Hale's Ales is closing April 9th

damn. that's a shame. (also a shame to hear about schooner exact... i haven't had many of their beers but enjoyed them for sure). supergoose was my go-to at the old taproom at seatac.

 

I was able to sample some of the early northwest craft beers in the mid-80s when I visited relatives and friends in Portland. It's sad to see Hale's, (almost) the last of the early northwest craft brewers, close. However, don't overlook McMenamin. Their first brewpub was established in the same year as Hale's was (1983). Their first brews might not have been too great, but they are still standing. Their website lists 60+ taverns, 27 with brewing on-site.

 

Bigtime is still around (since 1988) and doing their best to stay relevant. Don’t forget them.

 

I recall Hale's Kirkland Brewery, their first in Western Washington, before they moved to Seattle. The Kirkland brewery had open vat fermenters, very traditional. The Ballard/Fremont brewery was state of the art when it opened. Mike Hale's age, the pandemic, and the $15 minimum wage law all are reasons for their demise. It used to be a sit-down restaurant, full service, then became an order at the bar place, then a food truck place with tap room.

What are the plans for the building? Will someone step in and brew? But just up the street is the mega-large Fremont brewing facility, so maybe not.

 

Hale’s also struggled to stay relevant with new beer styles and people’s interests. They tried by bringing in the Schooner Exact people but just couldn’t create that “new hotness” in a way that grabbed people. Your other reasons are valid, but I feel that blaming their demise on the $15 minimum wage is disingenuous. People in the service industry deserve a living wage.

 

Well shit ,

McMenamin rang a bell for some odd reason and then i remembered why! A friend visited Portland 9-10 years ago and brought me this..i dont remember wtf was in it

 

What I said, or meant to say, is that the $15/hr wage hike contributed to the fall of the brewery. I went there often, and Hales laid off their servers/waiters to save money. I agree about the need for a living wage, but how that is built and what lifestyle levels need to be maintained is that for a deeper conversation.

 

If they were making beer that was in higher demand $15 an hour wouldn't be a problem.

 

Yep. Every brewery in the state has the same "problem." Hale's demise is due first and and foremost that a lot of folks were no longer drinking their beers. If the owner hadn't decided to retire, maybe they'd soldier in a while longer but the writing was on the wall. Hale's nostalgia in Spokane, where they were once based, has long died out, to the point where I'd go a year or two at a time without seeing their beers on tap, and then, when I did, it was always Supergoose.