Potlatch Brewing creates special run for Hoodstock

Kirk Boxleitner | Sep 15, 20220

Courtesy photo count

Special Hoodstock beer shown at Potlatch Brewing.

Hoodstock 2022 offered folks on the waters of Hood Canal its signature venue to take in an eclectic mix of music from regional performers while giving Cody Morris, brewmaster and founder of Hoodsport-based Potlatch Brewing Co., an unusual business opportunity.

Potlatch Brewing teamed with Hoodstock because his company's scale allows it to produce small runs of what he deemed "special" beers, Morris said. He said he hopes Hoodstock might set a precedent for Potlatch Brewing to team up with other local organizations, because beer cans are "a novel form of promotion."

The roots of the partnership run deep. Morris met Hoodstock cofounder Kelli Kohout when Potlatch Brewing was searching for a location in Mason County, before the company started construction during what Morris referred to as "the great timing" of February 2020.

"We chatted about potentially brewing a beer for the event, but that was back in 2019," said Morris, who was finally able to open a pop-up beer garden and the indoor tasting room of Potlatch Brewing to the public last year. "Once we were actually open, she approached us again, and we agreed to brew something."

In addition to promoting Hoodstock, Morris saw the creation of a new brew as a fun and creative way to further introduce his brewery to the community.

As far as the recipe of the Hoodstock beer, Morris described it as a collaboration between his brewery and event organizers.

"They wanted something that would be contemporary, which at this moment tends toward fruit-forward IPAs, but lower in alcohol, since Hoodstock is an all-day event on the water," Morris said. "I've been experimenting with British ale yeasts, and their ability to metabolize thiols, to narrow down a house IPA recipe, so that approach made sense for creating something that tasted modern."

Morris decided to use Zappa hops, named after musician Frank Zappa, as they're "a pretty exciting and novel" new hop varietal, in addition to being one of the only commercially available examples of wild native hops.

"Ultimately, I wanted the beer to be a nod to artistic endeavors, while using ingredients that were sourced locally," Morris said. "The malt all came from Skagit Valley."

The date of the Hoodstock event served as a deadline for the project, and Morris confessed, "The labels literally arrived the day of the kickoff party for the beer."

Morris also learned that, for next year's Hoodstock, Potlatch Brewing will need to brew two batches because "we barely had any left the day of the event."

Morris said he felt rewarded by "the collaborative spirit" of working with Hoodstock, and "any time someone enjoys your craft, it's always rewarding."

Morris intends to continue to brew special beers for local events and organizations, albeit while keeping an eye on practical considerations.

"After this summer, we'll be hiring a mobile canning truck," Morris said. "Currently, I have to hand-package the cans, and it's just too time-consuming for any larger-scale releases."

Still, "as a small brewery in a small community," Morris expressed the belief that it's worth Potlatch Brewing's time, expense and efforts to leverage its "niche role" to help other local organizations, especially nonprofits that often can't budget for advertising.

"It's a pretty good example of Potlatch's approach to brewing," Morris said. "We always aspire to be contemporary, slightly experimental and dedicated to showcasing Washington-grown ingredients. We also focus on beers that are balanced and light enough that you can enjoy more than one."

Potlatch Brewing is at 24180 U.S. Highway 101 in Hoodsport.