Sitting atop a 4,000-acre wheat farm, with sprawling views of the Tri-Cities area of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Washington, Wheat Head Brewing Co. doubles as a cozy place to stop for a crisp beer, or as a beautiful event venue for a wedding or party. Started by the father-daughter duo Tina Phillips and Loren Miller, the newly opened brewery is located on family-owned wheatlands just off Locust Grove Road outside of Kennewick.
The venue has an atmosphere that’s reminiscent of a comforting, down-home farming life while also being tastefully modern. “The driving concept was that it had to be chic enough to hold high-end events, but humble enough to have that classic inviting brewery feel,” says Phillips.
While the aesthetic and unique environment are enough to draw anyone in, their charming story and delicious beer make Wheat Head even easier to adore.
“I wanted to keep the family name going in the Horse Heaven Hills wheat country as my children didn’t want to farm,” says Miller, who spent 40 years as a wheat farmer. “So having the brewery on my farmland with old family pictures on the walls shows our history.”
Phillips, who has been a wedding filmmaker for eight years, dreamed of having a venue of their own to host events — and initially, that was the goal — but they had to switch gears. “The county wouldn’t let us do an event center alone,” says Miller, “but our choices were a winery, brewery or distillery.” This requirement, he says, led to them opening Wheat Head, which “has evolved into more than we ever thought possible.”
Beer with a Sense of Place
To lead beer production, Wheat Head brought in local brewer Dan Howe. “In classic Tri-Cities fashion, a friend of a friend suggested we meet him,” Phillips says. “After we met Dan and tried a few of his home brews, we pretty instantly knew it was going to be a great fit.”
Right now, Wheat Head has six flagship beers that round out a simple, yet bases-covering, selection. The Golden Bushel Blonde is the lightest beer of the six and is an easy-drinking crowd-pleaser. There is a more hop-forward beer in Helluva Harvest Hazy, as well as Wheat Head Wheat, White Warsh (Belgian Wheat), Swheat Cream Ale and Ornery IPA. They also plan on brewing a stout and amber ale in the near future.
Each beer’s name has a subtle nod to the family’s history or dialect. Family and community are vitally important to the father-daughter duo, and they’re excited to grow Wheat Head into a place that fosters both those values. Weddings, farmer’s markets, beer festivals and more — Wheat Head wants to be a hub for it all.
“Our vision for the brewery is to be a landmark destination and representation of the Tri-Cities,” says Phillips. “When Tri-Citians have folks visiting from out of town we want them to be proud and excited to visit Wheat Head as a reflection of where they live.”
As for 2024, everyone at Wheat Head is hard at work to keep up with demand. “We are brewing what feels like non-stop on our 10-barrel system and I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon,” says Phillips. “We feel so lucky that the community has had such a positive response to what we have built — now to work out the kinks until the spring hits.”
Wheat Head is family-friendly and dog-friendly, and although they don’t serve food, they have a food truck schedule online, and outside food is welcome. For more information on hours of operation and scheduled events, visit Wheat Head Brewing Co.
