Twenty miles Northeast of Walla Walla you can find yourself in the quaint city of Waitsburg, Washington. Less than one square mile in size, Waitsburg is home to more than 1200 people. For such a small town, Waitsburg offers some top notch drinking and dining experiences. The picturesque destination founded in 1865 features Whoopemup Hollow Cafe, a welcoming hot spot for wine enthusiasts in the heart of Walla Walla wine country that features affordable high-end eats like their Po’ Boy sandwich with zesty remoulade, a “Waitsburger” ground ribeye, and other cajon-inspired eats like Bry’s Famous Jambalaya and a cornmeal-fried catfish. In addition to their healthy selection of local and worldly wines, Whoopemup, like much of the area has a limited selection of beer but a few of note. Bottles of Pike Place Heirloom Amber Ale, Guinness Stout Pub draft, Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale, Chimay Red Trappist Ale, and Lindeman’s Lambic are available as well as the brew of Waitsburg’s sole brewery Laht Neppur on tap.

Speaking of Laht Neppur, this brewery features Walla Walla Valley’s best handcrafted beer. Owner and brewer Court Ruppenthal, a Walla Walla native brings bold beer to an area unaccustomed to daring and adventurous craft brew recipes since 2006. Situated on the outskirts of tiny Waitsburg in an unassuming diner-esque establishment, Ruppenthal’s brews run the gamut of styles and colors. Here you will find anything ranging from a Strawberry Cream Ale to a Bonnie’s Barley Wine. On our last visit nine different brews gave beer hunters a wide variety of flavor options including a delicious fresh hop ale. Beginning his fermentation years as a wine maker and homebrewing for more than twenty years, Ruppenthal also includes a house Cabernet Savignon and a commercial Port Wine in his repertoire.There’s even some housemade root beer for quaffers of all ages. The patronage at Laht Neppur is nothing like you’d expect considering the smorgasbord of varietals offered. A blue collar atmosphere gives the brewpub the feel much like that of a hunting lodge an in the autumn months many folks in the pub were dawning camoflague attire.

Being that the Walla Walla Valley is more a destination for wine lovers than beer geeks, the search for unique handcrafted brew is one that will take the average Portander further than he’s used to for the next quaff.

After finishing up our early day visit with the nice lads at Walla Walla Brewers on the outskirts of town, we hit US-12 eastbound for our next landing-place. Passing through Waitsburg twenty miles from Walla Walla and onward another ten miles, we found ourselves in the historic town of Dayton, Washington. Founded in the 1860s and officially incorporated by its namesake Jesse Day in 1881, Dayton boasts the oldest train depot in Washington State (1881) as well as the oldest continuously used courthouse (1887).  Tucked between the foothills of the Blue Mountains and the bluffs of the Snake River, the quiet little town was once a somewhat bustling junction along the Lewis & Clark Trail. In fact, its population today (about 2700) is only slightly greater than it was at the turn of the 20th Century. Over 100 buildings in the town are on the National Historic Register including the Weinhard Hotel, founded by Henry Weinhard’s nephew Jacob in 1880.The beautiful site was constructed to house the Weinhard Saloon and Lodge.

Skye Book & Brew

Ice Harbor Brewing

Brewpublic co-founder and Marketing Director Aaron Miles visits Spokane and the Inland Empire: part 1 of 2, Northern Lights Brewing.

Northern Lights Brewing Company of Spokane, Washington is a brewpub with which some folks from the Northwest beer scene, specifically Portland, may not be very familiar. This is because it is a good five to six hours away from Portland, and less than three hours from Missoula, Montana, by car. Located at the heart of the Inland Empire, Northern Lights is an area favorite, with solid craft brews on tap that are also available in bottles and throughout Eastern Wash and the Puget Sound area. Their brewpub is a recommended destination for craft beer lovers visiting Spokane (”capital of the Inland Empire” and the region’s most populated area).

BridgePort Brewmaster Karl Ockert

On Thursday evening, Brewpublic was invited to a special event at BridgePort where brewmaster Karl Ockert was on hand to exemplify the company’s sustainable efforts. Fellow bloggers and beer folks were on hand as well as five main areas of the brewery were highlighted in their sustainability practices.  These include: Recycling, energy saving techniques, local and organic product use, water treatment, and community outreach. Here’s a little of what was touch on regarding these five criteria:

Recycling