Behind the bar at Balefire, there’s a long wooden box.
In it sit 24 bottles of wine. Each has a tube connected to it, allowing argon — a tasteless, odorless gas — to displace oxygen, preserving the wine for weeks after the bottle has been opened.
For owner Jon Tobey, the device was a must-have.
“Serving wine out of an open bottle is like serving beer out of a bucket,” he said.
Tobey, 45, built the device with friends; similar devices sell for tens of thousands of dollars through companies such as Nevada-based Cruvinet. Tobey touts his as the only one of its kind in Everett. It may be the only one in Snohomish County.
The ability to keep primo bottles of wine on tap, however, is just one novel quirk at Balefire, a boutique wine and craft beer bar in downtown Everett with a backstory as rich as its beer selection.
In 2005, a fire destroyed Tobey’s Sultan home, incinerating not only family heirlooms, but also an impressive stock of beverages: 500 bottles of wine, 35 gallons of mead and 40 gallons of beer.
Tobey, who now lives in Duvall, was talking about that loss during a pick-up game of soccer a couple years later with Daron Showalter, 26, of Seattle and a fellow business analyst at Microsoft. It turned out they both wanted to open a bar. Tobey had the money, in part thanks to that fire, so Showalter came up with a plan.
The two settled on Everett, opening a 48-seat spot one block from Comcast Arena in November. Formerly home to Il Bistro Vino, the corner bar now features blown glass lighting fixtures, a fiery red wall and little plaques mounted in front of stools that bear the names of friends who helped with remodeling.
To assemble Balefire’s menu, Tobey tapped a chef at Kafe Neo, a string of local Mediterranean and Greek restaurants, to create a flavorful tapas-styled menu. Guests can share a plate of empanadas or have a bowl of gazpacho.
Those tasty bites aside, Balefire’s main attraction is served in a glass.
Showalter, who is the general manager, assembles the craft beer menu, changing the eclectic line-up of 10 to 12 draft beers on a near-weekly basis. He continually rotates in strongly reviewed beers such as Sierra Nevada Bigfoot barleywine and Russian River Damnation Belgian ale.
“It’s the best beer in Everett,” he said, noting the menu features brewers that most restaurants don’t carry. “I know that sounds arrogant to say, but it’s true.”
That beer brings in bodies. Balefire sold out of its initial run of a mug club, a promotion that lets regulars keep a personalized 23-ounce mug over the bar.
Tobey, meanwhile, handles the wine. He often features local vintners, including Willis Hall Wines of Marysville, which will select wines for an Aug. 16 taste of Everett event.
John Bell, owner of Willis Hall, praised Balefire.
“Its approach is primarily educational from my point of view,” Bell said. “John is trying to educate people about what really good beer and wine is about.”
For Tobey, the bar isn’t a school, of course. It’s an example of making lemonade from lemons, of turning a loss into a gain by fulfilling a long-held ambition. It’s no coincidence he named the spot Balefire.
“My house burned down,” he said, “and instead of rebuilding my house, I started a bar.”
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com
Upcoming events
Taste of Everett, featuring plates from Marimba, Alligator Soul, Prohibition Grille and Buck’s American Cafe, with six wines chosen by Willis Hall Winery
4 to 8 p.m. Aug 16, Balefire, 1801 Hewitt Ave., Everett; $67 to $75; 425-374-7248 or balefirebar.com, call for reservations.
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