Drink this: 5 Rights nanobrewery is moving out of the garage
Published 1:30 am Friday, November 16, 2018
It’s been a long, trying road, but it looks like 5 Rights Brewing has a new home.
R.J. and Kristi Whitlow, who own the Marysville nanobrewery, will be moving operations into the former Carr’s Hardware store on Third Street. The new space will include a taproom and a brew house.
It’s a big move for 5 Rights, which has called the Whitlows’ garage home since opening in 2015. The Whitlows had been planning to move the brewery to Lake Stevens. But an agreement with the building’s ownership couldn’t be reached. Any hope of moving into that space had to be abandoned.
That makes the securing of the Marysville location that much sweeter, according to R.J Whitlow.
“We feel liberated that we’ve put the Lake Stevens chapter to rest,” R.J. Whitlow said. “It’s two years later, and we’re a little more in debt, but we really feel like we’re in the right place.”
They’ll be leasing a space in back of the Carr’s Hardware building. The original oiled hardwood floors are still underfoot, and the floor-to-ceiling wooden bins for screws and nails remain. Today the building also houses a coffee shop, Wander Coffee Bar, and The Vintage Violets, an antique store.
R.J. Whitlow said the plan is to open their doors in early 2019. In the meantime, R.J. and Kristi will be building out the taproom and brewery — including installation of a bar and cold box with 24 taps — and developing a food menu with the owners of Wander Coffee Bar. Along with some church pews that will act as wall anchors, they plan to use some of the old hardware store items in the brewery’s decor, including a vintage rolling ladder.
Though the Whitlows live in Marysville, it never occurred to them to open their brewery in town. They had their sights set on Lake Stevens — and were on track to move there before the abrupt change of course.
Though it was a setback, they’re more than OK with it now. R.J. Whitlow said he’s been blown away by the reception they’ve received from the city. Mayor Jon Nehring met with the Whitlows after hearing they might lease the Third Street location. The mayor had the inspectors come out right away, and all of the feasibility studies and licensing went through smoothly.
“A lot of people expected us to end up in Lake Stevens, and two years ago we wouldn’t have ever thought about this as a place for us,” R.J. Whitlow said, “but we’ve felt welcomed in Marysville.”
The move to the Third Street location might be just a short-term. According to R.J. Whitlow, there is hope that a building big enough to house a taproom and restaurant will be built on Second Street, across the alley from the Carr’s Hardware building.
He said the downtown location could soon see a drastic uptick in drive-by traffic. A new I-5 interchange, slated to start construction next year, would allow cars to enter the freeway from Highway 529, and would also funnel them right into the city’s downtown.
Taster tray
A Briess Encounter, Skookum Brewery: Designed by a Skookum assistant brewer and Wisconsin native, this IPA was brewed with Briess 2-row, malted white wheat and flaked corn to give it soft body, as well as Simcoe, Vic’s Secret and Nugget hops for flavors of dank herbs, musty fruit and sweet pine. Available on tap at the brewery.
Drink this
3rd Street Sunrise
5 Rights Brewing, Marysville
Style: Imperial IPA
Stats: 9 percent ABV, 41 IBU
Available: On tap at Elliot Bay Pizza, Creekside Alehouse, Toggle’s Bottleshop, The Local 104 and The Hop and Hound
From the brewery: We brewed this big, delicious West Coast-style imperial IPA to help us remember some of the things that inspired us to start 5 Rights in the first place. Bursting with flavors and aromas of citrus, tropical fruit and noticeable ripe pineapple, and with just a little resin undertones, this easy-drinking treat helps remind us that with every dark sunset there is usually another beautiful sunrise again the next day to keep us moving toward our dreams.
