The Public House

I was very glad to see in yesterdays Astorian that Jack Harris and Chris Nimlowill are making good progress with getting their new brew pub going in Astoria.

Though I haven’t tasted Chris’s work, I am very familiar with Jack’s brewing. He was the brewer at Bills in Cannon Beach who is not afraid to produce the uncommon, like spruce bud beer. So needless to say it will be good to have Jack working locally again since I refuse to go to Cannon Beach any more.

Strange thing about pubs in the US, though they try to get that European feeling they just don’t do it. Why? Singing… In Europe you find people singing in the pubs. These are not professional entertainers or Karaoke singers. These are people who use the pub as a living room since their homes are small and not set up for socializing. The pub is where everyone gets together as a community to share ideas, sing songs and play games. It is not the utilitarian waterhole that most US pubs are or have become.

If anyone can create a pub that is above the US concept of what a pub should be, Jack and Chris will be the ones to do it. Good luck guys!