On my travels a few weeks ago I finally managed to stop by this place. For some reason it has evaded me in the many times I have driven by during my many Boise-Western Washington trips. Maybe it’s partly because “tri-cities” is a nearly perfect half-way point where I stop for gas and I cant convince myself to make another stop so soon, trying to make good time.
This trip, I was coming south from Ellensberg and had planned to turn off and head south on hwy 97 to Bend, OR the mecca of craft brew towns this side of the coast. As it turned out, the highway I wanted to take was closed due to wildfires somewhere. So 40 miles or so down the road was Prosser, WA. Hometown of former BSU all-everything Kellen Moore, and Whitstran Brewing Co.
I got there about 4PM and was tired and starving from the triathlon I had just run earlier that day in Ellensberg. I ordered a burger and fries and asked about a sampler tray. The beers were tasty and I was nearly finished with my food when another couple came in. I overheard the gal mention that she was a home brewer and she had a few questions about what they had on tap.
About that time, an older guy came out from the back. Late 50’s or so, wearing shorts, a bandanna and a wild tie-tied T-shirt, drinking beer from a mason jar. I took a wild guess and assumed he was the brewer. I walked up to the counter and asked our server loud enough so the other folks could hear “hey, what are the chances a couple of home-brewers could get a little tour of the back”?
Tie dye guy perked up and said no problem, c’mon back. The three of us chatted a bit while a kid was weighing out grain for the next batch. I asked if he’d ever done any ciders with all the orchards around, but no, he sticks to his dozen or so regulars and a few rotation seasonals. He can hardly keep up as it is and cant afford the fermenter space for too many experiments. I thanked for the tour and the chat, and paid my tab and was on my way. I will have to try harder to make this a regular sop on my travels in the future.
