Searching for good beer in wine country is a noble mission. We recently stumbled upon a brand new brewery in the heart of one of the world’s most prolific wine regions: Walla Walla, Washington’s Burwood Brewing Company.
Wine tourists are familiar with Walla Walla’s “airport wine district.” The remains of a World War II Air Force training base surround the Walla Walla Regional Airport. Today, more than 20 wineries, many within walking distance of each other, call the retired Air Force base home. Some wineries occupy old hangars, barracks, and other fossilized outbuildings, while some are located in newer buildings. And there you have it, Walla Walla’s airport wine district.
Amidst all of these wineries, Burwood Brewing opened to the public on Saturday, June 21 near the airport in Walla Walla. We were there. On a hot and sunny day, Burwood’s beers refreshed an enthusiastic crowd of mostly local folks who were obviously excited to see a new brewery open in wine country.
To say that wineries surround Burwood Brewing is an understatement. The brewery and tasting room occupy one of the buildings in the Walla Walla Wine Incubators: five adjacent building constructed specifically to accommodate boutique wineries (and now a brewery).
I have a feeling this is going to work out just fine. Having done my share of wine tasting, I know how quickly even the most ardent wine lover’s palate begins to think about a nice, cool, refreshing glass of beer. It is a welcome diversion in the middle of a long day of wine tasting. No more judging or analyzing or contemplating, just beer. It is a cherished reward that perfectly punctuates the end of a wine-filled afternoon.
The owners at Burwood Brewing are Dave and Jennifer Marshall. On opening day, the beers already tasted polished and professional: clean, refined, and accomplished. There is a reason. Dave spent 10 years working as a professional brewer, mostly with Pyramid Brewery. More recently, he spent some years working as a winemaker. He has gobs of experience working with the fermentation sciences.
The plan is to focus on German-style beers. On opening day, Burwood served Blonde Ale, Pale Ale, IPA and Walsch (a Kolsch). As the grand opening approached, Dave admits he didn’t have time to brew any proper lagers because he didn’t want to take any shortcuts. In the future, expect a couple of ales to compliment a larger lineup of lagers brewed on Burwood’s five-barrel system.
In the winery tasting rooms next door, people inspect small samples of wine. They swirl, they sip, they spit, and they dump. This is all bizarre behavior to the beer drinker. At Burwood Brewing, people sit around communal tables, talk, laugh, and consume full pints (half-liters, actually). Now that’s more like it!
602 Piper Ave
Walla Walla, WA 99362
(509) 876-6220
burwoodbrewing.com
Wednesday, Thursday: 4:30 – 7:00
Fri: 4:30 – 8:00
Sat: noon – 8:00
Sun – noon – 5:00
(food available on Friday and Saturday)
