Craft Beer Brewpub Coming to Packwood This Fall

When the Packwood Brewing Co. opens this fall, owner Tina Simons envisions groups of locals, hikers and skiers gathered around fire pits and tables, enjoying the brewpub’s craft beer and a new gathering place in the small East Lewis County community. 

“People are just going to love coming in there and being in the space,” Simons said. “It’s a great place for people to gather.”

The brewpub is Simons’ first solo enterprise, but her husband Pat Nagle is behind Harmon Brewing Co. in Tacoma, which has grown to multiple locations and ventures over more than 20 years. A regular on the White Pass ski slopes, Simons thought Packwood could use a brewery of its own.

“When we go down to Packwood, I just want to go down to a brewpub that has a good pint of beer after skiing,” she said.

After years of thinking over the idea, Simons, along with partners Jamie Mesaros and Megan Steel, found an old building downtown that suited the venture. The 1935 structure had been a mercantile, pharmacy and thrift store, but had fallen into disrepair.

Simons and her team spent the spring and summer stripping down the building to its original shell, hauling out eight dumpsters worth of debris. Now, with the exposed wood beams lending a rustic air, the Packwood Brewing Co. visionaries are busy turning the space into a lodge-like atmosphere. When the building opens in October, it will have an elk head watching over a toasty fireplace, beckoning guests fresh off the snowy slopes.

Outside, fire pits and tables will make up a sizable beer garden. Simons is planning to have the outdoor space open for a “soft launch” on Labor Day weekend, remaining open on weekends until the full brewpub is open to the public. With views of Mount Rainier, the beer garden will be open year round.

“The building is going be a real showcase for this area,” said Eric Hove, who has signed on to be the brewpub’s general manager. “It comes down to being almost a town hall space. People can come here meet up with their friends. It’s a good contact point for hikers. It’s a good place for any travelers coming through.”

While the aesthetics of space are generating anticipation, Simons said she’s equally excited about the beer they’ll have on offer. The business has its own brewer, who has created six flagship beers, which are brewed out of a facility in Gig Harbor. Once work on the Packwood building is complete, the company will begin brewing on-site. Simons said the the offerings — complemented by guest taps — will be a wide variety of beer. 

“We’ve covered the gamut,” she said. “Somebody’s going to come in, and they’re going to find what they want.” 

Though the brewpub’s menu is still in the works, Simons said it will have a “fresh” focus. 

Meanwhile, her vision for Packwood Brewing Co. extends beyond the food and beverages it will serve. She’s hoping to bring in live music on Friday nights, host trail runs and bring people together to watch sporting events on the TVs. From the menu to the events, Simons said she is hoping to complement — not compete with — the establishments that already call Packwood home.

“We don’t want to have any business lose out because we’re there,” she said. “It’s amazing the community in Packwood, just the way things have been working out. The energy is so good.”

Hove, who has been staying on-site, said the locals he’s talked to are excited about the brewpub’s prospects.

“The comments that I’ve received in the area — everyone’s really positive about it,” he said. “They’re happy that we’re cleaning out this building, bringing it back and showcasing the beauty of what was buried underneath years of maintenance.”

For more information, go to www.packwoodbrewingco.com.