Fish Brewing Co Announces Third Location in Tacoma WA

Posted 27 December 2016 | 9:49 pm

Fish Brewing Company has announced today that it will open a new Pub & Eatery on the Grand Plaza at The Shops at Point Ruston in Tacoma, WA. Craft beer fans can expect the same commitment to quality and relentless innovation the company has embodied since 1992.

President Sal Leone notes, “It’s an exciting time here at Fish Brewing Co. With a long-standing history of showcasing our products with quality food at our award winning pub in Olympia, we are excited about bringing this experience to Tacoma.  Point Ruston is becoming one of the area’s premier mixed-use destination showcasing quality restaurants, a variety of retailers, a cinema and a future hotel convention center on the shores of the Puget Sound. This new location is a perfect opportunity for Fish to expand our great tasting craft beverages and food experience to one of Tacoma’s most vibrant neighborhoods.”

The restaurant will be approximately 6,900 square feet with a seating capacity of 360 guests including a second story terrace and outdoor seating. It will feature a similar menu as the Olympia Fish Tale Brewpub including award-winning handcrafted beers from Fish Tale Ale, Leavenworth Biers and Spire Mountain Ciders as well as six wine taps featuring Piccola Cellars and a selection of fine spirits. Construction is in process, and the new Pub & Eatery is scheduled to open in the summer of 2017.

“This is a great opportunity for Fish Brewing and we are excited to be in the heart of Tacoma.” said Matt Lisowski, Executive Vice President of Fish Brewing Co. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity to connect with the community of Point Ruston and release our newest beer, Ruston Way IPA, debuting in our new Pub & Eatery. We are excited to bring the message of Fish Brewing to Point Ruston, and continue to develop our award winning craft beverages in the Pacific Northwest.

The Fish Brewing Pub & Eatery will be Fish Brewing’s third location. Fish continues to operate their original location in Olympia, WA, Fish Tale BrewPub, which was recently awarded Best Brewpub in Western Washington, and Fish Brewing Taproom in Woodinville, WA, located just north of the Hollywood School house in the heart of Woodinville wine country.

Fish Brewing Co Appoints Matthew Lisowski Executive Vice-President

Posted 12 October 2016 | 7:00 pm

Fish Brewing Co is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Lisowski, Sr. to the position of Executive Vice-President.  The announcement was made by Sal Leone, President and CEO of Fish Brewing.

“I am very excited about the promotion of Matt to this role”, said Leone. “Matt has been a great asset to our company and it was time to give him more responsibility. He brings a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of brewery operations including productions, sales, and finance”.

Lisowski joined Fish Brewing Company in January 2014 as the General Manager of Brewery Productions. Under his leadership, the brewery was awarded the title Washington Large Brewery of the Year in 2015 and the beers have received several prestigious awards including the World Best Beer at 2015 World Beer Awards for its Fish Tale Beyond the Pale Ale.

“I am proud to be part of the Fish Brewing Family.  I am honored to serve as Executive Vice-President and look forward to continuing our success and growing it in all areas of the company”, said Lisowski.

Lisowski previously served as the Director of Sales and Marketing and one of the founding members of the Joseph James Brewery Co. in Las Vegas, Nevada. Previously, he was the Brand Manager at Green Valley Wine & Spirits and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Nevada – Las Vegas.

Lisowski will have the direct responsibility of managing the company’s sales, marketing, and production departments while assisting in the in the oversight of the pubs and finances.

About Fish Brewing Company
Founded in 1993, Fish Brewing Company is owned by over 400 beer drinking consumers, who pooled their resources to build a landmark brewery in Olympia, WA, which is known for its quality water and artesian wells. Fish Brewing uses when possible locally sourced Washington ingredients. Fish Brewing produces hand-crafted beers and ciders under our three core brands: Fish Tale Ales, Leavenworth Biers, and Spire Mountain Cider, which can be found in 20 states and internationally, both in bottles and on draft. Fish Brewing produces award winning spirits under the brand name Vitis, which are available throughout the Pacific Northwest. Fish Brewing operates a full service pub in Olympia, WA, which was featured on the Food Networks show Diners, Drive-in & Dives, and a new taproom in Woodinville, WA. Fish Brewing believes that fresh beer and cider, fine food, and enduring friendships are what life in the Great Pacific Northwest is all about. For more information visit www.fishbrewing.com.

Spire Mountain Ciders Releases Crisp & Dry Apple Cider

Posted 5 May 2016 | 8:20 pm

In the tradition of quality and excellence, American’s oldest cidery Spire Mountain Cider, is pleased to announce the release of their latest product, Crisp & Dry Apple Cider.

“The hard cider industry has seen incredible growth over the past several years, and drinkers are embracing it as a refreshing alternative to beer or wine. As drinkers continue to rediscover the American cider tradition, they are interested in trying ciders with more complexity.  We think our new Crisp & Dry cider fits that need perfectly” says Sal Leone, President of Fish Brewing Co.

The Crisp & Dry Apple Cider is a semi-dry crisp cider with hints of green apples and acidic tartness, with a refreshing soft sparkling finish.  This cider comes in at 5% ABV and is the perfect drink to pair with crème brule and fresh berries or a smooth brie cheese.

Crisp & Dry Apple Cider will be available year-around to all of our distributor partners in 6-pack bottles, 22oz bottles, 1/6 bbl & 1/2 bbl kegs, and will be available in 16oz cans in the summer 2016.

Spire Mountain’s year round and seasonal offerings highlight the natural flavors of Washington apples. Naturally gluten free and made from 100 percent locally sourced fresh pressed Washington apples, Spire Mountain products are handcrafted with real ingredients and never from concentrate.  Look for Spire Mountain Ciders at a retailer near you.

Whistle No More

Posted 1 April 2016 | 6:39 pm

today marks the end of an era

Today we bring you the sad news that after nearly ten years of service, our Steam Whistle will be retired permanently, due to the persistent complaints to the City of Olympia. Though we felt that the 5 o’clock blast was a time-honored tradition beloved by our region, harking back to the era of the Olympia Brewing Facility in Tumwater, it just goes to show that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. And greasy it is: it’s well known that the political machine that is Olympia City Hall always pays their debts, and we have reason to believe that this recent regulatory development is only the tip of the political iceberg of reshuffling and re-positioning power. Paul Meanie, Sr, a well-known misanthrope and napping enthusiast, has campaigned tirelessly (between his naps) to shut our daily whistle down, but it was only after last year’s election that he began to get real traction. In January we began receiving notices on city letterhead, mysteriously unsigned, with only the word “STAHP!” written in sharpie. The next month, our brew system was hacked by an elite North Korean cyber-warfare team*, setting our boiler temperature to 211 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s correct, one degree below boiling! Diabolical!
Not knowing where or when they were going to strike next, we cowered, resorting to a simple, short, meek “toot” in our city’s spirit of understanding and compromise would put an end to the conflict. Alas, this isn’t a negotiation, this is war. And we are outgunned, out-witted, and out-snacked.

And so it is that we hang our heads and solemnly pledge to the new city order. No more 5 o’clock (OK let’s be honest, 5-5:20 o’clock) steam blasts celebrating the end of the work day. From now on, we’ll be happy just to brew our beer and clock out after our day is done. We hope you enjoy your new peace and quiet.

*just kidding Kim Jong-un! We’re cool, rite?

World’s Best Beer – and the Award to Prove It!

Posted 7 November 2015 | 1:52 am

Most Wednesday afternoons you’ll find the 40 barrel brew system boiling and steaming, the bottling line banging and clanging, and pallets of beer whizzing by on forklifts, but last Wednesday was a little different. Beer Educator and Judge Jay Brooks had just touched down in Seatac, en route to hand deliver an award we hardly dreamed of getting only weeks ago. Clocking in at fifteen pounds, the World’s Best Beer Award isn’t Jay’s usual carry-on luggage (“my arm became a bit sore” he said later) but when he took it out of it’s velvet case it conveyed its significance in the streaming light of the warehouse.

Mingling among the brew team were shareholders, members of the media, Washington Senator Karen Fraser and Lacey Deputy Mayor Cynthia Pratt. Chef Rick and his pub team put out a fantastic spread, including fresh oysters provided by National Fish & Oyster Company and the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association.

“This is an award of a lifetime” said CEO Sal Leone during his speech. “It’s an honor to represent this brewery”

Jay Brooks follow up with a run down of how such an expansive award is judged. As head judge of the Americas, he judges everything in this hemisphere. Beers winning in each category are sent to London to be evaluated in a final “best of show”. After the dust settled, Beyond The Pale was the one left standing.

The ever verbose Paul Pearson stated: “I’d like to thank all the members of my team for all their hard work, and all the mug clubbers for their support”. And then he added a simple shrug, for emphasis. Oh Paul!

This award has already been a wild ride. It’s garnered us international attention, and we’re getting inquiries from Brazil to Belgium. We enjoy the hell out of our beer, and it’s fantastic to hear that there are a few others out there who do as well

Photo Credit Ron Swarner 2015