WOODINVILLE, Wash. - For the first time in 13 years, Rainier beer is once again being brewed in Washington state. Rainier is brewing their brand new Pale Mountain Ale at the Redhook Brewery in Woodinville.
On Monday and Tuesday, they are bottling about 20,000 cases as they finish their first batch. The people behind the process said they are excited to be back in the Pacific Northwest.
“Rainier has such a long history here in the Pacific Northwest, and this is kind of the first big step in coming back to our history and really partnering with the community,” Rainier’s Kurt Stream said. “This is the beer that your grandparents enjoyed, that your great grandparents enjoyed and we’re very excited that a whole new generation of Washington drinkers will experience Washington brewed Rainier.”
Both the beer and the packaging for the new beer are inspired by their post-Prohibition pale ales from the 1930s. The new beer is made using two-row barley and hops from the Yakima Valley. The Pale Mountain Ale is Rainier’s first new beer in 20 years.
“In developing Pale Mountain Ale we looked back at some of our older recipes, and we wanted a good balance of our new craft beer blended in with our historical recipes,” Stream added. “It’s kind of staying true to our heritage while staying true to Rainier’s history.”
For the last 13 years, the historic Rainier lager has been brewed in Irwindale, California. The lager will continue to be brewed there, but Rainier plans to expand production in Woodinville with new beers in the coming years.
Distribution will take place in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Northern California. You can expect to see it in stores, bars, and restaurants in the next week or two, just before the 4th of July.
