Breweries moving to Arlington and Darrington

DARRINGTON — Two Stillaguamish Valley breweries are ending their first year of business by moving to new locations in Darrington and Arlington. Both plan to expand by summer.

Whiskey Ridge Brewing is leaving Darrington, and the founders of River Time Brewing plan to move into the same space downtown. The building at 650 Emens Ave. once was Darrington’s town hall.

The owners of Whiskey Ridge hope a new location in Arlington will let them stay open all year, something that didn’t pencil out in Darrington. At River Time, the team is angling for a long-term foothold in the small, scenic town.

Darrington is great in the summer, said Francine Hatley, who owns Whiskey Ridge with her husband, Jack. The town seemed a perfect fit. They made friends quickly and the community rallied to help them repurpose the old town hall. People gave time and supplies. Even the mayor chipped in.

The Hatleys delayed opening Whiskey Ridge after the deadly Oso mudslide last year. Finishing touches on plumbing and lighting in the old building had to wait.

Nearby, River Time already had licenses and space ready, said Lon Tierney, who owns the brewery with friend Troy Bullock. The business officially started in July 2013, and the friends opened a beer garden along the Sauk River last summer.

“It was a really fantastic first year for us and really just solidified that Darrington is the place we should be,” Tierney said. “We absolutely fell in love with the town and all the people.”

River Time closed for the season in November, but Tierney and Bullock hope to reopen in May with two Darrington locations: the beer garden on the Sauk and the old town hall. They’re getting ready to crank out batches of Irish Gold and their brown IPA, Tierney’s favorite.

Whiskey Ridge opened in May 2014 and was off to a good start that lasted through the fall, Francine Hatley said. Their dark beers — oatmeal stouts and chocolate porters — were a hit.

Then came the winter lull. Business slowed from 50 people a day to eight people in a weekend.

“That wasn’t working,” she said. “It wasn’t even covering my gas.”

The Hatleys, who live in Marysville, started putting out feelers for a new space closer to home and closer to customers. Whiskey Ridge closed the second week of December, seven months after opening. By February, they’d landed in the former home of Down Home Brew Supply in Arlington, a squat brown building near the corner of East 5th Street and N. Olympic Avenue.

Francine Hatley is working with nearby restaurants to get menus for food delivery at Whiskey Ridge so she and her husband can focus on creating a place where people dine, drink and hang out. They’ve painted the interior in shades of cream and chocolate brown, and they’ll be installing kettles, tanks, pumps and refrigerators soon. They’re waiting on some plumbing work and final inspections before they set an opening date, aiming for March.

The Hatleys hope people will try the local beers at breweries in the Stillaguamish Valley. She loved Darrington and met good, helpful people there, but needed more winter customers, she said.

Lack of winter business is a problem River Time also has to contend with, Tierney said. Rather than finding a new location, they plan to add more kettles and tanks, brew more beer and distribute it to other vendors in the colder, slower months.

Brewing isn’t about competition, Francine Hatley said. Microbreweries root for each other’s success.

“We just want people to try craft beers,” she said.

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Trader Joe’s customers walk in and out of the store on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Trader Joe’s opens this week at Everett Mall

It’s a short move from a longtime location, essentially across the street, where parking was often an adventure.

Ian Bramel-Allen enters a guilty plea to second-degree murder during a plea and sentencing hearing on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Deep remorse’: Man gets 17 years for friend’s fatal stabbing in Edmonds

Ian Bramel-Allen, 44, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder for killing Bret Northcutt last year at a WinCo.

Firefighters respond to a small RV and a motorhome fire on Tuesday afternoon in Marysville. (Provided by Snohomish County Fire Distrct 22)
1 injured after RV fire, explosion near Marysville

The cause of the fire in the 11600 block of 81st Avenue NE had not been determined, fire officials said.

Ashton Dedmon appears in court during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett Navy sailor sentenced to 90 days for fatal hit and run

Ashton Dedmon crashed into Joshua Kollman and drove away. Dedmon, a petty officer on the USS Kidd, reported he had a panic attack.

A kindergarten student works on a computer at Emerson Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘¡Una erupción!’: Dual language programs expanding to 10 local schools

A new bill aims to support 10 new programs each year statewide. In Snohomish County, most follow a 90-10 model of Spanish and English.

Cassie Franklin, Mayor of Everett, delivers the annual state of the city address Thursday morning in the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center in Everett, Washington on March 31, 2022.  (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
At Everett mayor’s keynote speech: $35 entry, Boeing sponsorship

The city won’t make any money from the event, city spokesperson Simone Tarver said. Still, it’s part of a trend making open government advocates wary.

Logo for news use featuring the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Woman drives off cliff, dies on Tulalip Reservation

The woman fell 70 to 80 feet after driving off Priest Point Drive NW on Sunday afternoon.

Everett
Boy, 4, survives fall from Everett fourth-story apartment window

The child was being treated at Seattle Children’s. The city has a limited supply of window stops for low-income residents.

People head out to the water at low tide during an unseasonably warm day on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett shatters record high temperature by 11 degrees

On Saturday, it hit 73 degrees, breaking the previous record of 62 set in 2007.

Snohomish County Fire District #4 and Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue respond to a motor vehicle collision for a car and pole. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, near Triangle Bait & Tackle in Snohomish. (Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office)
Police: Troopers tried to stop driver before deadly crash in Snohomish

The man, 31, was driving at “a high rate of speed” when he crashed into a traffic light pole and died, investigators said.

Alan Dean, who is accused of the 1993 strangulation murder of 15-year-old Bothell girl Melissa Lee, appears in court during opening statements of his trial on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
31 years later, trial opens in Bothell teen’s brutal killing

In April 1993, Melissa Lee’s body was found below Edgewater Creek Bridge. It would take 27 years to arrest Alan Dean in her death.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Snohomish in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Man dies after crashing into pole in Snohomish

Just before 1 a.m., the driver crashed into a traffic light pole at the intersection of 2nd Street and Maple Avenue.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.