Poverty Bay Blues & Brews Featured Brewery: Elliot Bay Brewery - A Leader in Givng Back to the Community

As you are sampling your way through the beer tent at the Poverty Bay Blues & Brews Fest on September 10th, make it a point to stop by the Elliot Bay Brewing Co. to taste their handcrafted organic beers and to thank them for the great work that they do in the community.

Elliott Bay Brewing Co. is a family owned company of high quality neighborhood brewpubs in the Seattle area.  Owners Todd Carden and Brent Norton met in 1994 while working for the  Maritime Pacific Brewing Co. They forged a friendship and explored their common goal and dream of owning and operating their own brewpub. They also met Head Brewer Doug Hindman at Maritime Pacific.

Todd Carmen, Doug Hindman and Brent Norton

 Todd and Brent incorporated the Elliot Bay Brewery in November of 1996.   In March 1997, they began construction of a brewpub in the historic “Junction” of West Seattle.   Elliott Bay Brewhouse and Pub, the company's second brewpub, opened in Burien in March of 2007. The company is the first brewery in Washington to gain organic certification form W.S.D.A. for the vast majority of their beer styles.

Over the past thirteen years, Elliott Bay Brewery & Pub has been a leader in philanthropic support and instrumental in creating an amazing sense of community in the neighborhoods which it serves.  The company supports a progressive company culture and socially responsible business practices and serves on various advisory boards and volunteered time and expertise to many charitable events. Some of the many valuable non-profit groups and worthy causes that Elliot Bay Brewery supports include:

• Burien Fire Victim Fund
• Susan G. Koman
• Breast Cancer Auction & 3-day Walk
• Children’s Hospital
• West Seattle Food Bank
• West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival
• YMCA  

In an interview with the Burien Elliot Bay Brewhouse & Pub General Manager, Michael Goldsmith, when asked about the company's belief in making a difference, he stated, "Giving back and being involved with our community has always been a big part of our culture. We do little advertising and pour that money and effort instead into charitable donations focusing primarily on local schools and kids. We depend on a kind 'of word of mouth' advertising and hope people know and respect us for our efforts. And more directly to your question...why give back to the community? Because from the owners, to brewers, to servers...we all live here and want to be proud of our community".

The Rotary Club of Des Moines is pleased to partner with an organization like Elliot Bay Brewery who believes as strongly as they do about giving back to the community and truly implements the Rotary Moto "Service Above Self".  

For more information about the Poverty Bay Blues & Brews Fest or to purchase tickets, please visit our website at www.dmrotary.org.