribution and importing.

Ballard in particular as of late has been experiencing a kind of brewery boom (we went in-depth on this in our article, "In Ballard, brewery boom keeps booming"), where small brewers are transforming the empty parts of industrial Ballard into a beer destination.

"Like so many of our comrades in beer, Populuxe opened in a small industrial space that sat empty for years," Besunder said. "In opening, we've provided income to our landlords, local jobs, and foot traffic to underused areas, but also places where families and friends can gather."

But, if the tax expansion were to go through, Hilliard is concerned not just about his own brewery's growth, but small brewery growth in general.

"As a result I don't think small breweries are going to be expanding as fast, growing as much, giving as many new jobs," he said.

As it is, Hilliard said, small breweries don't make that much money, and the money they do make they put into growing their business.

"I'm not aware of any small breweries around here driving fancy new cars or having fabulous mansions on the waterfront," Hilliard said. "Given the choice we'd put it in new equipment, make more beer."

He added, "I don't understand where it makes good sense to raise taxes on industries that are growing and providing new jobs, especially in a down economy."

Tomorrow, brewery owners, including some from Ballard, will be going down to Olympia to testify in front of the Legislature.

Then, at 12 p.m., opponents of the beer tax proposal will be holding a rally until about 2 p.m.

On the rally, organizers say:

"Bring signs, mash paddles, bullhorns, a good attitude and dress for the weather. Please arrange carpools as parking at the capitol campus requires payment. We plan to leave the steps exactly as we found them so please be respectful and do not litter.

If you choose to enter the Capitol: No bullhorns or noisemakers. No signs on sticks or posts. No more than 25 people."

You can find more info on the event at https://www.facebook.com/events/520469434675906/

In addition, people can reach out to their state representatives with comments and concerns. Ballard is represented by the 36th District:

Representative Gael Tarleton
(36th Legislative District)

gail.tarleton@leg.wa.gov
And copy her Legislative Assistant, Michelle Nance
michelle.nance@leg.wa.gov

Representative Reuven Carlyle
(36th Legislative District and House Budget Committee Chair)

reuven.carlyle@leg.wa.gov
And copy his Legislative Assistant, Joseph Peha
joseph.peha@leg.wa.gov

Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles
(36th Legislative District)

jeanne.kohl-welles@leg.wa.gov
And copy her Legislative Assistant Adam Cooper
adam.cooper@leg.wa.gov

Zachariah Bryan can be reached at zachb@robinsonnews.com

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And Twitter at http://twitter.com/ballardnewstrib

Reuben's delivers beer with a personal touch

Guest — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:11:55 +0000

Guest (not verified) Fri, 08/17/2012 - 8:11am

After getting nationally recognized as an award winning home brewer, Adam and Grace Robbings have opened up shop in Ballard, so everyone can get a taste of their personally crafted beers.

Photo by Shane Harms

Owners Adam and Grace Robbings opened Reuben’s Brews August 5, further adding to the brewing trend in Ballard people have been calling the “Red Hook District.”

Robbings, originally from London, moved to Seattle in 2004. After the birth of his son, Reuben, Robbings said he started home brewing because he felt he could enhance flavors in many of the beers he was drinking. Coincidently, his first brewing kit was a gift from his son.

In 2010, Robbings won his first competition as a homebrewer in the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s (PNA) Winter Beer Taste, taking peoples choice award for his Roasted Rye PA against well known breweries like Sierra Nevada and Ninkasi. Later, Robbings also won Best of Show at the Skagit County Fair.

After Robbing’s win in Skagit County, he was invited to brew his recipe at the Anacortes brewery. Since that batch was brewed at a commercial brewery, Robbings was allowed to enter in the 2011 PNA Beer Taste, which had banned home brewers from participating. That year he won the peoples choice again with his American Brown. Following local victories, Robbing’s brown won silver on a national scale at the 2012 National Home Brew Conference.

Marked by overwhelming popularity after success in competitions, Robbings and Grace decided to open Reuben’s, but not with the typical tap room or commercial brewery mentality. They want to limit their distribution to local vendors but be nationally recognized, so that when people want to drink Reuben’s Brews they come to Ballard.

“Our goal is to make the best beer out of the best local ingredients, not to sell as much as we can,” said Robbings.

What’s more is that when people come to Reuben’s they are in for an education. Adam and Grace, who is an economics instructor at Bellevue College, have made the tap room also a classroom, where they encourage people to think about the flavors and the process in the beers.

The menu is an example of the Robbings’ educational goal, where specifics like the International Bitterness Units (IBU), alcohol by volume (ABV), original specific gravity (OG) and flavor profiles are clearly listed.

From the start Robbings has kept ingredients and materials local and sustainable. He uses grains and malt from Washington State and has used a recycled wood and plastic waste material called NewWood (manufactured in Elma, WA) to build much of the space.

Robbings, said the space was empty and had no sewer or running water. With the help of his in-laws, Michael and Liz Pfeiffer, they have refurbished the space into a vibrant room that functions as both brewery and urban tap room.

“I wanted to keep people close to the brewing equipment so when they ask about the beers I can literally show them [the equipment] a few feet away,” said Robbings.

Pfeiffer, a carpenter by trade, moved from Illinois to help in the construction of the space and brewery operations. He works as brewery manager and has a hand in every step in the brewing process all the way up to pouring taps. “I’m here from morning to night and assist Adam with everything,” said Pfeiffer.

“If you ask me the pumpkin brew is what brought Mike out here. He was drinking only Bud light before he tried it. Now he drinks nothing but micro brews,” said Robbings.

The Imperial Pumpkin Rye, which will be available in October, is one of many beers that distinguish Reuben’s brews from other breweries.

“There is a science and there is an art in brewing. We experiment with different yeasts and ingredients like molasses and toasted pumpkin seeds like in the pumpkin rye to bring complexity to flavor,” said Robbings.

Robbings said out of seven taps there are five different yeasts used and in the American Brown there are 8 different grains, creating depth and complexity in the flavors.

Since opening with five beers on tap on their opening day, Aug. 5, Robbings has added two more brews. Currently, tap tasters can look for the Roggenbier, American Rye, American Brown, Robust Porter, Dry Stout, Imperial IPA and the Imperial Rye IPA. A California Lager and an India Red Ale are on the way.

On his first visit, Kris Harness of Lake Forrest Park said he comes through Ballard for business and happened to discover Reuban’s Brews. Finishing his glass of Imperial IPA, Harness said the beer is bitter at the finish, but very smooth getting there. “If you like IPA’s your going to love this place,” Harness said.