Page 24 - Beverage MasterAug Sept 2020_Rev

Craft Brewery

went back to college, the craft brewing scene was
in its infancy. About 200 U.S. breweries were in
existence, with Pike being the third in the great-
er Seattle area. Cantwell recollects, “By today’s
standards, most people made mediocre beer, but
the scene was exciting, and we all became lifelong
friends.”

In addition to brewing their perennial best-selling
Pike Pale Ale along with a porter and Pike XXXXX
Stout, Pike also has the distinction of making one
of the first IPAs in the United States. By developing
relationships with companies such as Skagit Valley
Malting and area grain farm-ers, Finkel sourced
local products to create flavorful beers.

Finkel worked in conjunction with his wife Rose
Ann, co-founder and co-chair of the board. Parker
sums up their creative, collaborative relationship.
“Charles is the artistic force while Rose Ann is
the business financier. When he wants to bring a
vision to life, Charles needs a team who can come
behind him and help him figure out how to do
that.” Finkel’s artistic touch can also be found on
Pike’s iconic beer logos. The art is distinctly “Charles
Finkel” in its design, colors and Victorian-style let-
tering.

Opening of Pike Pub

In 1996, they moved to a larger 30-barrel brew-
ery located at the site of a former winery on First
Avenue. Rose Ann’s experience of owning a cook-
ing store played a seminal role in their mission to
combine craft beer with local, sustainable food.
Also, they changed their name to the Pike Brewing
Company due to their proximity to Pike Place
Market.

Concurrently, they launched Pike Pub as a destina-
tion place that offers a curated experience visi-tors
cannot experience elsewhere. For example, the
pub houses the Microbrewery Museum, a collec-
tion of Finkel’s personal artifacts that document
9,000 years of brewing history. “My goal was to
encourage people through our decorations to view
beer as cultural items instead of a mass-marketed
highly advertised commodity,” Finkel tells Beverage
Master Magazine.

Then after realizing that the brewery and pub
could not stand on its own without the support
of parent company Merchant Du Vin, the Finkels

22 August - September 2020 BEVERAGE MASTER

BM080920 Main Pages .indd 22 7/17/20 2:30 PM