Younger Business Generation at Island Hoppin’ Brewery

Becca Gray and Jim Parker with “growlers,” ready to serve the public beginning next Friday, Sept. 21, at Island Hoppin’ Brewery

Open House Friday, Sept. 21 from noon to closing at 33 Hope Lane

By Margie Doyle

Next Friday, three young island entrepreneurs will host the Grand Opening of Island Hoppin’ Brewery, a business launched on passion, systems, mentoring and production.

Becca Gray, Jim Parker and Nate Schons have been creating this new island business, just behind Frontline Call Center on Mt. Baker Road to make and sell their own brand of brews. For the past two weeks, they’ve been selling batches fresh from the brewery to island restaurants, taverns and private parties. By next Friday, Sept. 21, they should have enough beverages on hand to welcome all comers to their tasting room, courtyard and brewery.

“Everybody loves beer,” says Jim Parker. “Beer stands as a reward at the end of a long day’s work , a celebratory drink. Sitting down with a drink has kept the human race alive and sane for last thousand years. And beer was one of the first sanitary means of hydration when fresh water wasn’t pure.”

The three partners, like most islanders, all hold down day jobs and wanted to translate their love of beer into a successful island business.

Nate Schons is the inspiration and Master Brewer for the enterprise. He grew up in the Cascade Mountain community of Leavenworth and loved snow-boarding. On a snow-boarding trip to New Zealand he got hooked on making his own beer. He re-located to Cashmere, Wash. and worked for Joe Nestor of Cashmere Brewery (now Columbia Valley Brewery), a highly-respected brewmaster. While in Cashmere, Nate schlepped kegs, mopped floors and learned about brewing different varieties of grains,  coming to feel the art behind the science. He has developed 30 viable recipes that will now be available through Island Hoppin’ Brewery.

Becca Gray came to Orcas on a vacation from her mechanical engineering coursework at a Michigan University. When she got her degree, she not only moved here, but enticed her twin sister Katy, her mom, her older sister Shyan and brother Paul Turner to move here. After a waitressing job at Bilbo’s, Becca was hired by Dr. Brenda Ivans in 2004 as a dental assistant.  Her education and life experience has taught her to focus, find ways to problem-solve, and develop structures — “lists really do work!” she says.

When Becca met Nate back on Orcas, his description of the science of brewing captivated her into sharing his avocation. Now Becca is formulating her own brews, such as the Whitecap Belgian beer that will be on tap for the opening Sept. 21.

Jim Parker, whose day job is carpentry,  building custom homes with Alan Wiemeyer, met Nate Schons about 6 years ago and became enthused by Nate’s passion for brewing. “Nate is the real brew geek, and his love of beer is contagious. I realized it needed to be shared we all felt that way;  I wanted to help out as much as possible, and it has taken all three of us to get this far.

“Success for all of us would be to have enough beer to keep the whole county happy, and a business entity that provides for us and for others on the island, ” says Parker.

” We just want to make quality beer and sell it. This is our life; we do work elsewhere to pay our bills and jump in here wherever we are needed. We want this to be the poster child for any kind of business start-up.”

Becca Gray says, “It’s not easy, but it’s a passion that’s sustainable and allows us to be independent on Orcas.”

The partnership has benefitted from advice from Alan Wiemeyer on logistics, infrastructure, and building, and from their landlord Clyde Duke who has been “extremely helpful,” says Parker.

Their first brew “batch” was made in August, and they figure they will have enough variety of brews to sell to the public in their tasting room. A gated courtyard adjoins the tasting room, where visitors can take their drinks , and customers are welcome — and allowed — to bring their dogs and children into the courtyard, where non-alcoholic beverages will be served. Eventually, the brewery plans to make their own root beer and ginger ale.

Five varieties of beer will be on tap at the brewery tasting room, as will a hard cider; there will also be a “seasonal surprise” tap.

The brewery owners  recognize both the pleasures and responsibilities of consuming alcoholic beverages.  “We have an image to create and maintain to educate alcohol responsibility — alcohol is to be enjoyed and not abused,” says Parker. “We recognize that underage drinking, and drinking and driving are problems. Alcohol can be a beast; we have to tame it and respect it.”

“We’re in an economic hard time; what better way to give the economy a boost and a fun spot for local people to come. ”

The group has decided to share profits with two non-profit organizations: Farm to Cafeteria Committee in recognition of its work with children , youth and adults through the FEAST and FoodMasters programs; and Friends of the Library.

“Education for kids is where the future of the whole human race lies, and it also plays into the local food and sustainability movements,” says Parker.

The Friends of the Library donations are in recognition of the public library’s assistance to people like this young trio. “None of us had computers, we first started our research at the library, none of us had computers, and we always got terrific help from the staff. That plays into education too.”

Mari Plowman will prepare barbeque for purchase at the opening, which starts at noon and goes to “last call.”  The Island Hoppin’ Brewery will serve “flights” of four 5-oz. tasters chosen from the selection, pints of beer, and will sell half-gallon “growlers” to go.  Brewery tours will go on throughout the day. T-shirts and sweatshirts will also be for sale.

Hours are from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday until the end of October, when new winter hours will go into effect. The Island Hoppin’ Brewery is at 33 Hope Lane,  376-6079.