Craft Beer. Cider. Spirits.

At home in the heart of Tumwater

“Craft” is a movement. It’s about real people who use their talent to better their communities.

This is an unfolding story of entrepreneurs, educators, farmers, and leaders, bringing resources together to create prosperity. It begins in fields and orchards, catalyzes living wage jobs, revitalizes the former Olympia Beer brewery, and ends with a glass in hand and a vibrant economy.

 

 

Public Partners

City of Tumwater

South Puget Sound Community College

Thurston Economic Development Council

Washington State

WSU Extension

News & Events

Posted on July 24, 2017 by

Ready, set, apply! First 30 start September 18

We’re less than two short months from launching our brand new Craft Brewing and Distilling degree program—and we’re currently accepting applications for the first cohort of 30 students.  Since the next class of future brewers, distillers, and cider makers won’t even begin their studies for one to two years from this fall, now is the time to complete your application and get into the inaugural program! What’s new about the program? It’s been a while since we’ve spoken with ThurstonTalk or The Olympian with program updates, but we’ve got some exciting news… Read More

Posted on May 19, 2017 by

Tart Cider makes a splash in the small business community

Earlier this month, the founders of Tart Cider, Zoe Van Schyndel and Nicholas Timm, won first prize of $25,000 cash in a Business Plan Competition organized by VIBE, the Veterans Incubator for Better Entrepreneurship at University of Washington Tacoma. The win also brings with it up to $25,000 in consulting services for the start-up from local law firms, accountants and commercial real estate advisers. Veterans and co-founders, Van Schyndel and Timm, met at The Evergreen State College where they learned that they both share a passion for cider. Van Schyndel teaches business at… Read More

Posted on May 12, 2017 by

Artisan Spirit magazine features the Craft Brewing and Distilling Center partnership

Artisan Spirit—a nationally distributed magazine for craft distillers and their fans—highlighted the Craft Brewing and Distilling Center partnership in their latest edition. Tumwater is the epicenter of shared passion and collective work to support the evolution of the craft beer, cider, and spirits movement. These industries need formal and specialized education resources and other business supports to take them to the next level. Partners here are building on the community’s brewing legacy to make it happen. This fall, South Puget Sound Community College will begin a formal degree program with the guidance of industry operators…. Read More

About the Hub

Tumwater is home of Olympia Beer, a legacy born over a century ago. A handful of partners have been collaborating around the idea of building on that brewing legacy by turning Tumwater and the surrounding area into a thriving hub that grows Washington’s craft beer, cider, and spirits movement. This geographic hub is a place where educators, business incubators, industry support (barrel-makers and canners, to name a couple), brewers, distillers and cider-makers convene to refine and grow their crafts. South Puget Sound Community College has already started teaching some classes around brewing and distilling. Redeveloping the old Olympia Brewery is also a piece of this collaboration.

Washington is uniquely positioned to take a national leadership role in growing the craft brewing, cider and distilling movement because of the state’s prominence in wheat, barley, hops, and apple production. The hub will support those agricultural communities, add value to the crops, and grow recognition for Washington, in much the same way that Walla Walla has made a profound impact on the wine industry. Partners involved in this effort have have been meeting people in the industry, telling our story, and finding ways to collaborate and achieve mutual goals. Industry Guilds, Associations, Commissions, State Agencies and their directors, State Legislators, Congressmen and women, and many of the State’s brewers, distillers, and cider-makers are enthusiastic about this vision.

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Craft Brewing and Distilling Center