PORT TOWNSEND — Owners of a new brewery will make their first appearance at this weekend’s Strange Brewfest as participating brewers, not just beer lovers.
Patrick Raymond and Glenn Jones of Discovery Bay Brewing have spent the past few weeks preparing their handcrafted brews for the festival, which begins today and continues Saturday.
This is the 15th consecutive year of Strange Brewfest, the adult beverage festival that runs from 5 p.m. today to midnight and from 1 p.m. Saturday to midnight at the American Legion Hall, 209 Monroe St.
Between 2,500 and 3,000 beer lovers are expected to attend the event, tasting samples from 32 of the region’s most popular breweries and five local cider houses.
Tickets are $35 per person for both days and include four tasting tokens, and a special souvenir glass. Tickets also are available at the door. It is a 21-and-older event and dogs are not allowed.
After 17 years of home-brewing success, friends Raymond and Jones considered taking their hobby to the next level. The two decided to become commercial brewers when they retired from their careers in forestry and graphic design.
After relocating to Port Townsend and working on a business plan, they established their company, Discovery Bay Brewing, at 948 North Park Ave., off Rainier Street in Port Townsend.
Now into their second careers, Raymond and Jones opened their brewpub last June, complete with a tasting room and outdoor beer garden. They said they are enjoying the success they’ve built in the past seven months and are looking forward to being behind the booth serving their brews this year.
Along with breweries stationed inside the hall, the festival offers a selection of live music by some of the area’s favorite bands.
LoWire and The Scott Pemberton Band are scheduled to perform tonight. On Saturday, Babycakes, Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme, and The Lucky Brown Band will take the stage. DJ Silace will be playing recorded tunes in between performances on both days.
Discovery Bay Brewing and other brewers will set up outside under tents with more concoctions to taste.
Making return appearances at the event are master chainsaw carvers Pat McVay and Steve Backus and fire dancers will perform at 8 both nights.
The event’s organizing group includes Janet Emery and Nina Law. Emery said that this year, profits from Strange Brewfest will be given to the nonprofit Great Port Townsend Kinetic Sculpture Race.
In the past, the money raised went to the Jesters Organization of the Freemasons.
Organizers have encouraged brewers to concoct beers that won’t be found anywhere else and the stranger the ingredients and flavors, the better.
This year’s theme is “superheroes” and brewing reps and patrons are encouraged to dress accordingly.
“The tastes are really fun and unusual,” Emery said.
“Some of the wilder concoctions include Barhop Brewing’s Oreo Speedwagon, Bad Jimmy’s’ CDA Chilled Dark Ale, Boundary Bay’s Dark Star, Bushel & Barrel’s Coconut Curry Beer, Island Hoppin’s Mint Cocoa Oatmeal Stout, Finnriver’s That’s Your Daddy’s Beer Money, and Downpour Brewing’s Maple Brown Sugar and Sweet Potato Curry.”
Raymond and Jones thought about their superheroes and created two beers that play to their strengths: porters and ales that are not “too hoppy.”
“We’ve created two special beers for the event,” Raymond said. “Keeping with the superhero theme, we created Captain Coconut Cascadian Dark Ale, a dark ale that comes with an optional Thai hot sauce that gives it a deep spicy flavor and warms it up.
“We’ll also offer Heroic Honey Hazelnut Porter with a sweet and nutty flavor that we’ll garnish with hazelnuts.”
Emery said she’s expecting at least 74 kegs to be tapped when the doors open tonight.
“Most breweries are bringing three different kinds,” Emery said.
“There will be a lot of beer.”
For more information and tickets, see strangebrewfestpt.com/tickets.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Jeannie McMacken can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jmcmacken@peninsuladailynews.com.
