USA, WA: Crane's Castle Brewing opens in East Bremerton

The newest craft brewery in Kitsap is a family destination, the Kitsap Sun reported on October 14.

At least, that's what Crane's Castle Brewing owners Dan and Megan Kranenburg envisioned when they opened the brewery and taproom late last month in the Redwood Plaza on Riddell Road.

Fashioned after a European beer hall, Crane's taproom features seating for 125 at long wooden tables, an indoor corn hole pit, a kids' play area and plenty of room for running around.

"It's not kind of the partitioned lifestyle of like, ‘mom and dad are going out for adult things, we have to go get the kids a sitter’," brewer Dan Kranenburg said. "It's like, ‘no, just bring them here’."

"Crane's Castle" is a direct translation of the name Kranenburg, according to Dan, and refers to a low, marshy area in western Germany. The brewery is the 17th open in Kitsap County.

Crane's 18 taps will pour a variety of brews including an IPA, hefeweizen, Irish Red and Scotch Ale — but Dan's specialty is lagers.

"They take longer, they're more fussy, but if you do them really well it's really apparent in every single one of them that this is well made, well rounded, well balanced," Dan said.

The taproom will have rotating seasonal and guest taps, as well as ciders and non-alcoholic kombucha. Kids can sip on Italian sodas or carbonated water. Behind the bar are traditional brewery snacks, in addition to bratwursts and pretzels. The brewery is in the process of getting a food truck stationed outside full-time.

Both Dan and Megan are U.S. Air Force veterans and civil engineers — Dan picked up brewing after being discharged in 2007. His background in wastewater treatment applied surprisingly well to the brewing process.

"All the principles are the same, it's just what do you want to start with and what do you want to end up with," Dan said.

The family moved to Gig Harbor and threw a housewarming "Oktoberfest" party featuring Dan's brews, which became an annual hit. Eventually, after enough pushing from friends, the pair decided to give the brewery a shot.

The Kranenburgs, who have lived in Brownsville since 2013, wanted to set up shop somewhere away from Bremerton's other big craft breweries. The 3,800-square-foot Redwood Plaza location fills a taproom void for communities like Tracyton and Illahee, Megan said.

“For us, it's kind of like taking that Oktoberfest party and going, 'Now we have a place for it every day,’” she said.

Crane's Castle is currently open Friday through Sunday, but there are plans to expand those days to include Wednesday and Thursday by the end of October.

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