Crossbuck Brewing

A perfect crossing of beer and food

Crossbuck is one of those rare pairings of great craft beer with excellent food in a fun atmosphere. Great beer in this state can be found readily, but it's often next to a food truck or offers minimalist food: brats, nachos, etc. Crossbuck brings it all together.

Located in the historic train depot in Walla Walla, it shares a building, kitchen, and executive chef with Walla Walla Steak Co. It also shares an ownership team including Head Brewer Steven Brack who oversees the 5-barrel brewery. He graduated from Whitworth University with combined B.A. degrees in Business Administration and Marketing, then received his Enology Certificate from Washington State University. Then he turned to his passion for craft beverage production and now has more than seven years of brewing experience. He was part of the brewing team at the Ram Restaurant & Brewery, Elliott Bay Brewery, and Pacific Brewing and Malting Co. He worked as Production Manager for Schilling Hard Cider and Black Raven Brewing Co. Steven's Belgian Pale Ale won a gold medal and his Russian Imperial Stout a silver at the Washington Beer Awards in 2013. At the North American Beer Awards in 2017, he received a medal for Belgian-style beer. Along with brewing at Crossbuck, he helps manage his family's vineyard, Resurgent Vineyards in Milton-Freewater.

Head Brewer Steven Brack

"We felt Walla Walla was ready for a brewery with seasonal, fresh beer," says Managing Partner Dan Thiessen. "Crossbuck offers old and new-world style craft beers and has a minimum of 8 beers on tap with up to the 15 currently available; the list is always evolving. Six-to-eight are always on the list; a quarter are seasonal. Steve is an awesome brewer. He and I meet every Friday to create our game plans. Beers range from a light and bright Kölsch to hoppier styles to a Porter. There are some fun names like Trout Tickler, Walloping Wheat, KoKoMo KoKoNut, Udderly Mad. We use locally-sourced ingredients wherever possible. While some people find a beer they like and stick to it, others come in every time we launch a new beer so they can check it out." In August, they installed a Crowler - it fills and seals beer in cans giving a longer life to the beer than it gets from a growler.

Their Freight Hoppers Mug Club offers discounts, access to members-only events, and more. The name 'Freight Hoppers' is one of the few train references they use. 'Crossbuck' is what the railroad crossing sign is called, which reflects on their location in the train depot. Another train reference comes in the form of their flight holders made by Dovetail Studios.

Executive Chef Chad Bostwick and his team offer updated steak house classics and beer-friendly dishes. You'll find a great burger, 80% brisket/20% chuck; steak salad using Prime top sirloin; fried chicken sandwich; smoked pork shoulder sandwich; flatbread pizza (lunch only), and more. Their two best-selling appetizers are steak bites marinated in Crossbuck Ale, served with cocktail sauce and chipotle aioli; and the crispy fried Brussels sprouts with whole grain mustard vinaigrette. They use a custom charcoal grill (half charcoal, half mesquite) and wood stone oven. Guests can choose to eat in the family-friendly taproom or on the shaded patio that has a fire pit and heaters. Private events are held onsite in the taproom, historic train car, or offsite in their mobile kitchen.

The train depot was built in 1914 and placed on the Historic Register of Places in 1988. All brick and subway tile are original. A window hanging on one wall is an original depot bathroom window. Tables were built by Dovetail Studio from local maple wood.

Crossbuck wants to be active in the community and hosts fundraisers and creates special-release beers. "I'm excited to get the brewery in a place where I can focus on some brewing projects that give back. It's refreshing to brew for a purpose," says Steven. "What could be better than enjoying a pint while simultaneously helping out a cause you truly believe in?"

The Crossbuck team continually have their eyes on the ball, ignoring the status quo and innovating to please their guests. Join them for great brews and food.

Connie Adams/October 2019

Crossbuck Brewing
416 N 2^nd Ave
Walla Walla, WA 99362

509-526-4100

crossbuckbrewing.com