Biography

Established: 2014, closed

Owners: Craig Martinson

Brewers: Craig Martinson, Lee Martin, Glenn Adams

Location: 13704 Valley Ave. E., Sumner, WA 98390

Status:
Gone. Lake Tapps Brewing poured its final drop some years back, leaving behind ghost taps and garage-brew legends. The name still arcs through locals’ memories like a comet: sudden, bright, then vanished.

Specialty:
“Constant, stable, everyday beer—with a twist.” Simple, bold brews that didn’t ask for applause, yet often earned it. They nailed sessionable pints with just enough funk to keep you curious. Clean and grounded, until coconut or glacier ice showed up uninvited.

Five Notable Brews:

• Emmon’s Glacier IPA – Crisp like mountain runoff; not for the faint-hearted.

• Coco Loco Coconut Porter – Dark, silky, and unabashedly coconut-flavored—like a dessert in a pint glass.

• Two Guns Tawni Blonde – Blond ale with a kick—sunny, spicy, solid as bedrock.

• Stuck River Red – Rust-colored homage to the local slipstream, easy-drinking with gravel in its veins.

• Party Cove Porter – Rich and festive, like alligator wrestling but with cocoa and more tact.

Awards:

None. Taps turned, growlers filled. No ribbons needed. Their best award was that obscure coconut porter still whispered about in Sumner.

Fun Facts:

• Kid- and dog-friendly. A pint for you, a carrot stick for Rover.

• Opened the hour before Seahawks games—taproom or tailgate? They were symbiotic.

Founding Myth:
Craig Martinson and his pals brewed in a Lake Tapps garage until they launched in the Riverside Pub building on August 25, 2014. They started with a one-barrel system, added a four-barrel upgrade, and poured 10–12 beers on tap—cheeky diversity for such a modest operation. (turn0search0). Despite loyal locals and boatloads of personality, the brewery quietly folded, its taps silenced, its chairs empty, its river still flowing.

Notes & Errata Reflection:
Lake Tapps was the perfect blueprint for small-town beer magic: humble systems, massive heart, and innovation on a budget. They made coconut porter feel normal again. They brewed next to a river bridge and poured beer you might still have in the back of your fridge. And then, just like the tide, they receded.