Fremont Chamber Shows Attendees A Very Good Time!

Last Wednesday, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce hosted its monthly general meeting at The Barrel Thief Wine & Whiskey Bar.  At this noon-time gathering, owners of three Fremont beverage manufacturers shared history and news on their companies, and samples of their latest products – along with yet more education and tastes from within the Barrel Thief itself.

This stereotypical ‘businessman’s lunch’ took on a Fremont-esque spin, minus only the martini.  With delicious eats provided from The Barrel Thief’s kitchen, attendees were treated to libations from:

• Barrel Thief (owner, Christopher Gronbeck) shared sparkling wine.  The elegant and intimate bar has “grown with our customers,” according to Gronbeck who also teaches classes on wine and spirits to build his client-base.  He shared information about sparkling wines, including Champagne, a wine originally developed by mistake, when a little food was left in the cask.  The residual yeast created CO₂ giving the drink its signature fizz and bubbles.  Gronbeck demonstrated a safe way to open a bottle, and then shared tastes of a Champagne, and two other sparkling wines.

  

  He also talked about why to avoid cheap ($4 or less) sparkling wine.  In the finer products, manufacturers add CO₂ to each bottle, but in the cheap stuff it gets injected in the whole batch, much like carbonation in soda pop.  Finally, he talked about the trend toward ‘grower champagne,’ where smaller batches are crafted at the winery that grows the grapes.  When asked, Gronbeck acknowledged that while originally marketed as a drink for special occasions, sparkling wine has become more acceptable for regular consumption, with education opportunities for food pairings.

• Fremont Brewing Co (co-owner, Sara Nelson) shared three locally crafted beers.  Founded here in 2008, Nelson reported, “Fremont is a great place to do business.”  The original brewery on N 34^th Street at Albion still houses the Urban Beer Garden which attracts, as Nelson explained, “geeks, weirdos, artists, and moms with children.”  Yet, as the business has grown, the warehouse on Albion “couldn’t fit any more fermenters,” according to Nelson.  In July they started making beer in a satellite location, in far west Fremont at 9^th Ave NW & Leary Way.  They plan to keep the tasting room at Albion, as they make the ‘year ‘round’ beers on Leary – and work on the more specialty, small batch brews at the original brewery.  Nelson focuses more on the business end of the company (her husband, Matt Lincecum, started this venture out of his fascination with home brewing,) and she explained that the craft beer industry has reached a plateau but their business is booming, with more room to grow.

  

  Nelson shared tastes of Bonfire Ale, Interurban I.P.A. and the newly named Winter Ale (formerly Abominable.)  She also mentioned their barrel aging program, and that Friday, Nov 25^th, is known to Fremont Brewing customers as B-Bomb Friday when they launch the bourbon-beer infusions at 3p, in the Urban Beer Garden at Albion.  “More and more,” Nelson finished, “it’s fun to be in this neighborhood!”

• Schilling Cider (owner/founder Colin Schilling) shared four canned hard ciders, available for retail purchase.  Schilling’s is the oldest cidery in Seattle, with its first retail store in Fremont (a second is coming to Portland.)  According to Schilling, Johnny Appleseed planted apple trees across the country to provide cider apples for settlers who would only move west when assured that there would be sufficient products for making alcohol…  Hard cider was a standard drink, easy to make, until Prohibition, when cider orchards were cut down and apples were only grown for eating.  Schilling started his cider company by market testing at Brouwer’s Café in Fremont, and the company has grown into the largest independent cider brand in Washington State.  In the retail shop, on N 34^th (across from the People Waiting for the Interurban statue,) they have 32 rotating taps, often featuring other local brands.  They like to introduce other brands that share their mission to provide products free of artificial additives.  Schilling also educates customers (for instance, cider is gluten-free) and helps citizens better understand this adult beverage more like wine but also kind of like beer.

  

  He reported here about some of the strange laws that govern his industry – depending on the fruit used, carbonation, alcohol content, etc. Schilling must pay wildly different amounts in tax – although, for cider, apples or pears don’t count as ‘fruit.’  Schilling brought four beverages for tasting: the Mischief Maker (apple cider flavored with Washington cranberry and California pomegranate,) the Ascender (apple cider with ginger,) Grapefruit Cider, and American Gold semi-sweet cider.

• Fremont Mischief (co-owner Patti Bishop) shared tastes of Storm Tossed Rye and Fremont Mischief Whiskey.  Introduced by Fremont Chamber staff person Trisha Rarey as representing a company doing significant social good, Bishop spoke about a few of their business partnerships (including with Schilling.)  According to Bishop, Mischief started when her husband, Mike Sherlock, turned 50.  He’d started, and operated, a few different businesses in Fremont, and he saw the changes coming in the liquor laws that now allow for small, local-based distilleries.  Each spirit made at Mischief is tied to a non-profit cause.  For instance, the Storm Tossed Rye raises funds for the Sea Scouts and the Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial.  They also “make it our business to refer customers,” as Bishop showed off a great handout she’d made to map a route between the Brewery, Schilling’s and Mischief.  At its original location, on N 34^th facing the Ship Canal near NW 1^st Ave, Michief has begun an expansion, with a new tasting room and, eventually, more indoor event space.  Bishop explained that they’d thought about building a restaurant, but chose instead to offer a venue for rental for smaller events.  She also mentioned the new Comrade Vodka coming soon, with both the Lenin statue and the Fremont Rocket images on the labels.

Following these presentations, meeting attendees chatted for a while before returning – with some very satisfied grins – to their offices and business facilities.  Rarey also invited everyone to return for more fun, and likely more delicious samples, to the upcoming Fremont Chamber Holiday Party.

On December 14^th, at the Fremont Studios (next door to Mischief,) the Chamber will host its community celebration – an ideal solution for area small businesses that may not be able to offer its staff an office party but still want a fun evening for fellowship.  (This can also be the answer if your company Christmas party blows.  Just sayin’!)  While less educational than its monthly meetings, the Chamber Holiday Party does provide networking opportunities with a party atmosphere, along with the legendary Awards Presentation highlighting some of this year’s local heroes!  Please RSVP for the Holiday Party (which costs $20 for members/$25 for non) on the Chamber website at Fremont.com