Nat Pellman and Matthew "Vern" Vandenberghe run one of the most iconic beer institutions in Seattle, which automatically includes them in the most iconic in the whole craft beer world. Sightglass dives in to better understand what makes this restaurant so iconic and loved, and learn more about the story behind the founding of this legendary beer bar and restaurant. And perhaps, the secret to why we love Brouwer's is as much the long-lived food menu as the ever-changing taplist.
Sightglass Season 4, Episode 5: The Art of Running a World-Class Beer Bar: Nat and Vern from Brouwer’s Cafe
The cornerstone of the craft beer industry are the retailers: bottleshops, grocery stores, and restaurants who all help consumers on their journey to discovering new beers and new breweries. For Adam and Matt, and a generation or more of the Seattle beer community, Brouwer's Cafe in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle has been a quintessential place to discover great new beer while eating delicious food, while making friends along the way.
In this conversation recorded in August 2021 we catch up with two of the guys behind this legendary operation and hear more about how they conceive of Brouwer's relationship with their visitors, their ideas behind building the restaurant the way they did, and more about the history of how this institution came to be. And in the end, Adam and Matt both look back fondly on great memories they've had at Brouwer's over the years, a clear example of the indelible role retailers like this have in the lives of their customers.
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The fourth season of Reuben’s Sightglass dives deep into the Business of Beer. Listeners will learn about the backend of the brewery businesses, the highs and lows, mistakes and wins, and what makes a good beer vs what makes a great beer. Let this season guide you through your personal beer story.
It’s time to embark on your beer journey.