Ron Swarner

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by Ron Swarner - Nov 13, 2015

Harmon Brewing Pray for Snow party recap

Words and photos from last night's Harmon Pray for Snow party ... At…

New-Belgium-beer-dinner-at-The-Swiss

by Ron Swarner - Nov 11, 2015

New Belgium Brewing beer dinner at The Swiss Tacoma

The Swiss Restaurant & Pub will host New Belgium Brewing for a beer…

Thanksgiving-Beer-South-Sound

by Ron Swarner - Nov 8, 2015

Autumn beer in Tacoma

From the diary of Myles Clinkerdagger, military leader of the Ruston Way Colony,…

wingman-denizens-of-the-dark

by Ron Swarner - Nov 4, 2015

Wingman Brewers to host Denizens of the Dark

Denizens of the Dark is big and burly. If it were a beer,…

Fish-Brewing-World-Beer-Award-ceremony-feature-photo

by Ron Swarner - Oct 29, 2015

World class year for Fish Brewing Company

Fish Brewing Company is chill. The entire staff can chill mad hard. I…

Two-Beers-Brewing-Wonderland-Trail-IPA

by Ron Swarner - Oct 29, 2015

Two Beers Brewing releases Wonderland Trail IPA

Two Beers Brewing releases Wonderland Trail IPA I’m almost certain Fritz Maytag didn’t…

Top-Rung-Brewing-ghost-story

by Ron Swarner - Oct 25, 2015

Halloween Beer – Knock, knock, knock on Top Rung Brewing’s door

Things can get pretty freaky at Top Rung Brewing Company. And not just…

Narrows-Brewing-Company-Tacoma

by Ron Swarner - Oct 25, 2015

Halloween Beer – Narrow escape at Narrows Brewing

We continue our Halloween inspired series of scary brewery stories with visit to…

Harmon-Tap-Room-Scary

by Ron Swarner - Oct 21, 2015

Halloween Beer – Harmon brewer’s flesh replaced with pig skin

Doing our part to keep the South Sound's Halloween celebrants from choking on…

Firkin-Tuesday-at-Engine-House-No-9-Tacoma

by Ron Swarner - Oct 21, 2015

Firkin good time last night at Engine House No. 9

Let’s get one thing gloriously, effervescently clear: if you think “cask beer” means…

ghost-at-pacific-brewing-tacoma

by Ron Swarner - Oct 21, 2015

Halloween Beer – Ghost of Pacific Brewing and Malting Company

We’ve always loved October. Flora is in full regalia for its last fashion…

New-Belgium-Brewery-Salted-Caramel-Brownie-Ale-

by Ron Swarner - Oct 19, 2015

Brownie on Brownie – New Belgium Brewery pairing dinner

You've probably already sipped some craft beers from Fort Collins-based New Belgium Brewery…

Blue-Lightning-Brew

by Ron Swarner - Oct 16, 2015

When Blue Lightning strikes a Scotchie Scotchie Scotch

My first sip of alcohol at age [fill in the blank] was from…

Odd-Otter-Brewing-Tacoma

by Ron Swarner - Oct 15, 2015

Odd Otter Brewing to expand capacity, add cans

We walked into a building full of Odd Otters. They were busy Odd…

Avery-Brewering-at-Parkway-Tavern-Tacoma

by Ron Swarner - Oct 14, 2015

Avery Demons of Ale in Tacoma

Hey kids! Want to casually obliterate your palate, disorient your soul, and maybe…

Destiny-City-Brewing-in-Tacoma-washington

by Ron Swarner - Oct 13, 2015

Finding Destiny City Brewing in Tacoma

Eighteen new breweries have been added to the Washington State Liquor Control Board’s…

Three-Magnets-Brewing-bottles

by Ron Swarner - Oct 12, 2015

Three Magnets Brewing Co. begins bottling

As Three Magnets Brewing Co.’s owners Sara and Nate Reilly and I stood…

Top-Rung-Brewing-Hoptoberfest

by Ron Swarner - Oct 11, 2015

Top Rung Brewing Hoptoberfest recap

Yes, there was rain. It came down in sheets, sideways at times, like…

Holy-Mountain-Brewing-Company

by Ron Swarner - Oct 9, 2015

Beer Label of the Week: Holy Mountain Brewing Company

Some breweries arrive on the scene like slow burn sermons—patient, quietly building a…

top-10-beer-reps-from-summer-2015-Eric-Dahlin

by Ron Swarner - Oct 7, 2015

Top 20 Craft Beer Rep Poses of Summer 2015

Let’s get one thing straight: while brewers may get the tattoos, the taproom…

pacific-brewing-and-malting-one-year-anniversary-feature

by Ron Swarner - Oct 6, 2015

Pacific Brewing and Malting Co. acquires American Brewing Company

  Most craft brewers don’t start their business thinking about exit strategies. They…

Inland-NW-Craft-Beer-Festival-Spokane-feature-image

by Ron Swarner - Oct 3, 2015

Field of Beers – Inland Northwest Craft Beer Festival

It wasn't just the biggest comeback of the week, the month or the…

Harmon-Oktoberfest-Brewers-Dinner-Marine-View-Beverage-feature

by Ron Swarner - Oct 2, 2015

Harmon Brewing 18th Annual Oktoberfest Brewer’s Dinner

Pat Nagle slipped past a long table of sausage-stuffed diners and beer-blissed locals,…

Two-Beers-Seattle-Cider-Dinner-at-The-Swiss-featured-image

by Ron Swarner - Oct 1, 2015

Recap: Two Beers Brewing/Seattle Cider pairing dinner at The Swiss

In this neon-lit, endlessly scrolled, algorithm-fed modernity where even your dog’s toenail clippings…

Green-Tacoma-Day-at-Oak-Tree-Park

by Ron Swarner - Sep 30, 2015

Green Tacoma Day needs you

Every now and then, in this screen-glazed, microplastic-riddled world, the Earth taps us…

Harmon-Brewing-Co-Oktoberfest-Dinner-feature-image

by Ron Swarner - Sep 29, 2015

Beer Events In The South Sound Sept. Sept. 29-Oct. 3

Ah, the intoxicating scent of early fall—the faint spice of decaying leaves, the…

Cider-Swig-2015-Gig-Harbor-2-Towns-Ciderhouse

by Ron Swarner - Sep 28, 2015

Cider Swig in Gig Harbor recap

Once an infinitesimal share of the beverage market, hard ciders have seen great…

Hood-River-Hops-Fest-2015-hop-crown

by Ron Swarner - Sep 27, 2015

Hood River Hops Fest recap

The difference between fresh hops and dried hops in beer brewing is like…

Pat-Jansen-Three-Magnets-Brewing-wins-Great-American-Beer-Festival-Medal

by Ron Swarner - Sep 27, 2015

South Sound breweries earn medals at 2015 GABF

Ah yes, the Great American Beer Festival—our nation’s annual hop-soaked, malt-fumed bacchanal of…

Pacific-Brewing-and-Malting-Co-one-year-anniversary-party

by Ron Swarner - Sep 25, 2015

Pacific Brewing and Malting Co. celebrates first anniversary

Pacific Brewing and Malting Co. celebrates its first anniversary with — you guessed…

by Ron Swarner - Sep 23, 2015

Tacoma band brews beer at Pacific Brewing and Malting Company

At some point this summer Pacific Brewing and Malting Co. sales executive Andy…

Three-Magnets-Brewing-Cider-Tap-Takeover

by Ron Swarner - Sep 14, 2015

Three Magnets Brewing hosts cider companies

Once upon a colonial yesteryear—before coffee pods, before IPAs hazier than moral clarity,…

California-Craft-Beer-Summit-2015

by Ron Swarner - Sep 13, 2015

What I learned at the California Craft Beer Summit

The following is what I learned during day two of the California Craft…

California-Craft-Beer-Summit-2015

by Ron Swarner - Sep 12, 2015

California Craft Beer Summit report

As I drove 725 miles through jockeying semi trucks, dusty lakes and sweltering…

by Ron Swarner - Sep 9, 2015

Wet Coast Brewing to release Fresh Hop Ale

Wet Coast to release Fresh Hop Ale Out in Washington’s Yakima Valley—land of…

open-letter-to-marzen-beer

by Ron Swarner - Sep 7, 2015

Wingman Brewers and Pacific Brewing to release Oktoberfest collaboration

After the turn of September / In the cloudy skies over Tacoma /…

North-47-Brewing-Co-Tacoma

by Ron Swarner - Sep 3, 2015

Q&A with North 47 Brewing Co. founders Carl and Stephanie Leach

Some couples bond over music. Others over hiking, Netflix, or the quiet ecstasy…

south-sound-craft-beer-festival-2015

by Ron Swarner - Aug 30, 2015

Photos from South Sound Craft Beer Festival

It was, unmistakably, beer o’clock—somewhere around the sacred hour of 3 p.m.—when the…

fall-beers-from-odd-otter-brewing-company

by Ron Swarner - Aug 17, 2015

South Sound 2015 fall beer releases

Always looking for an excuse to party, the astronomically inclined people of Earth…

Bend-Brewfest-2015-hops

by Ron Swarner - Aug 16, 2015

Bend Brewfest recap

Portland doesn't have the patent on big-fat beer celebrations. Bend can get down…

South-Sound-Craft-Beer-festival

by Ron Swarner - Aug 13, 2015

South Sound Craft Beer Festival recap

It’s a wickedly simple concept. Gather ye together a large group of craft…

Tacoma-Beer-Week-at-Narrows-Brewing

by Ron Swarner - Aug 7, 2015

Tacoma Beer Week 2015 Day 6

FRIDAY, AUG. 7 Slingload Pils release, 5 p.m., Wingman Brewers Wingman Brewers releases…

Harmon-Brewing-Co-barrels

by Ron Swarner - Aug 7, 2015

Harmon Brewing Co. to release Duck Face Sour

Unless you’re older than 62 or live in a Tacoma Chinese Tunnel, odds…

by Ron Swarner - Aug 6, 2015

Tacoma Beer Week 2015 Day 5

THURSDAY, AUG. 6 Seattle Luvs Tacoma Day, 11 a.m. to close, The Red…