Pat Nagle is one of the original pioneers who saw the potential of downtown Tacoma and invested in the future of the city. His Harmon Brewing Co. and its flagship microbrewery and restaurant is in the former F.S. Harmon Furniture plant, which in 1997 was a mostly vacant warehouse in an area known for prostitution.
Now 20 years later, his original microbrewery and restaurant has grown into a network of locally owned and operated restaurants and brew pubs in the greater Tacoma area. It includes the Harmon Restaurant, the company’s flagship brewery and restaurant, the Harmon Tap Room and three The Hub locations in Tacoma, Gig Harbor and Puyallup. Pt. Defiance IPA was the first beer brewed by Nagle and, two decades since, it is still the bestseller. “Bringing the microbrewery concept to Tacoma just seemed to be the right thing at the right time,” Nagle says.
1) Which of your own current offerings are you digging the most?
Our Pt. Defiance IPA is my go-to beer but we have lots of seasonal choices at our Tap Room as well as all of our Harmon and Hub locations. The Cross Pollination honey-coconut infused porter is really delish. Our Winter Warmer, a Belgium quad, rounds out at 10 percent ABV. Our brew team is getting pretty creative lately. It’s making it fun for our sales team and the servers in our restaurants.
2) Any brewing pipedreams you’re dying to make a reality?
We are really excited about growing our barrel program and are hoping to double it this year. It would be fantastic to invest in more foeder. (A foeder is a really larger wooden vat used to age wine but now many breweries are using to ferment beer). We are also planning to begin canning, which is a big deal for us, in 2018 and to increase production. We just approved a can design that we think is pretty solid. There is a lot of competition and a lot of noise out there, so we need to stand out where we can.
3) What non-beer beverage is in your glass most these days? What is your favorite way to enjoy it and where?
I like myself a little Tanqueray Gin and Tonic. My favorite way to enjoy it is on a Pacific Northwest beach with a roaring bonfire.
4) Favorite song, album or artist to jam out to while throwing a few down the hatch?
That’s a tough one; I don’t really have a favorite. I’m all over the board. I don’t like heavy metal, that’s for sure. I like to listen to a bit of “yacht rock” on Pandora, just trying to keep it real. I like Eddie Vedder, Van Morrison, Jack Johnson and throw in a little Bob Marley, Bruno Mars and Earth Wind and Fire.
