It’s a friday night and the year is 1880. The place to get a beer is City Brewery.

City Brewery and other historic breweries, such as The Ellensburg Brewing and Malting Company and the (old) Roslyn Brewing Company, are no longer active, but their legacy has made a mark on the Ellensburg brewing scene.

For a such a small town, Ellensburg stands out with a long history of breweries. That legacy is kept alive today with three active breweries and Central’s own Craft Brewing degree.

Colockum Craft Brewing, Iron Horse Brewery and the (new) Roslyn Brewing Company all brew and distribute their craft beers from the Kittitas Valley, continuing the tradition.

Historical Breweries

City Brewery

City Brewery, the oldest brewery in Kittitas County, has a decent amount of mystery surrounding it due to multiple breweries being listed in historical records with the same name.

The actual City Brewery changed ownership several times, but there was only one true City Brewery. It was opened in 1880 and closed down in 1887. There is very little known about the brewery because how old it is.

Ellensburg Brewing and Malting Company/Ellensburg Brewing Company

Originally started in 1895 as the St. Louis Brewing & Malting Company, the brewery was succeeded by the Ellensburg Brewing & Malting Company in 1907.

The brewery stayed open until 1915, when it was closed due to prohibition.

The brewery opened back up two more times before shutting down for good in 1943 under the name of Mutual Brewing Company.

(Old) Roslyn Brewing Company

The original Roslyn Brewing Company was opened in 1893 by the Schlotfeldt brothers: Adolf F. Kuhl, Ernest Duerrwachter and Charles Duerrwachter.

They were also forced to shut down in 1913 because of prohibition.

Current Breweries

(New) Roslyn Brewing Company

The current Roslyn Brewery was reestablished in 1990 by Roger Beardsley, associate professor of mechanical engineering technology at Central.  

In 2004, Roslyn Brewery was bought by Kent Lamar.

Iron Horse Brewery

Iron Horse Brewery is owned by Greg Parker and his father, Gary Parker. The Parkers bought the business from Jim Quilter, the original owner in the summer of 2004.  

Iron Horse boasts a selection of five year-round beers, including the famous Irish Death Ale, which was originally brewed by Quilter. Iron Horse also has seasonal beers and re-releases those beers on a regular basis.

The Iron Horse Brewery opened up a pub in 2012 located at 412 N. Main Street.

Colockum Craft Brewing

Colockum Craft Brews made its way to consumers in August 2013.

Brew master, William Reichlen, had been brewing as a hobby for a while, but didn’t get serious about brewing until January 2012.

Reichlen attended Central, graduating with a degree in chemistry.

Reichlen got his start-up by winning the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Business Plan competition in 2013.  The money he was awarded played an instrumental role in opening the brewery.

Reichlen started his business with two beers, Opening Day Indian Pale Ale (IPA) and White Tale Wheat.

“There was a lot more [public] interest [in the brews] than I thought there was going to be,” Reichlen said.

Colockum Craft Brewery is located on 109 Main St. in Kittitas.

More information about Ellensburg’s brewing history are on display in the prohibition gallery in the Kittitas County Historical Museum.