Western Washington’s River Barrel Distributing announced the addition of four brands to its portfolio in the month of July: North Jetty Brewing, Artivem Mead Company, Ancestry Brewing, and Half Lion Brewing. Ancestry is an Oregon brewery, the other three are from Washington, and River Barrel is bringing them all to Seattle’s King County and greater western areas.

Excerpt from the press releases:

North Jetty Brewing is a family-owned business celebrating its 8th anniversary this year. Erik and Michelle Svendsen opened their taproom on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula in 2014 and have been brewing up a variety of unique beer styles ever since. With a new Head Brewer and a new 20bbl fermenter, the company aims to increase their production by more than 30% this year, which includes more beers to more Washington customers.

“We are very pleased to be working with River Barrel Distributing in supplying the Greater Seattle area with our beer as well as getting back into the Olympia and Tacoma area,” says Michelle Svendsen, co-owner of North Jetty Brewing. “So many people have been asking for it and we are thrilled they can now get North Jetty beers in their local bars, restaurants, and bottle shops.”

North Jetty will be distributing their Honorable Mention IPA, Spirit Fingers Hazy IPA, Leadbetter Red Scottish Ale, and Semper Paratus Porter.

River Barrel is also excited to partner with its first meadery, Artivem Mead Co. Made from fermented honey, mead is commonly referred to as “honey wine” and while it’s one of the oldest alcoholic beverages, the mead industry’s popularity is just beginning.

“Artivem Mead Co. is an artisan meadery focused on making real life connections and world class mead in Bellingham, Washington,” says Carlos Bassetti, mead maker and co-founder of Artivem Mead Co. “We are thrilled to be working with the team at River Barrel Distributing. Their passion for craft products is unparalleled in the industry, and we are excited that they are helping introduce our product and brand to new people.”

Artivem takes its name from the Latin words “artis” (art) and “avem” (bird), symbolizing community and creativity. The company opened its first taproom at Bellingham’s Granary Building in 2020 where it serves meads, ciders, and pyments.

Ancestry Brewing was founded in Tualatin, Oregon by the Turner Family who have a history of service in the US Navy. Ancestry’s first location in 2016 in Tualatin, Oregon. The company quickly gained popularity and expanded to the Portland area in 2017. Since then, Ancestry has won several awards for its Irish Red Ale, Belgian Dark Strong Ale, and Kolsch. With a focus on detail and quality, the company continues to brew favorites like the Best Coast IPA, Porter, Piney IPA, and its small-batch series.

“We are excited to have a way to get our beer to customers in the Greater Seattle area who have been wanting Ancestry. Shout out to River Barrel Distributing for making it possible!” says Jerry Turner, Co-founder of Ancestry Brewing.

River Barrel Distributing’s list also includes a second Washington-based brewery, Half Lion Brewing Company. The company began as a home brewing project and was jokingly referred to as Half Lion Beer, a name sparked by a conversation about large dogs bred to hunt lions; the mistakenly heard term “half dog, half lion” eventually became the name for Half Lion Brewing. The brewery opened its first location in Sumner in 2016 and since then has created its own line of hard seltzers in addition to classic beer styles like blondes, ambers, and IPAs.

“Partnering with a local distributor versus a national or even larger regional distributor gives us both a chance to show the small customers what great customer service is,” says Eric Haines, Vice President of Half Lion Brewing Company.