Tacoma Narrows Bridge as seen from the tasting room
Tacoma Narrows Bridge as seen from the tasting room
Brewer Joe Walts on his new platform
Brewer Joe Walts on his new platform

I stopped by to visit with brewer Joe Walts at the brand spankin’ new brewery that opened last week in Tacoma, WA– Narrows Brewing Company.  Joe previously was in brew boots at the Ale Asylum in Madison, WI and just relocated here to the Pacific NW 5 weeks ago.  Joe has a cool new toy to play with in his 15BBL Premier Stainless brewhouse and tank farm.  As this new micro/tasting room is built out at a marina on the water with stunning views of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge I would think it would be hard to keep your mind on brewhouse operations.  The first Tacoma Narrows Bridge was built in 1940 and, unless you’re from the NW, probably don’t know that it was famously known as Galloping Gertie.  The attached link is a great video to some black and white footage from when the bridge came down due to the high winds thru the Narrows after only 4 months, very wild indeed!