Everett — As a college student at the University of Washington, Craig Chambers would drink beer — most of it of the Coors Light, macrobrew variety.
It was only after he transferred to the University of Montana that he discovered what beer could really be and that craft beer is about so much more than what’s in the bottle.
Craig Chambers cracks a smile while speaking with a guest at Obsidian Beer Hall on Friday, April 12, 2024, in downtown Everett, Washington. Art by Jessie Lipscomb or Momma Lips Draws hangs behind him. (Ryan Berry / The Herald) Craig Chambers cracks a smile while speaking with a guest at Obsidian Beer Hall on Friday, April 12, 2024, in downtown Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
“I fell in love with Big Sky Brewing, specifically their brown ale,” said Chambers, whose tastes skew to the more malt-forward beers over hoppy ones. “But really I just loved the vibe of their place. It felt like so much more than just a restaurant and brewery. It was a place I could just drink, hang out and be myself.”
That feeling stuck with Chambers and drove him to open his own “vibe” spot. Chambers recently opened Obsidian Beer Hall in downtown Everett. Located in the former home of Toggle’s Bottleshop along Hewitt Avenue, Obsidian is designed to be a place to unwind and chill out while throwing back a pint of beer or a glass of wine.
Craig Chambers takes orders while working behind the bar at Obsidian Beer Hall on Friday, April 12, 2024, in downtown Everett, Washington. Art by Jessie Lipscomb or Momma Lips Draws hangs behind him. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
“I want people to enjoy coming in, sitting down and staying as long as they want,” said Chambers. “Hang out and have a good time. That’s the vibe.”
The ambiance of Obsidian is definitely chill. Instead of large tables and hard-back chairs, Chambers has gone with plush sofas, mid-century-modern lounge chairs and a bar top that zigs and zags to create small tables rather than the normal straight-line bar. The overall feel is a place to sit down, talk, laugh and enjoy oneself.
People make themselves at home at the front of Obsidian Beer Hall on Friday, April 12, 2024, in downtown Everett, Washington. Art by Jessie Lipscomb or Momma Lips Draws hangs on the wall behind them.
“We wanted a different feel,” said Chambers, who spent time working for Diamond Knot Brewing for two years after graduating from Montana.
As a Black-owned business, it is also important for Chambers to represent his perspective in the craft beer world. Nationwide, less than 1% of all breweries are Black-owned. In Washington, three of nearly 400 breweries in operation are Black-owned.
Chambers said he hopes to regularly have beers on tap from those three breweries: Metier Brewing and 23rd Avenue Brewery in Seattle, and Sage Brewing in Pasco.
It’s more than just beer, though. There’s hip-hop on the stereo and art on the walls from Black artists and other minority artists in the community. Currently, Obsidian is showcasing works from Yolanda Galery and OviArt.
Work by Seattle artist Yolanda Galery hangs on one of the walls at Obsidian Beer Hall on Friday, April 12, 2024, in downtown Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
“For me, it’s all about representation in the community and making sure everyone feels welcome here,” said Chambers, who also keeps a number of non-alcoholic options on the menu for those not drinking alcohol. “We’re not just catering to one type of customer. I want Obsidian to be a reflection of the community as a whole.”
In the future, Chambers plans to open a small gallery at the back of the space, where Toggle’s used to house its bottleshop fridges. The hope is to feature a diversity of art from a broad spectrum of local artists from all backgrounds.
Artwork by Colombian-born OviArt hangs on a wall at Obsidian Beer Hall on Friday, April 12, 2024, in downtown Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The taplist will be dominated by local and Washington breweries. Over the past few months, Chambers has been making pilgrimages to beer-centric locales suchaas Bellingham and Seattle to taste-test breweries’ best beers. He said he’s not only testing the beer but also the vibe of the people and places he’ll be sourcing from.
Overall, Chambers’ hope is to have beers on tap that visitors can’t find anywhere else.
“I want hard-to-find beers that are unique,” said Chambers.
Beer is served in can-shaped glasses at Obsidian Beer Hall on Friday, April 12, 2024, in downtown Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Chambers hosted a standing-room-only grand opening for his beer hall earlier this month. Prior to the opening, he reached out to 5 Rights Brewing owner R.J. Whitlow about doing some social media collaboration and aksed if Whitlow would send over a beer he could put on tap for the celebration.
Laid back seating lines the walls at Obsidian Beer Hall on Friday, April 12, 2024, in downtown Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Whitlow did him one better, offering to brew a one-off specialty beer just for the occasion.
“We were honored to be a part of the opening festivities,” said Whitlow, who brewed a red ale, Ribbon Cutting Red, for the Obsidian grand opening. “We love being part of this amazing craft beer community, and as always we will do our part to help out in any way we can.”
Obsidian Beer Hall is open Thursday through Sunday. Chambers has hopes to eventually open his own kitchen. For now, he’s offering snacks, though outside food is also welcome.
Obsidian Beer Hall
Where: 1420 Hewitt Ave., Everett
Hours: 1-8 p.m. Thursday and Sunday; 1-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Contact: 206-321-7437
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