Flood Valley Brewing Taproom Open for Business in Chehalis

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The path for Chris Rohr’s business, Flood Valley Brewing, has been a winding one, charting a path from Chehalis to Centralia and back again, but Rohr said it’s all been a learning experience for him. 

Flood Valley Brewing originally opened as a home-brew supply store, but in its current iteration is a craft beer, cider and mead taproom that also offers live music and comedy acts. 

Sitting behind the bar in the massive wood-lined venue, which has a large wooden stage, two pool tables, darts, card games and 11 craft brews on tap, Rohr said he has an idea of what he wants to create. He’s hoping to increase that to 20 by next summer. 

“Trying to work on that cool vibe that is unlike anything Centralia, Chehalis really has,” he said. 

Rohr has a love of craft beers, which are brewed by regional breweries. He tries to maintain a balance of styles and flavors ranging from one of his favorites, Old Woody, which is an old English ale, to IPAs, milk stouts and scotch ales. 

Notably, he doesn’t serve liquor, and isn’t interested in doing so any time soon. 

“I’d rather have good craft beer, wine and cider and mead,” he said. “Every beer I bring in here, I’m trying to teach the community more about craft beer brewing.” 

Rohr said he used to work for the railroad and travel the country, sampling beers from different areas. He said this ignited his passion for exploring the diversity of craft brews and teaching others how to brew and expand their palates. 

He prides himself on being able to figure out what kind of beer someone unfamiliar with craft brews will like. 

“That is actually, probably one of the coolest things, when you convert someone,” he said. “It’s not just drinking, it’s enjoying.” 

Live entertainment also figures heavily into Rohr’s business plan. Flood Valley Brewing hosts open mic jam sessions on Sunday nights from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. where anyone is encouraged to come play. 

Rohr said the jams are led by a long-time musician Tim Birdsong. 



“Hell of a musician. The guy is a one-man show by himself,” Rohr said. 

He hopes to encourage a vibrant music scene in Lewis County and host shows or even band rehearsals in the space. 

Flood Valley Brewing will also, eventually, be available for parties to rent at an affordable price, he said. 

The taproom is hosting comedy open mic nights on Thursdays from 8 to 10 p.m. starting after the new year. 

Eventually, Rohr said, he wants to convert the business to a family-friendly brewpub where he brews beer on-site and serves food. At the moment though, he tries to have food trucks outside on the weekends. 

There could be a hurdle though. The taproom currently does not have a sprinkler system, and Rohr said Flood Valley Brewing will be shut down if he can’t raise the funds to install one by April. 

He hopes to have it installed by then. A sprinkler system would also allow the maximum occupancy to be greatly increased. 

Rohr said his customers who supported his business when it was primarily home-brewing supplies have greatly helped him get to where he is now. 

“I couldn’t have made it to this point without their support,” he said. 

Flood Valley Brewing is open from noon to 2 a.m. daily.