For Scott's birthday next month, we are planning a beergrimage through Washington's hop country, the Yakima Valley. We welcome company for the entire trail, but Scott would especially like to see friends in the evening hours in Prosser. We have tables reserved at Whitstran Brewing at 6pm and they close at 9pm. After some time there, we'll mosey on down to the Horse Heaven Saloon which closes at 10pm.
Here's the plan for the afternoon leading up to that:
We both have the afternoon off of work, so we'll get started early with about a 1:00 lunch in Sunnyside at Snipes Mountain Brewing. Starting in a rustic mountain lodge setting (in a valley?) and ending in a saloon, this trip might have a little Western influence.
From there we'll head to Toppenish for the American Hop Museum. It is surprisingly the only one of it's kind in the United States, and is exactly the sort of cute curiosity that we love to visit. Also in Toppenish are 75 murals depicting area history between 1840 and 1940. We'll have to do a little exploring to check them out.
Scenic Konnowac Pass will take us through the hop fields and vineyards to Bale Breaker Brewing Company. Bale Breaker just opened a year ago, but the owners are fourth-generation hop growers. Their family farm has been growing hops since 1932, the year before prohibition ended. Forward thinkers, those folks.
Somewhere around 4:00 when Yakima Craft Brewing Company's Taproom opens for the day, we'll head that way for some pub snacks and a sampler tray. I'm looking forward to trying their Twin Stag Scottish Ale.
Finally, we'll wrap up in Prosser, starting with a brief stop at Horse Heaven Hills Brewery, then down the road to Whitstran Brewing. They have a good selection of brews and eats for dinner time, and as previously mentioned, we expect to be there about 6:00. I'm a fan of their science-geek monikers (D2O Heavy Water Stout and Pavlov's Pilsner) and sweet bottle labels. Maybe we'll see you there!
Our last stop is a ten minute walk down the road at the Horse Heaven Saloon for more HHH beer. It looks like they also have some delicious appetizers and desserts to help us finish out the night. The fruit versions of their standard beers, Apricot Honey Girl and Dark Cherry Stout, are perfect liquid dessert, too.
We won't be counting them out this time, but with five breweries on the trail, maybe we'll hit 30 beers for 30 years!
"If there's a place you got to get, I can get you there I bet. I'm the map, I'm the map, I'm the map, I'm the map, I'm the map, I'M THE MAP!"
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