The Growler: Justice Brewing Story
Tucked away in a North Everett alley (here's a map) is a 420 square foot nano-brewery pumping out some great Belgian beers. Justice Brewing is a small one barrel brewery. That means at full brewing capacity on brew day owner/brewer Nate McLaughlin brews up two full kegs (31 gallons) of the sweet nectar of the gods. Justice brewery has been in operation for three years, but Nate has been home brewing for over a decade.
What’s remarkable is that this is a one man operation. Nate produces great and very interesting experimental beers, handles his own distribution (right now you can find his beer at the Sno-Isle Co-op, or on tap at the AFK Tavern) and on top of that, he's also a husband and a father. His biggest seller and most popular beer is 'White & Nerdy' – this is a nice twist on a traditional Belgian wit beer with just a touch more of hops.
Speaking of hops, this place doesn’t produce an IPA so if you’re a hophead this might not be the place for you, but I would also challenge you to check it out. While I was there, I enjoyed the Imperial Coffee Stout, (which might be gone by the time this publishes). Justice brewery also experiments with Brettanomyces Yeast which give beers a sour taste, these yeasty bugs fascinate me and I’m always on the prowl for a good sour beer.
This was a great visit and I’m so glad that I finally drove the 1.8 miles from my house to the brewery. It was just the two of us, we talked beer, we talked brewing, we talked politics; it was a great introduction to Nate and to Justice Brewing. I will be back.
The tasting room and brewery is only open to the public on Saturday’s from Noon - 2p, and other times by appointment. For more info check out their website here.
If you’re curious as to how the brewery got it’s name, and you’re thinking it’s based off of a cartoon — you're wrong. Stop in, fill a growler, say hi and hear the story for yourself.
Remember to think globally and drink locally.
Cheers,
The Growler
