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3801 S Truman Road, No. 1, Washougal, Wash., 360-844-5932, 54-40brewing.com. 2-8 pm Wednesday, 2-10 pm Thursday-Friday, noon-10 pm Saturday, noon-8 pm Sunday.
Bolt Minister has a name like a Marvel superhero and the corn-state folksy demeanor of a cover identity. His 54-40 brewery, in Washougal, is equally full of contradictions. Named for a proposed war against Canada (!), the taproom is the sort of warm, friendly place that has squeeze-packet applesauce for kids. It's buried deep in a riverside industrial zone otherwise home to a camping-supply manufacturer and the nation's biggest producer of fasteners, but inside it looks like a fireplaced ski lodge. With the beer, all contrasts resolve into balance. Sometimes—as with the amber and Märzen—this leads to a barely-there crushability, and the IPAs are a bit old-school malty. Much better are the beautifully clean Pilsner with a light hop bite and a terrific stout both dry and meaty in its fullness. A recent pear kettle-sour and prune oud bruin were made from local fruit and tasted pleasantly like dried versions of the fruit. "This area was once the prune capital of the world," Minister will inform you proudly. "There's still a place called Prune Hill!" It's hard to argue with a man excited about prunes.
Drink this: The John Wayne Stout (6.5 percent ABV) is a broad-shouldered, all-American take on the style—chocolatey, roasty and full. But that hoppy, clean River Road Pilsner (coming soon to cans) is equally good.
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