In the minds of craft beer advocates the brewer is the closest thing to a gourmet chef. From sunrise to sundown they work, cleaning and replenishing. From sunrise to sundown they sweat either over the grinding of the mill or the steam from the boiling kettle. And from sunrise to sundown they ponder the next beer to satisfy your palate. For the brewers of Elliott Bay Brewing those words should be etched on a plaque and hung in a doorway.

Since 1994 the brewers and owners of Elliott Bay Brewing Co. have strived to satisfy their audience with solid beers paired with good food. Through this dedication the brewery has succeeded not only at it’s flagship West Seattle location but in Burien and now Lake City Way. Which is why the brewery in Lake City elected to brew a special beer with a guest brewer, Matt van Wyk.

This past February (22nd) Elliott Bay Brewing Bill Jenkins, of the Lake City location, collaborated with Oakshire Brewing’s Matt van Wyk to produce a unique Rye India Pale Ale.

If you haven’t heard of Oakshire then you clearly haven’t been following this website. Turning the sass down a notch, Oakshire Brewing is located in Eugene (Oregon). And when the brewery isn’t collaborating they are brewing beers Overcast Espresso Stout, Watershed India Pale Ale, and Ill Tempered Gnome Winter Ale. Did we mention their Line Dry Rye Pale Ale?

Back to the Bill Jenkins / Matt van Wyk collaboration, the beer has been described as red in color and akin to a traditional Rye India Pale Ale. We’ve also been told that Kaffeklatsch cafe contributed several loaves of their 100% rye bread to make the beer just a touch ‘more rye-like’.

When pressed for some answers Elliott Bay’s Doug Hindman confirmed that this beer ‘crashed’ at 15 Plato or around 6.50% ABV. And the loaves of bread and rye? How’s 6 loaves of sliced rye bread from Katteklatsch and a 27% rye malt contribution grab you? Then again this beer needed hops. Which is why the brewers added magnum, northern brewer, and palisade; which allow the IBU to reach around 25.

Once the beer is ready the current plan is to officially release the beer as a preview to E.B.’s Lake City Way 1 year anniversary party (March 30th).

Look for Elliott Bay ‘insert name’ Rye India Pale Ale on draft around March 25th or for sure at this year’s Washington Brewers Guild Cask Fest.

Cheers

About Elliott Bay Brewing Co.

Elliott Bay Brewing Co. is a family owned company of high quality neighborhood brewpubs in communities throughout the Seattle area.  Owners Todd Carden and Brent Norton met in 1994 while working for the iconic Maritime Pacific Brewing Co. They forged a friendship and explored their common goal and dream of owning and operating their own brewpub. They also met Head Brewer Doug Hindman at Maritime Pacific.

Todd and Brent incorporated the company in November of 1996.   In March 1997 they signed their first lease and began construction of a brewpub in the historic “Junction” of West Seattle.  They opened for business on July 11, 1997.  Doug joined the ranks in September of 1997 and has been Head Brewer ever since.

Over the past thirteen years in West Seattle, Elliott Bay Brewery & Pub has been a leader in sustainability, philanthropic support, and instumental [sic] in creating an amazing sense of community in the neighborhoods which it serves.  Elliott Bay Brewhouse and Pub, the companyís [sic] second brewpub, opened in Burien in March of 2007.  The Burien Brewhouse, like its West Seattle sibling, supports a progressive company culture and socially responsible business practices.

About Oakshire Brewing

Begun in October 2006 by brothers Jeff and Chris Althouse, Oakshire Brewing is a 15-barrel production brewery in Eugene, Oregon dedicated to making fine craft beer.  What began as a home-brewing hobby and a love of beer has turned into award-winning beer on draft and in bottles throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The name Oakshire represents our core values: Strength, like the enduring Oak; Independence, which fuels our innovation; and Community, remembering our place within the whole.

About the author of the photo featuring Bill Jenkins, Dick Cantwell, and Jason Parker

Daniel Arutro Carrillo-Lozano (b. 1973) is an Intaglio printmaker and antique process portrait photographer specializing in Daguerreotypes and Wet Plate Collodion.

Born in Mexico and raised in California, he moved to Seattle in 1997. His work has been exhibited in Greg Kucera Gallery, Western Washington Viking Union Gallery, SOIL Gallery, Davidson Galleries, Gallery 110, Sev Shoon, CoCA , Shenzhen, China, Some Space, Gage Academy,  Skagit Valley College, and has been included in several juried exhibitions.

He is currently photographing members of the Seattle area arts community using the wet collodion method invented in 1851 and the first viable form of photography, the daguerreotype invented in 1839 by J.L.M Daguerre.

Daniel is Represented by Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle.

About the photo’s author featuring Matt van Wyk’s

"Matt Wiater is a photographer covering the Portland beer scene for portlandbeer.org."