PSA - my brewery is under new ownership!

[Brewdude]

Great article Bub. Thanks for posting!

8)


Cheers,

RR

 

[WarlockBob]

Congratulations to you, Rande, and to Snoqualmie Falls Brewing! This definitely sounds like a great step forward.

This also puts a bit more impetus on me to go up and enjoy a beer made by your caring hands, before you get outta there. :drunken:

 

[Cerfer]

If it means that I'll finally get some Steam Train Porter here in MI, I'm all for it!

There's the London Style Porter from Arcadian Ales and the great Edmund Fitzgerald Porter from Great Lakes Brewery, but nothing has ever beat the flavor of a fresh Steam Train.

Good luck to you.

 

[Brewdude]

If it means that I'll finally get some Steam Train Porter here in MI, I'm all for it!

There's the London Style Porter from Arcadian Ales and the great Edmund Fitzgerald Porter from Great Lakes Brewery, but nothing has ever beat the flavor of a fresh Steam Train.

Good luck to you.  

Hey Dutton, good to hear from you and pleased to know you value our Snoqualmie Falls Steam Train Porter so highly. It's a winner in my book as well, and can hold its own with any strong cigar or pipe weed you care to name. And the other ones you listed are no slouches either!  


Cheers,


RR

 

[Brewdude]

The new kitchen equipment is all in place and modifications made and signed off by the local authorities. So now the testing  of the new equipment will be taking place with a view to the expanded menu.

The target date for the new menu is 4/1, at which time we will solicit friends, family, industry folks, and the like to come in and test the new operation. The goal is to serve the food after 15 min of ordering, a very tall and challenging task! This is all to streamline the kitchen operation, which admittedly gets bogged down at present and long serving times are the result.  

At the same time, plans are underway for the outside beer garden, which hopefully will open in June. Too much to say about this as it requires state approval as it impacts wetland issues.

All to say that new owners are investing heavily in the biz, and I'm all for it!



Cheers,

RR

 

[huffelpuff]

15 minute serve time!!!!! That is a really tall order Rande. I spent a few years working in a professional kitchen and I know just how hard that's going to be. Stand firm though it can be done. Yes there will be set backs and I'm sure the crew will express discouragement but once things click it will seem like child's play.

Jim

 

[jefe1037]

Long ticket times aren't the enemy. My secret was to keep the guests engaged. Time passes without them knowing. Also, people don't mind waiting an extra minute or two if it means they are assured of getting fresh, real food... it also helps if they have full drinks!

Let us not forget a real advantage of the "brewpub" format: if anyone starts to slip away (figuratively) bring a round of beer! 14 cents worth of product to save the day.

 

[Walkman]

Congratulations on the sale of your brewery and your pending retirement. It sounds like the business is in good hands.

 

[Brewdude]

Just a quick post to say that today I had the pleasure of trying the new menu offering of Fish & Chips (previously being not available). Our new Tap Room manager made this special for myself, and my two other production guys.

Have to say it was a winner in all respects! The batter was crispy,
the fish cooked to perfection without being mushy with a good firm
texture, and not greasy in any way.

The fries were also great. Not under nor overcooked. Good texture once again.

He served it with a new coleslaw which makes use of vinegar. And the
makeup of the slaw was quite different from before. It's a real "home
made" slaw now, instead of some generic offering. Distinctive in a
good way.

In addition, he served a unique tarter sauce. Not your usual out of
the jar generic stuff, this had a flavour more of fresh made
mayonnaise with a continental flair. The fries were perfect dipped in
this.

Of course he served Malt Vinegar with this, and it's what I used on
both the fish and the chips.

All to say I'm very impressed with this and believe it will be a big
hit with the customers. Kudos to our Tap Room manager, and he has many more offerings in the works, to be launched on (or approximately) 4/1. Appropriately April's Fool's Day!

:joker:



Cheers,

RR

 

[huffelpuff]

Sounds like they have things well in hand. Fish and Chips is deceptive. It seems like such an easy dish but there are so many ways to really screw it up. Hope the other dishes come out as well.

Jim

 

[RSteve]

I'll play more guitar, write more material, join a part-time band, maybe so a solo act at coffee houses.
Cheers, RR

Wow! I simply cannot believe how quickly the years have flown by. On the old JR bbs, you were a kid of 45; now talking retirement. It's like The Blues Bros., you're putting the old band together. Of course, if your bandmates are age contemporaries, it is putting the OLD band together. I'm now approaching nineteen years, retired...hard to believe, even for me. Enjoy your retirement, but...if you're still enjoying what you're currently doing, negotiate a little part time work.
Best Wishes.
Steve

 

[Brewdude]

I'll play more guitar, write more material, join a part-time band, maybe so a solo act at coffee houses.
Cheers, RR

Wow! I simply cannot believe how quickly the years have flown by. On the old JR bbs, you were a kid of 45; now talking retirement. It's like The Blues Bros., you're putting the old band together. Of course, if your bandmates are age contemporaries, it is putting the OLD band together. I'm now approaching nineteen years, retired...hard to believe, even for me. Enjoy your retirement, but...if you're still enjoying what you're currently doing, negotiate a little part time work.
Best Wishes.
Steve

Hey Steve

Good to hear from you and thanks for the kind words. Time waits for no man, so it seems! And sure, I might see if a local brewery in my new area needs a part-time keg washer!


Cheers,

RR

 

[RSteve]

Hey Steve, Good to hear from you and thanks for the kind words. Time waits for no man, so it seems! And sure, I might see if a local brewery in my new area needs a part-time keg washer!

Cheers,  RR

Time waits for no man  
Now that's a little scary. Average male life expectancy in the U.S. is 76.1 years. I ain't got a helluva lotta time left...on average.

 

[Brewdude]

Hey Steve, Good to hear from you and thanks for the kind words. Time waits for no man, so it seems! And sure, I might see if a local brewery in my new area needs a part-time keg washer!

Cheers,  RR

Time waits for no man  
Now that's a little scary. Average male life expectancy in the U.S. is 76.1 years. I ain't got a helluva lotta time left...on average.

Oh, fiddlesticks. You've been doing pretty good as far as I remember from the HP days. Yes you've had some health issues, but don't we all as we grow older. More than that I won't mention here, but I do remember them.

I sure would like for you to be more active on this board. In particular for your social experiences and stories which you seem to spin so well.

As you'll be aware, I didn't join the board that followed the demise of HP. There's a lot of good folks over there and I hope they're all doing great. A few of them are also here on BoB. And yes, I do recall the days at the JRBB. That was a wild ride while it lasted!

Don't be a stranger here Steve. You're good peeps in my book.

 :king:


Cheers,

RR

 

[Brewdude]

Finally, the press release is now being circulated and made public. And it's not like the brewing community around these parts didn't already know about it for some time.

It's just down to the timing and the "official" transition of transfer of ownership which can only happen after an exhaustive period which involves federal and state licenses that require much paperwork and the time that takes.

Here's one blogger's account and it's reasonably accurate-

http://www.washingtonbeerblog.com/big-changes-at-snoqualmie-falls-brewing-company

The changes listed are all positive in my view, and will continue to be going forward. The new owners have a clear vision of what it will take to take Snoqualmie Falls Brewing to the next level. And they have the wherewithal to achieve this.

I'm really pleased to have been an integral part of this, virtually from the beginning. I was the first employee, starting Jan '98 and fresh from Pyramid Brewing, Inc, where I ended my 8-yr stint there as Corporate Brewmaster.

Snoqualmie Falls Brewing at that time was a very small and local operation, and I was the sole employee for many years. It gave me a chance to get back into the boots and rediscover why I got into this crazy biz some 30 yrs ago, when I signed on at Sprecher Brewing in Mil, WI in Sept, '88.

It's been a wild ride, and I don't want to go into too much detail here. Suffice to say that I still enjoy each and every day at the brewery. It's a way of life for me, a way of being, a way I define myself.

All to say that in a few months I plan to retire (as if you didn't know this already, unless you haven't been watching), and the next chapter of my life will begin.

Big steps. Scary. But it's time.

I'll always be a brewer. And a musician. Not necessarily in that order.

:sunny:


Cheers,

RR

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Oh boy, I used to put down a lot of Pyramid brews! I miss those.....

 

[Brewdude]

Oh boy, I used to put down a lot of Pyramid brews! I miss those.....

They're no longer what they were under my watch Ozzie. Time moves on...


Cheers,

RR

 

[Brewdude]

The work on the beer garden is progressing nicely. We hope to have it open by the end of this month. I'll try and provide pics as they appear through our website as I don't have a digital camera. Pretty dang exciting!

:cheers:


Cheers,

RR

 

[Brewdude]

The beer garden project is progressing nicely. Today the slab gets poured and the wood structure is all but finished. Plus the most excellent mural on that side of the building is virtually complete. It looks amazing! I'll post pics when I can.

And the mural artist will start on the frontage soon. This is some way cool stuff, and it takes a lot to impress me!

8)


Cheers,

RR

 

[SkagitSmoke]

Rande, I haven't been on BOB for the past few months as I've been starting up a new firm. Big congrats to you and the team. As a CPA, nothing is more satisfying than working with clients through the transition of a business they have worked so hard to build. I'm excited to taste and see the changes to come from Snoqualmie.

Will you still be involved in judging following your retirement.