Every day he leaves the brewery, At Large Brewing owner and head brewer Jim Weisweaver walks outside and looks directly at a giant, gray Navy ship staring back at him. The U.S. Navy is an imposing, if friendly, neighbor to all of the businesses near the Everett waterfront.
Recently, a collection of Navy men and women received a tour of At Large’s brewery and got a behind-the-scenes look at how commercial beer is brewed. It was apparently a “top secret” mission, as none of the Navy folks wanted to give their name for this article.
For the group it was seen as a team-building exercise, which, I was told, are common because of the frequent rotations of crew members and their disparate hometowns. I chatted with men and women from Florida, Colorado, Kansas and Illinois. Most of them are homebrewers.
“Quite a few of the guys come (to At Large) after their shift, so it felt like a cool collaboration between the Navy and a local business,” said one of the sailors. “We really wanted to just watch and learn about the process from a professional point of view.”
For Weisweaver, inviting in some Navy folks after hours was a natural fit with At Large’s community outreach in Everett. Having been in the city coming up on two years, At Large has made inroads with a number of local businesses, including sponsorship agreements with the Silvertips and AquaSox, and making sure local restaurants like Brooklyn Bros. Pizzeria have At Large beer on tap.
“Our Everett roots are growing more and more,” Weisweaver said.
Coincidentally, the day the group from the Navy visited was one of the busiest brew days for At Large in a while. Weisweaver said the brewery was in the middle of an “IPA crisis,” having nearly run out of the popular beers near the end of March. At Large usually carries about a half-dozen IPAs on its tap list.
“People were coming in and were like, ‘Where’s all the IPAs.’ It was like they lost a loved one,” Weisweaver said. “I said, ‘You drank them all!’ ”
To remedy the problem, Weisweaver and associate brewer Dan Custer planned a double batch while they had visitors from the Navy, brewing two new beers: Stick Figure, a New England-style pale ale, and Seems To Me, an IPA brewed with three different hops. It was a good chance for the Navy folks to see the brewers in top gear.
“They got a good look at how a brewery operates at this level,” Weisweaver said.
At Large’s recent IPA crisis has much to do with the Everett brewery hitting its stride — not so much in Everett but Seattle. Since starting distribution in Seattle about eight months ago, Weisweaver said the brewery can’t keep enough beer on tap. Craft beer heavyweights like both Chuck’s Hop Shop locations, Brouwer’s Cafe and Toronado are all regularly featuring At Large beer and selling out of it quickly.
That’s led to some good problems, like selling too much IPA.
“Right now we’re on the edge of capacity,” said Weisweaver of his three-barrel system. “Our March sales were equal to July of last year, and it’s getting harder and harder to keep up with demand, both outside of here and in the taproom.”
At Large recently upgraded to 16 taps from 13 and is discussing buying a pair of seven-barrel fermenters to help with production. Growth, albeit incrementally, is happening and all part of the plan, Weisweaver said.
“We’re trying to stay nimble instead of boxing ourselves into having to cater to one type of fad or trend,” Weisweaver said. “We’re where we want to be.”
Other brews on this week’s taster tray:
Skook and Ricky Ricky, Skookum Brewery/Georgetown Brewing: This collaboration beer marries a base of Maris Otter pale, oats and spelt with Simcoe, Amarillo, Rakau and Galaxy hops to create a crisp, grassy and fruity IPA. Available on tap at Skookum.
Bird’s the Word, Middleton Brewing: Part of Middleton’s Cereal Killer Series is an oatmeal pale ale brewed with Fruit Loops. Available on tap at the brewery and Toggle’s Bottleshop.
XIIPA No. 2, Double Bluff Brewing: The second in the brewery’s experimental IPA series pairing two different hop varieties, uses Comet and Citra hops. Available on tap at the brewery.
Trainwreck, Lake Stevens Brewing: Wheat and 2-row malts collide with Cascade, Amarillo and Centennial hops in this imperial IPA. Available on tap at the brewery.
Easy Island Pale Ale, Naked City Brewing/Farmstrong Brewing: Brewed with 100 percent Skagit Valley malt and Citra hops, this pale ale has big tropical fruit flavors. Available on tap at the brewery.
DRINK THIS
Stick Figure | Seems To Me
At Large Brewing, Everett
Style: New England-style Pale Ale | Double IPA
Stats: 5.4 percent | 7.0
Available: On tap at the brewery
From the brewery: Stick Figure is a new pale ale made with 100 percent Mosaic hops and wheat to give it a hazy appearance. Seems to Me is a hazy double IPA brewed with copious amounts of Chinook, Citra and Amarillo hops.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
