In February, 2024, Distant West Brewing opened in Seattle’s Ballard Brewery District, taking over the space once home to Reuben’s Brews. Yesterday the brewery announced that it is suspending operations at its taproom so that it may lend more focus to other aspects of its business. That is, the taproom is closing but the brewery is not. The hours for the last regular service week are Thursday 10/9 3-9pm, Friday 10/10 3-9pm, Saturday 10/11 12-9pm and Sunday 10/12 12-6pm.
Distant West Brewing say it is pivoting to increase focus on the wholesale, markets, and pop-ups aspect of its business. It will suspend service at the taproom effective Sunday, October 12th. Thereafter, the brewery will direct its focus onto the manufacturing and wholesale of its award-winning Contemporary American Beer and Hard Seltzers. Distribution will continue with its current wholesale customers, with added efforts to expand into more neighborhoods in the Seattle metro area. In addition to the new wholesale-based plan, Distant West will continue to host periodic pop-ups at the Ballard Location, such as new beer release parties, and continue to explore various Farmers and Makers Markets, and offsite pop-ups.
According to Greg Macaulay, the owner and brewer at Distant West Brewing, “We understand that choosing a majority wholesale model over retail is unprecedented for a small shop like ours, but we feel that our unique hybrid space where the manufacturing and the taproom operating in the same footprint poses logistical challenges that do not allow either of them to flourish. After months of careful consideration and weighing several business scenarios and working with several outside sources of eclectic expertise – this is the right direction to go.”
“We believe that this will improve our relationships with establishments that are already champions of supporting small local microbreweries like ours. The transition is going to put Distant West into more bars, bottle shops, restaurants, delis, grocery stores and other businesses that sell local, small batch products. The current taproom customers will easily find us at the places they already regularly go to once the efforts of this new direction start taking place.”
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“A taproom is still in the future for Distant West; it’s part of the plan moving forward. We are ever-working towards the dream of a taproom that can accommodate every requisite that satisfies our high standards. We want a welcoming and comfortable setting where you, your friends and family can enjoy visiting and have the quality and amenities that will keep Distant West a frontrunner in your third-place lineup. That’s the very foundation of brewing – we make beer to host loved ones and unite over a pint. We want a taproom space that can truly be aligned to our vision and support it.”
“I would like to also take this opportunity to thank the team. Everyone has been patient with me day in and out as I navigate the ins and outs of operating this brewery. They have offered support beyond their job descriptions, and I am truly grateful that they believe in the product which means they believe in me and the delicious, sudsy future of Distant West. We are still pursuing glory through beer.”
Wholesale inquiries can contact sales @ distantwest.beer.
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