Back in 2016, Watts Brewing started delivering its first beers to a handful of establishments in the local area surrounding the brewery’s location in Bothell, Washington. It was a small operation. Actually, it was just about as small as a commercial brewery can be: a nano brewery. That was the beginning of a proof-of-concept plan which has now come to fruition.
As we reported previously, Watts Brewing is taking over the Sumerian Brewing location in Woodinville, Washington. Lock, stock, and barrel, it will assume control of the brewing and packaging equipment as well as the taproom. They even hope to retain the taproom staff. (Read more about Sumerian’s exit from the beer biz here.)
Evan Watts, the head brewer and founder of Watts Brewing, told me that he expects to get the keys to the building on September 1st. Immediately thereafter, they’ll begin transitioning the taproom.
“It’s already a great space, so we won’t have to do much at all. Just make things consistent with our brand,” Evan said. “We are so excited to be opening our new taproom in Woodinville. We’ve been building towards this for years, and look forward to inviting our neighbors in for a beer!”
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The intention is to open the Watts Brewing taproom in late September. (Keep an eye on this website as the date nears.) The company will run a crowdfunding campaign to assist with the transition. They expect the offerings/incentives to be popular: mug club memberships, special bottle clubs, and more. Visit the Indiegogo Pre-launch Page for details.
How Did We Get Here?
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Watts Brewing started brewing in 2016 and slowly began to grow and gain recognition for its beers. A few years later, the company started brewing on larger systems and packaging its beers in cans. They did it nomad style, by virtue of contractual arrangements with other, larger breweries around the area. Evan was creating his beers, but doing it on someone else’s system.
“That works fine to a point,” Evan told me. “Every system is just a bit different so it’s hard to really dial in your recipes when you’re doing it that way. Now I really get to nail things down.”
The system at Sumerian Brewing is a 15-barrel brewhouse that feeds 15- and 30-barrel fermenters. Evan says he’s very excited about the scale of the system: large enough to continually produce the regular lineup in sufficient quantities but also small enough that he can offer a selection of seasonal, one-off, and other specialty beers.
Bees. Lots and lots of bees.
The Watts Brewing brand takes inspiration from the family bee business. You may wonder, what is a bee business? It’s a business that supplies farmers with bees to sustainable pollinate their crops. Evan’s grandfather started the company more than 50 years ago and today Watts Solitary Bees and Rent Mason Bees is the largest solitary bee provider in the country for both farmers and backyard gardeners.
Evan grew up in the bee industry and Watts Brewing represents the combination of his love for bees and beers. His beers–such as The Leafcutter, Red Mason Rye, and Xylocopa–take their names from different species of solitary bees. The bees pollinate crops and the beers win awards.
Part of the taproom’s transition will include, eventually, the creation of a bee garden. The bees involved are solitary bees. AKA, the non-stinging kind. Solitary bees are unlike many other types of bees. Among other differences, they have no hives to protect and therefore no need for stingers. All they want to do is go about their work pollinating and building a home for their eggs, which will eventually hatch and become more of the same kind of good-natured pollinators.
I won’t bore you with any more bee education but rest assured that Watts Brewing intends to make the taproom, and events at the taproom, an opportunity to educate you and your children about bees and other pollinators.
Evan says Watts Brewing intends to continue manifesting all that Sumerian Brewing cultivated over the years. Along with the beer, they’ll offer a lot of great events, a welcoming and inclusive environment, and a place where old friends catch up and new friends meet.
