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Ashtown
1175 Hudson St., Longview, Wash., 360-353-5286, ashtownbrewing.com. 3-10 pm Thursday-Friday, noon-10 pm Saturday, 1-6 pm Sunday.
Floating out in the unfermented wort between the bubbling tanks of Portland and Seattle, Longview's Ashtown Brewing is trying to bring craft beer to a town still nutty for the novelty of Raspberry Wheat. Last year, cousin brewers Jarrett and Erik Skreen built their hometown brewpub from the ground up, wedging their fermenters into a "downtown" space between Bob's Sporting Goods and Cowlitz Driving Academy. Ashtown fills a handful of raw-wood tables with flocks of Seahawks fans on game days and, in the summer, has been known to host cornhole games. The brewery is so new it still smells like sawdust. The only food option is pizza slices from a local joint displayed on a gas station-style warming rack, so locals bring their own takeout to pair with Citra IPA, Coconut Porter and Oatmeal Pale Ale. Glass partitions offer a view of the Skreens' brewing operation from the bar. Here, some people will stop to stare. ENID SPITZ.
DRINK THIS: The Oatmeal Pale Ale is the liquid equivalent of Ashtown's brewpub: It's unassuming and sessionable, but behind the easy drinkability a little extra grain vies for your attention, making it more interesting than the average back-porch pale.
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