Peaks Brew Pub (Port Angeles, WA)

10/26/06

After a day of driving around Olympic National Park and seeing the fall colors in October, my wife and I come out in Port Angeles looking for gas, food, and maybe a beer. At a gas station with a surprising number of free roaming cats, I asked if there was a brewpub in town, and was quickly directed two blocks away to Peaks Brewpub.

Olympic National Park 

Walking in, Peaks Brew Pub looks like your average small down bar with pull tabs for sale to a line of bellied up locals. But, that quickly changes when you look up at the extensive beer list. I started with the Spruce Juice since it looked like the most interesting name and our stop was supposed to be short since we still needed to make our hotel in Seattle yet that night. The Spruce Juice was more than a pleasant surprise—it was really fantastic. Went on to the October Red, which was also good. By this time, Wanda, our waitress, had sent her husband Ed, the brewer, over to talk to us. Over two hours later we finally left for Seattle with directions of how to do the ferry to shorten our drive.

In between, we sampled a range of beers, including Rogue Brutal Bitter, Flyer's Porter, Port Townsend Scotch Ale on cask, and a bottle Ed opened for me called Snipes Mountain Roza because I said I liked barleywine.  In between, we learned about the NW, Port Angeles, brewing in a small town, their son playing football, and even how Spruce Juice, a spruce spiked Belgian ale, had won best beer at a local festival even though its name was spelled wrong on the ballot: they won because of write-in votes.

Ed is the epitome  homebrewer, brewing what he wants because he likes it.  If you want the tour, push your nose up to the glass in the back room, newly remodeled (pictures on the website) and ready to increase production. And, Ed and Wanda's bar is a lovingly decorated hodge podge of various beer items that gives it a real homey feel.  Driving away, I told my wife I was tempted to move to Port Angeles just because I wanted to be a local and stop in with my own "Hey Ed." Hope I can get back again some day.