Pacific Northwest Beer Chick

What a time to live in Gig Harbor, WA!

New restaurants have been cropping up, finishing touches are going up on the new shopping center, and a couple more breweries have decided to set up tap rooms in Gig Harbor.

I’m talking about Gig Harbor Brewing Company and Fox Island Brewing. Both have been around for a few years, but now, us simple “Gig folk” (I just made that up) have easier access.

Gig Harbor Brewing was originally going to be housed here in the harbor. But, as the usual, a lot of red tape and headaches were coming with the project. The owner’s wanted to keep the name but were needed to find another place to brew. Tacoma, being just a bridge-crossing away, was the best choice for the brewery. The tap brewery opened it’s doors in the Nalley Valley area of Tacoma in 2015.

Ever since, they have been producing some fine beers. Finally, they were able to find a lovely little spot in the heart of Gig Harbor to secure a second tap room. Right where they should be! Located right on the water, the tap room is roomy, comfortable and inviting. The beer, is amazing! I sampled a few on my recent visit and all are very noteworthy. Oh, and the tap room is within walking distance to my apartment! Big thumbs up!

Blood Orange Blonde (5%) – Wonderful blood orange flavor and color. Not sweet, but plenty of luscious blood orange fruit from start to finish. The fruit tasted authentic, not syrup.

Blackberry IPA (6%) – I really like this one. Again, the fruit was real, not processed and balanced nicely with the hops. Quite lovely, refreshing, and flavorful.

Solar Tide IPA (5%) – This one was my favorite of the day! Such a well-balanced IPA. Tons of flavor but not so overpowering as to detour the hop novice. This is a really nice beer!

Fox Island Brewing opened a few years ago. Until recently, you could only usually find their beer locally, and I mean locally. Zog’s Pub on fox Island and a couple of local tap rooms, but that was about it. Now, they have acquired a tap room and took up residence at the Performance Golf Center and christened it the Tap-In. The great thing about this tap room is that they also serve food. Hooray! Gourmet hot dogs, Pizza, and a few other tid-bits will keep your tummy full while enjoying these tasty brews. There is outdoor and indoor seating. One can also enjoy a game of Cornhole or foosball while relaxing. A miniature golf course (I refuse to call it “put put”) is right outside the door to keep the kiddies occupied if you are some of those folk that insists on bringing your offspring to a tap room.

The food is good, the beer is tasty, the scenery is pretty. I purchased a taster tray and out of the 5 beers, these two were my favorite. I must tell you that two of the beers in the tasters tray were Hefeweizens. I like a good Hefe, but, I have to be in the mood for them. I was not in the mood on this day.

No You Don’t Kolsch – Lot’s of lovely honey notes. Crisp clean finish. It’s no secret that Kolsch is one of my favorite styles.

Pale C’s American-style Pale Ale – well balance ale. Mild hops. Not overpowering, but a lot of flavor from start to finish.

The indoor lounge is nice, the outside is probably where you want to be…when the weather is nice. I immensely enjoyed the German Dog with sauerkraut. Not a bad place to hang out on a pretty day.

Gig Harbor may be a tiny town, but, the beer culture is gaining speed. I love the idea of the sleepy little fishing village that has stuff to do. At the same time, I don’t want our beloved village to become overrun with chain stores and restaurants. Keep the businesses local and lovely. I want Gig Harbor to be a quant destination without becoming gimmicky and cheap. Quality places to eat and drink with the Gig Harbor personality.

I love this town with every thread of my being. Let’s keep it moving forward and relevant!

Cheers!

Liz