Fremont Brewing Co.

Fremont Brewing has a business philosophy that brings all the right things together: a great product, projects to improve the industry, community support, care for their employees, and love for the culture of craft beer.

Matt Linecum was a home-brewing attorney who loved his colleagues and firms, but disliked the work. "When I worked with a client to make their dreams a reality, I'd think to myself ‘I'm sitting on the wrong side of the table.' Plus I wanted to see my wife and know my children. It's hard when you work as an attorney," recalls Matt. He created a plan and raised money. When he went to collect, the economy crashed and he had nothing. "There was pressure to go back to being an attorney, but I couldn't do it. In bad times, people run away from a contracting market, but it can be a great opportunity to have the pool to yourself. Desperation is a great motivator and it can be fun, if you consider daily uncertainty to be fun."

Photo: Head Brewer Matt Lincoln (left) and owner Matt Linecum

Matt Lincoln came on as head brewer two months after Fremont Brewing was founded, returning from Chicago where he worked at Goose Island Beer, one of the nation's oldest craft breweries. Brewer James McDermet came on next and Fremont Brewing now has upwards of 20 employees. "Everyone here is motivated and works hard," says Matt. "They're here to create, develop, and continually learn. For our industry, we pay well and offer insurance. We want to make it hard to leave. Jobs continually change, so there's always growth. I like to set a framework and then trust people. The right people will fit in."

Matt sold his first keg in August of 2009; in 2012, they made 7000 barrels, and have a goal of 14,000 barrels for 2013. They offer three year-round beers (Interurban IPA, Universale Pale Ale, and Wandering Wheat Wheat Ale), four seasonal ales, and whatever else they feel like making throughout the year. They're now the third most popular purchased brand in the Metro Seattle area. Last year they began bottling and canning their beer.

The vast majority of barley they use comes from Washington, although they also use grain from Belgium, France and Canada. Hops are purchased from the Puterbaugh and Carpenter families, 4^th and 6^th generation hop-growing families in the Yakima Valley. Stainless steel is used for fermentation, and Fremont Brewing also barrel ages sour beers for a minimum of 12 months, with plans to have 400 wood barrels in full production this year. These are bourbon and wine barrels that lend different characteristics to the beer.

Their Urban Beer Garden has moved from its original, intimate space to the front area of the production facility. "Beer is an inclusive culture, and craft beer even more so," states Matt. "For centuries, there have been friends sharing a pint. So our beer garden is a place where all are welcome—kids, dogs, everyone. If there's anything that interferes with that inclusive dynamic, it doesn't belong." Every piece of wood at the brewery has a story, and most materials used throughout the facility are repurposed.

Three key projects define where Fremont Brewing is now. The first is an organic hops program called the Cowiche Canyon Project. "We're developing test methods of growing, and finding successful hop varieties. The FDA said that beer could be labeled organic even if the hops weren't, because there wasn't availability of organic hops. We worked to get the law changed, organic should mean organic. The amount of acreage devoted to organic hops has doubled twice now." Fresh, organic hops are used to make their harvest beer. "These don't last long, so we have them in the kettle within 24 hours of harvest. We can only make this beer at harvest and it's like no other beer we make."

The second project is Homefront IPA, an ale brewed with oranges, and aged on bats donated by Louisville Slugger. Matt and former Mariner Chris Ray conceived this as a way to contribute to Operation Homefront, a charity providing assistance to military personnel and families. One hundred percent of sales go to Operation Homefront. "We price it high and explain that we're here to raise money," explains Matt. Their first year was very successful. In 2012, they signed on six more breweries and raised $250,000. They hope for the same in 2013. Fremont Brewing also donates to many other causes that aren't politically or religiously based, and don't discriminate against anyone. "We donated about $30,000 last year."

Cascadia is the third project that will hopefully create a small-scale, local barley malting facility. "Barley has to be malted to use for beer-making, baking, and more. We formed a group so all interested parties can talk about the impediments to getting barley malted. The consensus was that we need a local facility where we can work on getting barley malted the way we want, to produce unique products."

Fremont is very proud to have been selected to brew the official beer of Seattle Beer Week this year; a salmon-safe, organic, 4.5% pale ale brewed exclusively with Cowiche Canyon hops and canned. "This is a first: the first official beer to use organic hops, to be in cans, and to be 4.5%, coming out of Seattle. It's very exciting."

It all adds up to a successful, responsible company. "We're not hobbyists, this is a wholesale business; we're supporting people and families. We work hard to create consistent, quality beer that people want to drink." As they say, because beer matters.

Connie Adams/February 2013