The Growler: The Independent Beer Bar
The pub is a community meeting place — sacred grounds for some. In my mind it's the perfect place for the exchange of the ‘marketplace of ideas’, where friendly (or oppositional) discussions can be had over the common thread of good beer. I believe that a majority of local, national or international problems can be solved in a pub.
A pub is not a dive bar. A pub may or may not have food. A pub is a feeling of place. A home away from home. A pub should always have great beer.
The newly opened Independent Beer Bar at 1801 Hewitt Ave is just such a place. Its ambiance is inviting, friendly and just such a place to sit with your friends (or your enemies for that matter) to bridge community over pints. There's a warmth the minute that you walk into the joint that just makes you feel like you're at home. I almost took my shoes off, but I didn’t want other guests to think the beer stunk.
I will admit that I was impressed with their tap list, they had some beers from out-of-state craft breweries that I hadn’t heard of before. The Melvin IPA from Melvin Brewery out of Alpine, Wyoming was delicious. It had a citrusy hop profile that was balanced perfectly with a sweet malty backbone. The Independent is the type of place that you can go in, perhaps to play a game of shuffleboard and have your afternoon wane into the night.
While the word "pub" might not be reflected in the name of this beer bar, I will advocate for the fact that The Independent can act as one of the key gathering places for the community. Not just during a ‘Tips game, but all year round. According to their website theindependentbeerbar.com, they have some great game plans like, Get Happy, Stay Happy Hour, (show up in the first two hours and get $1 off all drafts and glasses of wine for as long as you’re in the bar). It’s like super happy hour.
They also offer Silvertips discounts before and after home games (as long as you wear your Silvertips gear and you’ll get $1 off drafts). Then, there's Wednesday Night Trivia at 7pm (who doesn’t love beer and trivia?). You just might win a free bar tab. While they don’t serve food, they have easy options for delivery from local restaurants in under 10min; they’ll even just take care of it for you and add it to your tab.
This is an establishment Everett needs. Go check them out, drink the beer. It’s a helluva lot better than Kool-Aid.
And remember, always think globally and drink locally.
Cheers,
The Growler
