Lovecraft Brewing reaches ‘mind blowing’ milestone

BREMERTON — “People talk about their kids growing up in the blink of an eye,” said Tasha Wilson, owner of Lovecraft Brewing Company. “That’s how the brewery feels. Literally, we just blinked and it’s been a year.”

Wilson and her husband, Jesse, opened Lovecraft Brewing in November 2015 after a successful Kickstarter campaign. On Saturday, Nov. 26, the couple celebrated the one-year anniversary of their grand opening with live music, courtesy of Bremerton-based Jack Parker, and some specialty sour beers available that day only.

“(I want to give) a big thank-you to the community,” Wilson said. “It’s really awesome we made it this far. It’s crazy. It’s mind blowing.”

They still have some “cool new swag” for sale, Wilson said, including palla-bottle growlers and tulip glasses. They’ll even have some locally made soap — made using Lovecraft beer — for sale, as well.

“We’ve changed a lot, grown a lot,” Wilson said. “Our beers have continued to develop and we’ve learned a lot in the process.”

And they’re not done growing, either. She said they plan to expand their production to do more wholesale accounts starting this winter.

“There’s a lot of places in Seattle and Tacoma that have been asking for our beer,” she said, “and all the way to Port Angeles and Sequim, too. But we haven’t had enough beer to spread the love. We’re hoping to up our production.”

The Wilsons started their journey toward owning a brewery when they met while working together at Hale’s Ales in Seattle. After a year, they moved to Port Townsend, where they started their family while working at Port Townsend Brew Company, before eventually moving to Jesse’s hometown of Bremerton. After raising $30,000 in a Kickstarter campaign and getting some additional funds by small investors, the couple opened Lovecraft Brewing Company on Nov. 27, 2015.

Wilson said their past experience working in breweries was critical for their success. He recommends that anyone who’s interested in opening their own as well should get that experience first.

“If you can work in a brewery, I think that is the biggest thing, because it’s a lot different than homebrewing, working on the big, industrial equipment,” Wilson said. “Just getting the actual experience, I think, is the best thing you can do for yourself.”

As for the lessons they’ve learned since opening, Wilson said, “The most important thing for us to keep in mind is to take time for ourselves to enjoy the beer, too.”

“It’s easy to just work yourself forever and never take a day off,” she explained, “because there are so many things to do. Being able to budget in that time to go check out another brewery or just enjoy your own beer (is important).”

Lovecraft Brewing Company has been a part of downtown Bremerton for over a year now, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

Lovecraft is open 3-9 p.m Tuesday through Thursday; 3-10 p.m. Friday; and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday. To learn more about Lovecraft Brewing Company, their merchandise and the beers they brew, visit www.lovecraftbrewing.com.

Michelle Beahm is a reporter with the Central Kitsap Reporter and Bremerton Patriot. She can be reached at mbeahm@soundpublishing.com.