Bombastic Brewing is located in Hayden, Idaho, which is about 45 minutes east of Spokane. The brewery, which is known for what it calls “adventuresome and nontraditional” beers, recently announced that it has begun distributing its beer across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
While the pandemic hit most craft breweries pretty hard, Bombastic was able to advance its mission because of what it calls a “partner brewing business model,” which sees the brewery contract out production of larger batches to other Northwest breweries.
In Washington, Bombastic Brewing’s beers are distributed by Orcas Distributing. Here is the announcement from the brewery:
Bombastic Brewing celebrates multi-state expansion, credits brewing partnerships
HAYDEN, IDAHO – Bombastic Brewing is going big time. The craft brewery based in Hayden, Idaho, has inked distribution deals in Idaho, Washington and Utah, and has Oregon and Montana in its sites.
Founded in 2016, Bombastic Brewing is known for its adventuresome and nontraditional craft brews. Bombastic’s signature Murder, a wordplay on the grouping of crows featured in the can’s artwork, was recently re-released. The Mexican Chocolate Imperial Stout has notes of vanilla and cinnamon, a chocolate finish and a slight kick of peppers.
“Murder is what we first worked on together with the goal of it being one of our flagship recipes,” said brewer Matthew Skillicorn. “Twenty or so batches later, we finally hit what we think is not only a drinkable 10.5 percent stout, but also a balance of heat and sweetness from the adjuncts. We are excited to bring it back year after year and hope everyone enjoys it as much as we do.”
The pandemic hit small, independent breweries especially hard. The team at Bombastic Brewing credits their survival to the brewery’s partner brewing business model. Bombastic contracts its production out to Northwest breweries for larger batches.
“Our motto is ‘Beer Brings Us Together’ and that’s true on so many levels,” said co-founder Russell Mann. “We strive to have a synergistic relationship with other craft breweries. We have less overhead, the ability to produce greater volume, and bringing our business to other breweries can help them supplement their income.”
The trade group Brewers Association estimates the craft beer industry took a $6 billion hit in 2020 and more than 22,000 industry jobs were lost. Though the craft beer community struggled, Bombastic doubled down, releasing a barrel-aged stout to celebrate its 5th anniversary, and expanding its market by contracting out distribution.
Bombastic was also bolstered with industry recognition and multiple awards.
Four of Bombastic’s brews were rated among Idaho’s Top 10 by Beer Advocate, including a trio of Bombastic’s Russian Imperial Stouts: Attempted Murder (No. 3), Aggravated Murder (No. 6) and Murder (No. 9). Shiver, a stout brewed with Thomas Hammer Coffee, rounded out the Top 10.
Attempted Murder also nabbed a silver medal in the 2021 North American Beer Awards.
“We set out to push the envelope in Idaho,” said brewer and co-founder Phil Hottenstein. “Our customers see our beers and know what to expect. We’re always aiming to surpass those expectations.”
Orcas Distributing, Ltd., is distributing Bombastic at retailers in Washington, including several Total Wine & More and BevMo! locations, plus smaller specialty shops. Northwest Specialty Beverage, based in Boise, is distributing Bombastic throughout Idaho, and Golden Beverage is distributing Bombastic in Utah state liquor stores by special order.
A map of retail outlets is available on Bombastic’s website.