A BIRTHDAY
ANNIVERSARY FESTIVITIES
“,’m on the /ong Beach 9isitors Bureau board,´
Michelle says, “and ,’m big on getting more people
out to the peninsula. 7hat’s why we name our beers
for local places, like our /eadbetter 5ed and Cape '.
7here’s even a little blurb on our label that shows off
where we live.´
7he brewery’s two-year anniversary, set to take
place Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16, will be
a weekend of fun for the whole family. Festivities
start at 8 p.m. Friday with a birthday cake and live
music by ,ke Fonseca of Portland. 7he celebration
continues from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday with draw-
ings, goodies, beer specials, 10 growler ¿ lls, and
Streetside 7aco 2.0 offering pulled pork sandwiches
and specials onsite. For every item purchased, attend-
ees will get a rafÀ e ticket; small prizes will be drawn
all weekend, and the grand prize for a seat on Mark
<oungblood’s sport ¿ shing boat for a ¿ shing trip will
be drawn at 5 p.m. Saturday.
But the celebration is not only for adults.
“We made our tap room, called 7he Jetty, a place
where families can hang out,´ Michelle says. “,t’s
nice and bright and cheery with cards and games for
kids at every table. We also serve lemonade, gourmet
sodas, iced teas, and light snacks, and we allow kids
until 6 p.m.´
For the adults, the beer is where the action is.
North Jetty Brewing’s signature Cape ' ,PA is bal-
anced and not too hoppy. “,t’s one of our best sellers
because it’s one of our lightest beers and not too high
in alcohol,´ Michelle says. “Most people like ciders,
so this might be one for cider-lovers to try.´
/eadbetter 5ed is malty, a red Scottish-style ale, and
is North Jetty’s second best seller.
7he brewery will also be re-
leasing two one-off beers at the
anniversary event. 7he ¿ rst,
423 'ampfbier — which trans-
lates as Steam Beer — cele-
brates the 500th anniversary
of the *erman 5einheitsgebot
the
*erman Purity /aw). 7his
8 p.m. Friday, April 15
beer is a malty, lightly hopped,
Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 16
golden beer similar to +efe-
4200 Pacifi c Way, Seaview, Washington
weizen with little bitterness.
7he second new release is
360-642-4234 • northjettybrewing.com
one Michelle created and is es-
pecially proud of — Big Boots
5huberry Blonde — made with 50 pounds of straw-
berries, 50 pounds of rhubarb, lemon zest and dry-
hopped with Mosaic hops. 7his beer was brewed on
March 5 in honor of ,nternational Women’s 'ay. ,n
collaboration with Pink Boots Society, chapters and
members brewed beers to bene¿ t the society; a por-
North Jetty Brewing co-owner Michelle Svendsen pours a beer in the Seaview brewery’s taproom.
tion of the proceeds goes to women’s scholarships in
Now, North Jetty Brewing has 13 beers on tap, and from a 1.5 barrel system to a 10 barrel system, with the brewing industry.
Michelle has put her own special spin on the business. beer distribution in 11 counties in Washington and
“We both brew, Erik does the bookkeeping and , work 2regon. 7hey even started their own bottling last 'e-
on the marketing side,´ she continues. “Erik has been cember and increased their brewing capacity 50 per-
But it seems that for any business on the North
teaching me brewing over these last three years. Now cent again by adding a 20-barrel fermenter in March. Coast — no matter its service or product — it is really
we’re both working full-time at the brewery. We’ve 7hey’ve won awards at tastings in both Seattle and about the people. North Jetty Brewing is no different.
got ¿ ve part-time employees and a sales rep. After we Portland and will have a new brewer, .irk +urd, Moin- “Summer is crazy on the peninsula with all the tour-
bought the original building, we realized we needed ing the team in May.
ists, but it’s our community supporting us so much that
But it’s not Must about beer for Michelle and Erik — helps us get through the winter too,´ says Michelle.
more space, so we bought the lot behind and e[panded.´
,n two short years the Svendsens have gone it’s about building community.
“Community focus is always my philosophy,´ she
BEER BASH
B
When she’s brewing beer at North Jetty Brewing, Michelle Svendsen dons a
pair of yellow boots, and the wardrobe habit spawned the namesake Yellow
Boots Kolsch, a light German-style beer.
Windows in the taproom allow patrons to watch the brewing process at North
Jetty Brewing.
NORTH JETTY BREWING CELEBRATES ITS TWO-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF
CREATING LOCAL CRAFT BEER WITH A COMMUNITY PARTY APRIL 15 AND 16
Kegs are seen in the brewery at North Jetty Brewing.
‘AS AN INDIVIDUAL YOU MIGHT
MAKE IT IN A BUSINESS IF YOU’RE
LUCKY, BUT IF YOU WORK TOGETHER
WITH YOUR COMMUNITY THEN
EVERYBODY DOES WELL. WE’RE SO
GRATEFUL TO BE HERE.’
The Yellow Boots Kolsch, a light German-style beer, at North Jetty Brewing.
12 | April 14, 2016 | coastweekend.com
Story by CATE GABLE
Photos by Joshua Bessex
Beer brewing has been a mostly male bastion —
even industry beer advertising is dominated by malty
brews and large fellows with foamy mugs. But Michelle
Svendsen has busted into the craft beer boy’s club with
yellow boots on: that’s what she wears when she does
her work at North Jetty Brewing, the brewery and tap-
room she co-owns with husband, Erik.
³:e’re ¿ nally beginning to see more women in the
¿ eld,´ Michelle says. ³2ur daughter 7aylor is actual-
ly the youngest member of the Pink Boots Society, an
organization that encourages women professionals in
the beer industry.´ See the website at pinkbootssoci-
ety.org) “She can’t brew yet; at 15 she’s too young, but
she got the license and is learning the trade. She can
tell you what all the parts of the brew house do and all
about it. We’re trying to impress upon her that she can
do anything.´
7aylor /aurito is a freshman at ,lwaco +igh School,
and she is following in the boot-steps of her mother,
Michelle, who is becoming one of the premier women
brew masters on the coast.
BEER ON TAP
“,t all started three years ago, when the owners of the
/ost 5oo wanted to have their own beer on tap, and they
brought my husband on board,´ Michelle says. “Erik
has always been interested in brewing and had home-
brewed since college, but , had never brewed before and
didn’t even drink beer.
“But we had so much fun that ¿ rst year that we
bought out the brewing operation and opened our own
brewery on April 16, 2014. Erik stopped doing CPA
work, and , sold my house keeping business. We love
it´
From left: The Semper Pratus Porter, Leadbetter Red Scottish Ale, and Yellow Boots Kolsch are all brewed and served at North Jetty Brewing in Seaview, Washington.
The brewery is celebrating its second anniversary April 15 and 16.
NORTH JETTY BREWING
SECOND ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION
IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE
Co-owner Erik Svendsen works in the brewery at North Jetty Brewing.
continues. “As an individual you might make it in
a business if you’re lucky, but if you work togeth-
er with your community then everybody does well.
We’re so grateful to be here.´
North Jetty even partnered with the 2cean Beach
Education Foundation on a donation idea for local
peninsula schools. “We worked with the superinten-
dent and grade school principals and together created
a new beer we call ‘Straight A Amber Ale.’ 50 cents
from every pint we sell goes back to the 2BEF.´
,f you’re a beer drinker, North Jetty wants to wow
you with its handcrafted brews. ,f you’re a newbie to
beer, Michelle and Erik suggest the “gateway beer´
Co-owner Erik Svendsen works in the brewery at North Jetty Brewing.
Yellow Boots Kolsch — named after Michelle’s foot-
wear and typical of beers from the Cologne region in
*ermany. “,t’s our lightest beer,´ she says.
But you might also like Starvation Alley Weissbi-
erwith, with hints of cranberry and a little tartness be-
cause it uses Starvation Alley Farm’s organic fresh-
pressed cranberry Muice. 2r you might like 'iscovery
Coast Coffee Milk Stout, which features Columbia
5iver Coffee 5oaster beans.
2ne recommendation from Erik and Michelle is
to try the sampler — that gives you a range of brews.
April 14, 2016 | coastweekend.com | 13