We’re back! And we return in style with a visit to the new Wingman Taproom in the Dome district.
The Heart Groweth Fonder
I’m sure in communications classes it is taught that a good title is one with brevity and focus. This title has neither of those things, but this post is as much about our return to the Tacoma blogosphere as it is about the focus of the post. It’s been nearly a month…what the hell? I don’t even know what happened. There were a couple vacations in there, some empty wallets, and a lot of unexpected sunshine. A siesta of sorts, or a power nap. There’s no stopping us now.
It has been nice to take a short break. We’ve matured (that’s with a “t” sound, not a “ch” sound). After a long disheartening conversation with a well known local restauranteur, I have a different perception of what it is we do, as well as social media in general. We make an impact for better or for worse. We hope the impact we make is a positive one, but all we can do is try. Our goal is to promote that which needs promoting (and that which is just too awesome to ignore), and when it comes down to it Adam and I just love the hell out of food. We have fun doing this and we’ll keep doing it until it ceases to be fun.
To hell with it. Let’s drink beer.
A Taproom for the Weary Traveler
We did find time amid the sun breaks and Tacoma events to attend the grand opening of Wingman Breweries’ taproom. Still relatively new on the scene, Wingman Breweries is nothing if not persistent. The first we ever heard of them was last summer when they were pouring at the Tacoma Craft Beer festival. Since then we’ve seen them in restaurants, coffee shops, and our favorite bars in town. Admirably brewery-first, the new taproom is tucked into a converted industrial building across from the bus terminal on Puyallup Ave. The long rectangular room is a shotgun of space with the absolute bare minimum in patron-focused amenities. The walls white, the counters were minimalist block freshly covered in contact paper, and the light fixtures sawed open kegs and exposed bulbs. Beer was plentiful, but if you were looking for food you would have had to visit the neighboring food truck invited by Wingman for the occasion. The back two thirds of the store were reserved for brew space and a single brew kettle stood in the open floor – a sign that Wingman is certainly planning for growth.
The event itself was clearly a celebration of Wingman Breweries with lots of familiar faces and smiling patrons. The young owners were very visible and understandably thrilled to be serving their hand-crafted beer to a thirsty and smiling populace. The bar was sufficiently armed with an arsenal of the Breweries’ beers and a Randall pouring a Belgian Dubbel through cedar chips and raisins. The Spring Ale was surprisingly dark and hoppy with a fair amount of yeasty malt mixed in. I’m still getting a touch of the homebrew taste from somewhere, but the beer didn’t suffer for it. The Dubbel through the Randall was surprisingly nice. A clean and sweet Belgian that was very drinkable, it doesn’t stay on your palate an uncomfortably long time as with other American made Belgians that have a tendency to overstay their welcome…like that houseguest you can’t seem to shoo out the door, or the Occupy Tacoma folk who did mysteriously vanish right before the Daffodil parade. Hmmmmm…..
The Wrap
The fate of Wingman Brewers does not fall on this taproom, it falls on the quality and distribution of their beer. The taproom, while nice, is simply a place to sample that beer and fill your growlers (for only $8). It’s appropriately minimal, and is the perfect addition to Tacoma’s newest craft brewery. Do yourself, Wingman, and Tacoma a favor and visit the taproom. It’s a brewery worth supporting.
It’s good to be back Tacoma. For better or for worse.
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As always, mention us and get…a growler fill for $8…which just happens to be the regular price.
Wingman Brewery and Taproom 509 1/2 Puyallup Ave Tacoma, WA 98421
