North Jetty Brewing has new Head Brewer + new Distribution for 8th Anniversary
Outgoing North Jetty Brewing head brewer Kirk Hurd introducing new brewer Titus Bentley
There's a changing of the guard at North Jetty Brewing in Seaview, WA. As the brewery turns 8 years old this Saturday, they'll be bidding farewell to Kirk Hurd and introducing Titus Bentley as the new Head Brewer.
Titus was most recently at Fort George Brewery after spending 2 years at Buoy Beer Co. His career began in Fort Collins, CO 7 years ago at Horse & Dragon Brewing. Today, Titus lives with his wife and two dogs in Astoria and is excited to make the 20ish-minute commute to brew on a smaller ever-turning system.
"I'm stoked to work with a system this size," shared Titus. I love how many turns on the system they do here. North Jetty doesn't make a great volume of beer, but they make a lot of different beers." That's an exciting opportunity for a brewer coming in from production breweries with more packaged offerings found in larger stores.
Michelle Svendsen is the co-founder and president of North Jetty. She had glowing welcoming words for Titus: "We are very excited to have found a brewer that we know will continue our focus on creating balanced, quality beers," shared Michelle. "Titus will not only keep our core beers going strong, but will help us expand our offerings with his own personal touch. His passion for brewing and being a part of the industry community is infectious and we look forward to some fun new beers and collaborations."
Titus will be joined in the brewery by Casey - who's been promoted from cellarman to assistant brewer.
North Jetty is also growing. This month they'll add a new 20bbl fermenter that will increase yearly production by over 30%. That increased production will help fill the demand from their new distribution partners in the greater Puget Sound area - River Barrel Distributing. "Since we are a tourist destination," said Michelle, "this is going to give people that have tried our beer on vacation the opportunity to have North Jetty in their own neighborhood around Puget Sound."
This transition and expansion coincides with North Jetty's 8th Birthday Bash this Saturday. The celebrations include the tapping of Final Final IPA (Kirk's final brew at North Jetty), raffles, food & drink specials, stout floats, brewery tours and, of course, birthday cake. The event is also a fundraiser for a cause near and dear to the North Jetty team.
Michelle shared, "On April 9th, 2 years ago, our friends Jeff & Casey Harrell, owners of the famous Dylan's Cottage Bakery in Long Beach, lost their daughter, Dylan, to DIPG. To keep her light shining they are in the midst of creating a community center called The Dylan Jude Harrell Community Center." During the 8th Birthday Bash, North Jetty will be donating $1 from every pint all day towards getting the community center built. They'll also host a raffle for prize baskets. Of course, there will be Dylan Doughnutsfrom Dylan's Cottage Bakery.
What's new Head Brewer Titus most looking forward to in the coming months? "I'm looking forward to more collaborations," said Titus. "The best way to get to know everyone on the Northbank is to collaborate."
