Employee Feature: Aubrey

“I pride myself on being able to push myself into things that are hard. If things are easy… that's when I know it's kind of time to move on.”

Meet Aubrey, one of Aslan’s lead bartenders. This woman rocks! Quite literally-

Whether it’s climbing rocks or studying them, Aubrey’s got it dialed. 

“People ask me which one came first- geology or climbing (climbing, by the way)… But you know it's kind of funny. When I started taking geology classes... It was like a language I already knew how to speak”

Aubrey’s been rocking with us a little over a year and a half now, serving behind the bar and waiting tables. Aubrey is nothing if not determined. She’s often turned to for leadership roles, as her attention to detail and ability to remain personable is so key to her work ethic. When she’s not at work, Aubrey is likely out climbing, running, or smashing the patriarchy.

“As a woman working with beer … it's taken me five years to work full time as a bartender. You definitely have to work a lot harder and you have to know your stuff more … but this is something that I'm going to take with me for the rest of my life. Whether I work in a brewery or not, I feel like these are skills that can extrapolate to other parts of my life.”

Aubrey is currently applying to grad school to pursue her studies in geology. “I want to better understand earthquakes and seismic hazards in a way where we can mitigate against them.” says Aubrey. When asked how she feels about the future move, Aubrey shrugs, “I pride myself on being able to push myself into things that are hard. If things are easy… that's when I know it's kind of time to move on.”

Moving is nothing of a novelty to Aubrey. It seems as though Aubrey is always on the move. She has recently completed the Bellingham Bay Marathon–

Not only did she complete it, she placed 4th out of 30 in her age group. Aubrey is a force to be reckoned with, always kicking it up a notch and spicing things up (again, literally)-

“My favorite beers are always beers with chilies. They're spicy, they're chocolatey, they're roasty… I really like the [Aslan] holiday ale, King Moonracer. I like how when I drink it the first thing [it] reminded me of was a Mexican hot cocoa.”

No surprise there, coming from the girl who showed up for her shift on Halloween sporting a homemade Sriracha hot sauce costume, complete with a green tipped headpiece.

When asked what her favorite Aslan menu item was, Aubrey responded “I do the Chicken Katsu sandwich… surprise, it’s spicy!”

Aubrey is self admittedly a bit of a foodie. If you get the chance, come in and ask Aubrey about her favorite meal she’s ever had. She will explain to you (in full astonishing detail) the flavor profile of every bite. If you feel like branching out from your typical Batch 15, Aubrey is the gal you wanna talk to. She’s super knowledgeable and well versed on our brews.

Cheers Aubrey! Thanks for being the boss lady behind the bar.

NOW ON TAP: Evil IPA

Evil IPA

Organic IPA // 6.66% ABV // 666 IBU // 14.8 P

medium body + dank + evil

EVIL Bikes, Lib Tech, Travis Rice, Graham Aggasiz & the most shreddable dankness all in one can. Hopped exclusively and judiciously with fresh off the line Amarillo and El Dorado. Extra sticky resin, ripe melon, bright pine, super lime finish. Over the top? Maybe, but that's what you asked for, isn't it? 95% Organic, 100% EVIL.

HOPS:
Amarillo, El Dorado
MALT:
2 Row Pale, Oats, Vienna

NOW IN BOTTLES: Oak Aged Tateyama

Oak Aged Tateyama (館山市 )

This journey started as a Japanese style rice lager, fermented in stainless steel. On the day of spunding, for natural carbonation, an oak cask was filled and immediately placed in a walk-in cooler. The oak cask had previously held red wine, for one season. The cask was clean of any lactic bacteria or Brettanomyces and was still quite oaky — a dominant flavor that carries into this beer.

For months the beer rested in this cask, naturally clarifying while absorbing very noticeable amounts of oak. After five months in the cask, the lager was removed and bottled/keg conditioned with fresh lager yeast. Its brilliance in clarity is a testament to the age-old practice of lagering in oak at cold temperatures for extended periods of time. This beer is bright and easy-drinking, as its stainless counterpart was, while layers of vanilla and freshly cut hardwood come through as strong and dominant overtones — unique to this beer.

NOW ON TAP: Gold Goose

Gold Goose

Organic Canadian Lager // 5.0% ABV // 16 IBU // 11.3 P

medium body + malt forward + crispy

While there may not be a specific style of beer referred to as "Canadian lager", we feel that this particular beer wholly encompasses what the style should be. Gold Goose is a premium North American lager — consisting of only malted barley in the mash and using real hops instead of hop extract.

Our industrial Canadian lager used Pilsener malt from Armstrong, B.C. and our favorite low alpha Euro hop. Triple decoction mashed, producing a deeper melanoidin malty note to the beer without having to use caramel malts. To ensure a proper frothy experience, this beer was fermented at 8°C, thoroughly aged, and 100% naturally carbonated. Expect a clean, malty, good old days pale lager with just enough hops for balance.

HOPS:
Strisselspalt
MALT:
Pilsener

NOW ON TAP: King Moonracer

King Moonracer

Organic Holiday Ale // 5.8% ABV // 40 IBU // 15.8 P

medium body + holiday spices + warming

The days are getting shorter and darker by the minute, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty to celebrate. This year we decided to brew a Holiday Ale in the traditional English Style. The inaugural King Moonracer was mashed with floor-malted Maris Otter, flaked rye, and a variety of classic English specialty malts — creating deep colors and complexity.

Hopped with both Simcoe and Centennial and finished off with a secret blend of holiday-centric spices, this beer features rich notes of toffee and chocolate. Familiar spice notes mingle with the hops to create a well balanced hoppy finish. Look for bottle-conditioned stocking stuffers closer to Christmas!

HOPS:
Centennial, Simcoe
MALT:
Carafa, Chocolate, Flaked Rye, Maris Otter Pale, Munich

NOW ON TAP: Billy Goat Smoke

Billy Goat Smoke

Rauch Bock // 6.66% ABV // 25 IBU // 16.1 P

medium body + beechwood smoke + rich

Inspired by beer pilgrimage(s) to Bamberg, Germany — a town well known for its Rauch (smoke) lagers. This Märzen style bock lager, was triple decoction mashed with a portion of beechwood smoked malt, and a variety of other Franconian origin malts. Moderately hopped with Saaz to balance the rich malt, fermented quite cold, and carefully lagered over an extended period of time.

This deep amber colored lager's smokiness is wonderfully balanced against the toffee, chocolate cherry and raspberry notes — a palate rollercoaster filled with intrigue and complexity. As a tradition these more sustaining lagers are winter staples.

HOPS:
Perle, Saaz
MALT:
Caramunich, Munich, Pilsener, Rauchmalt, Vienna

From Sea to Plate: A Feature on Aslan's Partnership with Nerka Sea-Frozen Salmon

“It’s quite a shock when you come off of the ocean to society … you spend 3 months or so where you’re just on a boat in these amazing places and we don't have a satellite radio or anything. We have no idea what’s going on. We’re just blissfully unaware of the rest of the world ... Everything is very simple and purpose driven ...and then you come back to all this and it’s kinda hard to figure out where you fit in sometimes”

Meet Joel and Tele,

Captains of the Nerka- A forty-three foot boat that spends its summers trolling up and down the coastline of southeast Alaska, searching for Aslan’s tasty coho salmon. Joel has been a part time resident of the Nerka since he was just two weeks old. Both Joel and Tele were raised in fisher families on the docks of Sitka, Alaska — learning the ropes of salmon fishing at a very young age.

The Nerka Below Mt. Fairweather in Alaska

The couple joined forces in 2004 and began fishing on the Nerka together just two years later. After nearly two decades of operation as a multi-generational family business, Nerka Sea Frozen Salmon was transferred to the hands of Joel and Tele in 2015. Nerka now delivers thousands of pounds of salmon to Aslan each year, helping us create our tasty salmon cakes and salmon specials.

Tele Lifting a Stunned Salmon into the Nerka

“Every fish [we catch] comes aboard one at a time, hook and line caught” explains Tele. “We put them down in the blast freezer at -40 within an hour of them leaving the ocean. Then when you guys get them, they’ll still taste like they just came out of the ocean.”

After catching, cleaning, and prepping the fish, Tele bundles up in her toughest outer layers to brave the 40 degrees below 0 freezing temperatures inside the fish hold. While in the hold, she glazes each individual fish one at a time by hand dipping them in a salt water bath. She does this twice. “That’s what seals in the freshness and keeps them from getting freezer burned” explains Tele.

Tele Working Down in the Hold

The Fish Hold: Stocked and Ready to Distribute

Tele and Joel are careful to distinguish the difference between ‘frozen at sea’ and ‘previously frozen’. They explain how frozen at sea involves much more care and is more of an investment. “It involves the equipment like the refrigeration system, It involves the time and the care into each fish, and it’s a financial investment” explains Tele.

“‘Frozen at sea’ is not like ‘previously frozen’, where something sits on a boat 5 days, gets delivered, and then gets frozen on the processing line” adds Joel. “Frozen at sea is gonna be that fish that was frozen right as it came on the boat, so it’s gonna be a much higher quality product and have a much longer shelf life.”

“We’re not selling to the cannery to the guy who’s got the hoist…we don’t have a hoist where we unload.” Joel describes the unloading process that goes into each 10,000 lb. trip as somewhat of a production line. He explains how each fish is plucked carefully from the hold by Tele, transferred to a crew-members hands on the boat, then to a crew-members hands on the dock, finally to Joel- who then packs the fish away one at a time into thousand pound totes. “We handle every fish so many times it’s kind of ridiculous” laughs Joel.

Ready for Delivery!

Joel and Tele will complete this trip at least two to three more times in a season. These seasons are long and grueling. “We’ll fish 19-20 hours a day in July a lot of times and things start getting weird”, laughs Joel. “Yeah, our garbage can is just like solid granola bar, string cheese, and candy bar wrappers” adds Tele, “it’s not a particularly healthy time”. The couple describes these days as sleep deprived and often even comical- creating for good stories. “We are both writers” says Tele, “there’s good stories that come out of that”.

The couple describes the transition from fishing season to off season as a ‘shift time’. “It’s quite a shock when you come off of the ocean to society,” explains Joel, “and almost everyone we know as a fisherman goes through the same thing. We talk a lot and check in because it’s very surreal. You spend 3 months or so where you’re just on a boat in these amazing places and we don't have a satellite radio or anything. We have no idea what’s going on. We’re just blissfully unaware of the rest of the world ... Everything is very simple and purpose driven ... and then you come back to all this and it’s kinda hard to figure out where you fit in sometimes”

Joel and Tele spend their off season at their home base in Bellingham, selling their summer catch, working on the boat, writing poetry and short stories, and advocating for sustainable fishing practices. “Joel and I are proud to participate in a sustainable fishery that's managed for conservation”, states Tele. “We also recognize that fisheries management is only one aspect of sustainability. Preserving & restoring salmon habitat is an equally necessary part of ensuring future salmon”.

Joel Posing with His Catch

“The coho we harvest in Southeast Alaska are healthy and abundant because of their natal streams in the Tongass National Forest” states Tele. “Over 16 million acres, the Tongass is the largest remaining temperate rainforest in the world. We know it as America's Salmon Forest - home to so many of the watersheds where these coho return to spawn &, after laying their eggs for the next generation of salmon, decay to give additional life nourishing this amazing, healthy ecosystem & all of the land/sea/airborne creatures dependent on it.”

The Tongass is currently being protected by the Roadless Rule, a federal rule that protects some of the wild lands in Alaska’s national forest system from road-building, mass resource extraction, and timber harvest. The State of Alaska is currently trying to roll back this rule and exempt the Tongass from the Roadless Rule. Exempting the Tongass from the Roadless Rule would endanger the last remaining areas of intact old growth forest and key watersheds that currently support our communities, cultures, and economy (Sitka Conservation Society).

Joel and Tele will be speaking at a Sierra Club event at the Seattle REI on Saturday, November 23rd, 1:00pm-3:00 pm, encouraging folks to submit public comments in defense of the Tongass & the Roadless Rule. As partners with Nerka, Aslan would like to encourage you to do the same.The US Forest Service is currently accepting public comments now through December 17th. To read more information regarding the Roadless Rule or to submit your comment, checkout this link from the Sitka Conservation Society: http://www.sitkawild.org/take_action

“There are no healthy salmon runs without healthy habitat” states Tele, “As we've seen in the stark distinction between Alaska & the West Coast, there's no healthy habitat without vigorous preservation & restoration efforts.”

Tele, Aboard the Nerka

Aslan would like to formally thank Joel and Tele at Nerka Sea Frozen Salmon for being such rockstar suppliers. To learn more about this dynamic duo or to read the story of the time they assisted in the rescue of a fisherman lost at sea in a fish tote- check out Nerka’s website. You won’t be disappointed.

NOW ON TAP: Lambo Tape Deck

Lambo Tape Deck

Organic Double IPA // 8.2% ABV // 60 IBU // 18 P

big body + ripe mellon + smooth

What better style of beer could there be to point out the irony of consumer capitalism in the beer industry? One which costs far too much to make, yields too little, causes beer collectors to change weekend plans, and creates a wave of complaints as to why it costs so much. Double IPA - the vaporwave of beer.

Here you find a wholly synthesized version of late 2010's West Coast style IPA laid over the more modern New England movement. This subgenre samples crystal malt, full attenuation, prolific bittering qualities, hefty dry hop charges, less refinement in clarity, and a few Greco-Roman statues. This prototype focuses on ambiguous ripe melon notes, piney bitterness, and orchard fruit esters. Unsustainable to produce in an efficient way combined with too much time creating a photo for internet hype defines this style wholly.

HOPS:
Chinook, Mosaic
MALT:
2-Row Pale, Caramunich, Flaked Barley, Vienna

NOW ON TAP: Hook's Stash

Hook's Stash

Pale Ale // 5.0% ABV // 45 IBU // 11 P

light body + piney + crisp

Back for year two, and in collaboration with Mt. Baker Ski Area, we brewed a beer to celebrate the life of former Pro Patrol and Mt. Baker Legend, Randy Hook. This easy drinking, light-bodied hazy pale ale was brewed with American 2-Row barley, hard red wheat, and hopped exclusively with Nelson Sauvin, Taiheke, and Rakau.

A crispy, hoppy treat with plenty of complex pine flavors that will hark the memories of dodging trees in Sticky Wicket. Best enjoyed in the company of great family, friends, and local legends. Cheers to Randy!

HOPS:
Nelson Sauvin
MALT:
2-Row Pale, Malted Wheat

Community Spotlight: Hedlin Family Farms & Skagit Valley Malting

Organic Raspberries at Hedlin Family Farms

Organic Grain at Hedlin Family Farms

Alice Waters, an American chef & restaurateur, once said that "good food depends almost entirely on good ingredients." We discuss the quality of ingredients often in the food world, but it's not a topic that comes up often on the beer side of things. Let’s have that conversation!

“How we interact with the world around us plays a huge part in the impact we have both socially and environmentally. Selecting ingredients that support our local community, and its efforts to make a positive impact on the world is what gives us a sense of place, and pride. It helps that there are many farmers who are committed to the same principles. Organic doesn't mean a lesser quality product. In fact we find it to be higher quality, and certainly less homogeneous. It makes it much easier to see where things are coming from.”

Frank Trosset - Head Brewer at Aslan Brewing Co.

As a 100% organic brewery, it can be difficult to source high-quality organic ingredients at times. Thankfully, we have fantastic partners across Whatcom and Skagit counties that supply incredible organic goods. Our favorite example of partnering with organic suppliers in our community has been our partnership with Hedlin Family Farms and Skagit Valley Malting.

Hedlin Family Farms is a 4th generation farm that grows organic and conventional produce on 500 acres. They have been farming in the heart of Skagit Valley all the way back to 1906. What makes them such a unique partner for Aslan is that they supply us with organic produce for both our beer and food.  Every year we purchase over a thousand pounds of their strawberries and raspberries for beers in our dojo series. On the food side of things, you can find their Poblano peppers in our Curry Bowl.

In addition to produce, Hedlin grows specialty organic small grains that then get malted locally by Skagit Valley Malting (SVM). “Like every grape, coffee bean or hop variety, each grain variety has a story to tell – that of its provenance, of the soil in which it grew, of the farmer and farm community which nurtured it. [Skagit Valley Malting] source grains from local growers and expertly malt the best of each crop in [their] Single Vessel Malting system” (https://www.skagitvalleymalting.com).

We are proud to be the first brewery to purchase organic malt from SVM! You can find SVM malt in a wide variety of our beers, such as Simcoe Slice — our most recent beer release. We also use SVM malt in a some of our flagship beers, including Batch 15 and Dawn Patrol.

By sourcing produce and grain from the same farm, it allows us to create beer that captures the terroir of our community. This would not be possible if it wasn’t for folks like Heldin & SVM partnering together to prioritize organic ingredients.  Cheers to organic ingredients and organic beer!

Employee Feature: Tony

“One thing I’ve been really trying to focus on in my own life and for other people is bringing the romance back to food. Like the idea of sitting down and eating a meal, slowing down, and really appreciating what you have”

Say hello to Tony, one of Aslan’s kitchen leads. You can usually find Tony working hard behind the scenes in the kitchen, slangin’ burgers and chatting happily with his coworkers. He’s been a solid cook on our line for just shy of 3 years now.

“My mom is a really good cook” says Tony, “I was always in the kitchen eating the food while it was being made, but I was never really cooking. I was never [under the impression] like ‘I’m gonna be a chef’ when I was a kid. I never thought that was gonna be a thing … When I was 18, I got a dishwashing job. After about 2 months the guy asked if I wanted to start cooking and I said ‘okay!’. Then I started doing it and I really liked it.”

Tony is known and praised for his positive attitude both in the workplace, and in life. He was nominated at our company picnic for his ability to stay cool under pressure and his contagious positivity. “[Tony] plays a pivotal role in harboring the [type of] work environment we strive for in the kitchen” states his lead manager, “He shows great care and love for his co-workers and Aslan Family around him.”

Not only is Tony a popular pick in the restaurant, but his mom is a bit of a local legend here as well. She just so happens to be the inspiration for one of our latest specials, Tony’s Lumpia.

Pictured above: Tony’s Lumpia

“What happened is one day my mom brought in Lumpia for everyone and the restaurant, and everyone was like ‘this is so delicious … we should put this on the menu’. Then my mom brought it in again and everyone was like ‘Okay. We’re doing this’.

Lumpia is a traditional Filipino dish or, as Tony describes it, “Filipino party food”. “You go to any filipino party and they’re gonna have lumpia” says Tony. While Lumpia was a seasonal special and is no longer available on the Aslan menu, we sure do love the story of how it got there.

When he’s not busy handling the heat in the kitchen, Tony can be found doing yoga, singing, writing (a lot), and —as many of us here at Aslan have been fortunate enough to have experienced first hand— dancing. Tony loves to dance.

What’s your favorite Aslan beer and food item?

“I love the Satan’s Airport but if I’m drinking a light beer, the Helles is my go to … and besides Tony’s Lumpia, I think this new Chicken Katsu sandwich is my favorite.”

Thanks Tony, for being a rockstar cook and for always bringing the energy! We sure do appreciate having you on the team.

NOW ON TAP: Simcoe Slice

Simcoe Slice

IPA // 6.6% ABV // 60 IBU // 13.5 P

medium body + balanced + fruity

A single-hop IPA that straddles the line between West Coast and hazy styles. This beer is a pure expression of Simcoe since it was only hop variety used in this beer. The atypical sensory notes for Simcoe are abundant — fruity, earthy, and notes of citrus.

Available all three Aslan locations and at one of our favorite spots in Bellingham, Goods Nursery and Produce! With an amazing beer garden and welcoming vibe, Goods is a staple of the Columbia neighborhood here in Bellingham. Featuring fresh produce, food trucks, and local beers on draft, you can spend hours hanging out at Goods. Make sure to give Mr. Deeks, the taproom dog, many pets the next time you stop by for a beer.

HOPS:
Simcoe
MALT:
2-Row Pale, Caramunich, Wheat

NOW ON TAP: Dunkles

Dunkles

Lagerbier // 5.1% ABV // 10 IBU // 13 P

medium body + malt forward + crisp

The "Altmünchner Bier" is the original lager of Munich. Prior to the creation of Pilsener malt, Dunkle or Dunkles (depending on your dialect) was THE lagerbier of Bavaria. We spare no expense when it comes to the reproduction of historical classics - both in ingredients and in process.

As is the case with all of our lagerbier, a decoction mash was employed. Our ability to use this old world technique is irreplicable in terms of flavor development.

The richness of the Munich malt presents deep tones of chocolate and toffee. A long & cold fermentation, proper lagering temperatures, and 100% natural carbonation ensure a very frothy bier.

HOPS:
Hersbrucker, Mittelfrüh
MALT:
Carafa, Caramunich, Munich, Vienna

Announcing the official opening of Aslan Brewing Seattle

October 21st, 2019 — Seattle, Washington — We are excited to announce that Aslan Brewing Seattle is now open! This is the third location for Aslan Brewing Co., and the first location we've opened up outside of Bellingham. Aslan Brewing Seattle is a 21+ taproom located in the heart of the Fremont neighborhood, serving 100% certified organic beer. The intimate and vibrant space features 10 different beers on draft, a diverse bottle list, to-go beer, cider, and natural wine.

Wherever possible, we used sustainable materials to build out this taproom. The wood that lines the bar, tables, and benches originally came from a Douglas Fir roof built in the 1900s. The steel that makes up the table bases and bench base came from old buildings that were razed in Seattle. Connor McPherson designed and drew the murals that line the walls of our taproom, creating a warm and captivating vibe that cannot be found elsewhere.

Seattle’s famous Salumi sandwiches are available in the taproom every day until sold out. Happy Hour is 4-6, and we’ve got Industry Night specials on Sunday. We share our building with some incredible neighbors, including Local Tide, Revel, and evo.

Find more information at aslanseattle.com and at our dedicated Instagram @aslanseattle.  

Address:
401 N 36th St. STE. 102
Seattle, WA 98103

Taproom Hours:
Sunday - Thursday // 11 AM - 11 PM
Friday - Saturday// 11 AM – Midnight

Media Inquiries:
Andy Allen - Director of Marketing, Aslan Brewing Co.
Andy@aslanbrewing.com

NOW ON TAP: Juice Box Hero Vol. 2

Juice Box Hero Vol. 2

IPA // 7.0% ABV // 20 IBU // 14.3 P

medium body + juicy + silky

This particular IPA was brewed for one of our favorite bottle shops, Chuck's Hop Shop! In year two of this collaboration, we focused on hops from across the pond. All of the hops used in this beer are French and German - specifically Callista, Mandarina Bavaria, & Barbe Rouge. Callista really stands out as an attractive low alpha high aroma hop. The body on this beer is super soft and holds up the dominant flavors of key lime and honeydew melon from these unique European hops.

HOPS:
Barbe Rouge, Callista, Mandarina Bavaria
MALT:
2 Row Pale, C-40, Oats

NOW ON TAP: ÜLa

ÜLa

Ungespundet Lager // 5.1% ABV // 25 IBU // 12 P

medium body + notes of honeysuckle + balanced

In the Franconia region of Germany, there is an orange, unfiltered lager that is brewed by nearly every brewery referred to as a "Kellerbier", or "Ungespundet", which translates to un-bunged. This traditional regional lager is naturally carbonated, unfiltered, and has a distinct orange hue.

The malt bill is simple and consists of malt from Mellrichstad and Bamberg - both squarely in Franconia. The hops, also Franconian, create a slight spice up front, with a notable orange marmalade finish. Cold fermented at 46 degrees and lagered below freezing in our cellar for weeks — this is a simple country-style lager, yet wildly complex.

HOPS:
Hersbrucker, Perle
MALT:
Munich, Pilsener

NOW ON TAP: Fresh Hop Kellerbier

Fresh Hop Kellerbier

Helles // 4.5% ABV // 18 IBU // 10.5 P

light body + fresh hops + crisp

Our third and final fresh hop beer of the season is a pale unfiltered lager in the Franconian Landbier style. The use of singular freshly picked wet Chinook hops, and malt from Mellrichstadt, Germany make up the base of this country-style lager. To obtain proper conditioning, it was cold fermented with Bavarian origin yeast and held in our cellar for an extended period.

With notes of honey, earthy spice, fresh wildflower aromas, and a matchstick like mineral bitterness to round out the flavor — this beer is clean, crisp, dry and as always, hops were sourced from Growing Veterans Farm in Lynden, WA.

HOPS:
Chinook
MALT:
Pilsener

Community Spotlight: Growing Veterans

One of our strongest community partners is Growing Veterans— a Lynden based nonprofit that supports veterans through agricultural cultivation. Growing Veterans nurtures and empowers folks transitioning to civilian life; by eliminating isolation, encouraging growth & teaching new skills, veterans have the ability to thrive. One of the most important elements of Growing Veterans is the concept of community, and we’ve had the chance to witness how strong that is first hand.

Aslan and Growing Veterans first connected through a shared passion for organic farming, and our relationship evolved from there. Growing Veterans is now one of the only organic hop growers in Western Washington and we enthusiastically purchase their entire crop every fall. From this relationship grew Charlie Foxtrot. We have now had the opportunity to help pick hundreds of pounds of hops with the Growing Veterans team year after year led by Joel Swenson & his team. 

Standing in the Growing Veterans field, talking in depth about lupulin while folks from very different walks of life pick Cascade & Chinook hops under the late September sun, it’s clear that this non profit is succeeding in cultivating community. The Growing Veterans team has created an environment that is supportive, collaborative, and hard working. We have been lucky to learn about hop cultivation and harvest from them, and in turn offer our (sometimes unskilled) labor each fall. 

There is something powerful about harvesting a crop and seeing it go from the vine into the brew process hours later— we invite you all to Fresh Hop Forum at The Depot this weekend to experience this collaboration between Growing Veterans and Aslan: Charlie Foxtrot. 

NOW ON TAP: Charlie Foxtrot

Charlie Foxtrot

Fresh Hopped West Coast IPA // 6.9% ABV // 70 IBU // 14.8 P

medium body + fruity + pleasantly bitter

For the past two years, we have been working with Growing Veterans for all of our fresh hop beers. Growing Veterans is an amazing organization that empowers veterans to cultivate purpose and belonging by growing community, food, and excellent hops!

This year we decided to make Charlie Foxtrot a West Coast-style IPA — mashed with Washington grown barley, Munich, and crystal malts. We used a mixture of Cascade, Crystal, and Columbus fresh hops, which were hand been handpicked and delivered to our brewery an hour before we used them! To round things out, we dry-hopped this beer with Simcoe and Mosaic.

This beer exudes a classic west coast-style IPA flavors — pine, orchard fruit, and a crisply bitter finish with that atypical resin on your tongue sensation.

HOPS:
Cascade, Columbus, Crystal, Mosaic, Simcoe
MALT:
2 Row Pale, Munich, Caramunich

NOW ON TAP: Don's N/A

Don's N/A

<.5% ABV // 20 IBU // 12 P

medium body + malt forward + non-alcoholic

Don's N/A is a very special beer brewed specifically for Don Trosset, and all the other folks who don't drink alcohol! This beer was initially an accident but has become a bit of a cult classic around here. We brew this ale at normal strength with a modified mash schedule. That technique, along with the use of a very unique yeast creates a very, very low alcohol beer after fermentation. The small amount of alcohol in the beer is then evaporated to produce a true non-alcoholic craft beer. Modeled after an English Brown Ale, and brewed with Yakima Cascade hops. This fine ale has superb notes of baking chocolate, toasted bread, and roasted chestnuts. Deliciously malty with no alcohol — a true session beer!

HOPS:
Bravo, Cascade
MALT:
2 Row Pale, Carafa, Chocolate, Munich, Vienna