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Two decades of ‘American beer and American comfort food’ at the Hopvine

Bob Brenlin and Michael Congdon in front of Hopvine's evergrowing photo wall (Images: CHS)

Bob Brenlin, left, and Michael Congdon in front of Hopvine’s evergrowing photo wall (Images: CHS)

WP_20150312_004Bob Brenlin loves to talk about beer. He has spent nearly three decades in the business of selling suds as a co-owner of three pubs in Seattle, including 15th Ave East’s Hopvine, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015.

When he opened the Hopvine in September 1995, he had already been running the Latona Pub in Green Lake since 1987 (the third pub is the Fiddler’s Inn in Wedgwood), so he had time to get the business model down. When he opened, he said he hoped to accomplish two goals.

“We wanted to be part of a local community, a nice neighborhood, and introduce them to interesting craft beer,” he said.

Brenlin has no sense of how many different beers he’s been able to introduce to the neighborhood over the years, but with 12 ever-rotating taps multiplied by 20 years, the number is well into the thousands. In particular, all of his pubs feature what he called “creative, hop-forward” beers, particularly IPAs which he called the perennial best sellers from all of the craft breweries.

Brenlin always tried to focus on breweries from Washington and Oregon, he said, and it has been fun watching the number of small breweries grow. When the Hopvine opened, there were around 12 craft breweries in the state, now there’s more than 200 with more added regularly, he said. And when one of his bartenders pours one of those beers, Brenlin said they have one goal.

“Try and get the best pint as possible. Try to pour a beer as close to what the brewer intended as possible,” he said.

“We like to feel like we’re everyone’s living room. We just happen to feed them.”

They must be coming close to that ideal. The Hopvine has been named one of the 100 best beer bars in America.

Beyond serving beer, the pub is part of the 15th Ave E community.

“We like to feel like we’re everyone’s living room,” said Michael Congdon, the kitchen manager who has been at Hopvine for 15 years. “We just happen to feed them.”

On the food end, the place is known for its soups, but the menu also has sandwiches, salads and pizzas, any of which go well with a pint to wash them down. Congdon said that pairing the food with the beer hasn’t really been a goal for him — he’s more interested in making the food taste good.

“Pairing is a bonus, but at the end of the day, it’s about what you like,” he said. “It’s American beer and American comfort food. It’s kind of tough to screw up.”

Brenlin said he tries to be a good neighbor, and the pub donates to local charities and groups, and has worked with Dine Out and the Country Doctor. It’s also tried to highlight local artists, with music and an art gallery that rotates monthly.

(Image: @lp365 via Flickr)

(Image: @lp365 via Flickr)

It was the music that lead to the creation of the pub’s iconic photo wall. It began, long before Instagram, as a place to post photo of musicians who played there on countless open mic nights. Over the years, it has been plastered with hundreds of photos of musicians and regulars. Congdon said that no one’s photo has been taken down, but some have been covered over bit by bit as more are added.

As Brenlin looks to the future, he hopes to keep the Hopvine relevant in the craft beer world. He plans to continue to introduce new beers, and new food (Congdon has plans to add a smoker is in the future). Brenlin also hopes to continue his tradition of hosting events to let area brewers meet with Hopvine patrons.

“We have a relationship with the brewer, and we like to share that with the public,” he said.

The Hopvine isn’t going anywhere, but change is likely coming soon to that corner of 15th and Republican, though Brelin said he is not concerned about a marijuana store opening next door. While he chuckled at the idea of a cross-promotion involving the Hopvine’s garlic knots, he said the new store would be greeted by the neighboring businesses so long as they’re responsible, as he expects they will be.

While there are no definite plans yet, Brenlin said he expects to have beer, food and art involved in celebrating the Hopvine’s birthday as they get closer to the anniversary date in September.

The Hopvine is located at 507 15 Ave E.

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Liz
Liz
8 years ago

I’m not a beer drinker, but Hopvine is one of my favorite spots. It’s low-key, has tasty food and cider, and is just one of those comfortable places that feels like a well-broken in pair of slippers. Happy 20th birthday!

genevieve
genevieve
8 years ago

god, I’m old. I remember when the Hopvine was the new kid on the block. Congratulations to them for sticking around and becoming such a great community spot. It’s been a while since I’ve been in – I’ll have to remedy that soon.

Shannon
Shannon
8 years ago

Hands down best pizza and soup in all of Seattle!

lee
lee
8 years ago

Wasn’t it originally called something else? A name with a 5 in it?

bill
bill
8 years ago

Love Hopvine. You just know your beer is going to be quality because they care about it, unlike some other local places *cough* Liberty *cough*. Pretty good pizza too.

Fritz
Fritz
8 years ago

I like Hopvine a lot (and let me tell you that, as a geezer on Capitol Hill, it is rare that a hip spot is as welcoming as Hopvine).

But I do wish their beer it could be a few degrees colder. Ah well. Nobody’s perfect.

Jimmy g
Jimmy g
8 years ago

I’m from Boston and when I come out to Seattle to visit my son I make it a point to get to the HopvineI.

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[…] 15th Ave E’s Hopvine is celebrating its 20th year of business in 2015. […]

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[…] Two decades of ‘American beer and American comfort food’ at the Hopvine Bob Brenlin loves to talk about beer. He has spent nearly three decades in the business of selling suds as a co-owner of three pubs in Seattle, including 15th Ave East’sHopvine, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015. […]