by Kirby Lindsay Laney, posted 5 May 2015
This month, on May 10th and May 17th, the Outlander Pub & Brewery will expand the offerings of its comfy rooms in its old mill house. Between the attic foosball table and the basement brewery, in its quaint and cozy parlor rooms, Outlander will serve a delicious three-course meal – created by award-winning Chef Dilek – expertly paired with three creative, and entirely unique, original Outlander brews.
“Usually we serve snacks, salads, pot pies, paninis, and desserts,” explained Dragan Radulovic, Outlander co-owner (with Nigel Lassiter.) In honor of Seattle Beer Week, and Mother’s Day, the owners have chosen to offer something different, and extra-special, and the beer at Outlander ably qualifies on both points.
‘Share A Beer, And Conversation’
Lassiter and Radulovic opened Outlander in the summer of 2012, and they already look forward to celebrating three years this summer, “doing the same thing we always do,” as Lassiter described it, as in a big party of DJs, beers, releases of new batches and lots of food.
Yet, a bigger part of any Outlander event is the community – the regular Outlander customers. In two years, Outlander has become a quintessential ‘neighborhood bar’ that has earned a strong, loyal following among people who live within a handy distance of the pub. Lassiter is proud of, “the community aspect and environment,” that Outlander offers, where total strangers can gather and sit together and share a beer and a conversation. “We talk a lot about the Seattle Freeze, and how this place is different…,” he reported.
“Thirty percent of our customers are usually regulars,” explained Radulovic, “neighbors, and people that work around the neighborhood.” The owners began Outlander after years working for others, and they’ve continued to grow it dependent upon word-of-mouth and building a friendly neighborhood reputation.
Radulovic runs the pub. “We try to keep that Victoria-style Public House,” he explained, “a mostly mellow, community feel, where you can sit at a bar and make friends and exchange ideas.”
‘We Do Experimental Brews’
Customers at Outlander share conversation, and a sincere fondness for beer. “We don’t do generic beers,” Radulovic observed, “Some people come here and expect the Northwest hoppy I.P.A. We do experimental brews…” Outlander always offers an I.P.A., but it might not be your father’s Indian pale ale.
Lassiter is the brew master, and an experienced home brewer – although, “in my home brew days, I didn’t experiment at all,” he admitted. Today, at Outlander, Lassiter – with input from staff and customers – lets his creativity go. Using medicinal herbs, spices, and other, sometimes unusual, ingredients, Lassiter can make up to 8 small-batch brews for Outlander at a time – plus two sour beers.
In less than three years, Outlander has produced over 270 original beers. Today, they offer eleven Outlander beers on-tap (plus one nitro tap,) along with a cider from Fremont’s Schilling & Company. Lassiter and Radulovic like to always have a sour beer, a pale ale, a stout or porter, an English IPA and then rotating seasonal and experimental brews.
“I don’t know how to brew,” Radulovic explained, “I pretty much let Nigel [Lassiter] do what he wants.” Yet, Radulovic can talk with customers, and give tours of the well-outfitted yet intimate (a nice word for small) brewery in the basement. “I know basic stuff,” Radulovic said, but Lassiter bragged, “he is a beer taster,” and can talk to anyone, as will Lassiter, who wants to know more about what Outlander does – and can do.
Not The Seattle Freeze
The May 10th & 17th dinners offer Outlander customers, be they beer connoisseurs and/or foodies, to sit and taste and talk about the pairings. With limited seating (about 25 people at a time,) each seating (at 5:30p and 7:30p on each date,) participants will get a chance to enjoy a well-planned meal and the community feel of Outlander.
For its owners, the community is part of the appeal of Fremont. They like the collection of quality restaurants and entertaining bars we have here at the Center of the Universe. “More fancy restaurants means more people moving around,” Lassiter observed. “It helps to have more bars and restaurants,” Radulovic said, “People hop from bar to bar most evenings.”
They prefer the nightlife scene here over that of other, non-descript neighborhoods, that have seen increasing crime as strangers take over. They like Fremont, where people still know one another and we have fewer people driving here just to get trashed – and trash the area. “Hopefully this area won’t change like Ballard and Capitol Hill,” Radulovic said.
Become part of the Outlander community, and stop by to try one of the original brews being created by Lassiter, and one of the gourmet, three-course meals on May 10th or May 17th. To reserve a place for the special beer pairing meals (at a cost of $35 per person,) e-mail outlanderbrewing@gmail.com or stop by the Outlander Pub and sign-up, today!
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©2015 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.