How Stickmen got started

We (JT and Tim) first kicked around the idea of starting a business together after experiencing the izakayas (“pubs”) we frequented in Japan while travelling together on business. The variety of menu items and the atmosphere of these establishments provided a source of inspiration for both of us. In particular, the most interesting places featured skewers of meat, seafood, and vegetables. The skewers are cooked over a long, charcoal grill and immediately served to customers. A meal can be made out of an order of several skewers or periodically enjoy a skewer or two throughout a session of socializing (and drinking!). It is the perfect food for sharing with friends and items pair well with beers, cocktails, and the Japanese distilled spirit - shochu.

The love of homebrewed and commercial craft beer was the final piece of the puzzle to bring the Stickmen concept together. While JT had been considering the idea of starting a production nano-brewery, stepping up to a larger brew system and incorporating food made the most sense.  Developing a brew pub that allowed us to offer our beers as well as bringing the experience of izakaya style eating was now the focus. This is what we want to do!

The Stickmen Experience

We plan to make Stickmen a brewpub that is known as much for its food as its beer. The atmosphere and small plates menu will encourage conversation, experimentation, and sharing.

The food menu will feature a mix of perennial favorites along with seasonal offerings cooked on an open charcoal grill in the Japanese (kushiyaki) style but with an international array of flavors. Portions will be small and with low price points to allow iterative food and drink ordering.

The beer lineup will be a reflection of the food menu. There will be a diverse set of year-round beers including Northwest style pale ales and IPA’s as well as a classic stout, a malt-centric red and other guest favorites. Returning seasonal beers will add to the mix along with more experimental one-off small batch beers. A pint will be a true 16 ounce portion as opposed to the approximately 14 ounce “pint” pours that many bars sell. Beers will also be available in partial pint sizes to encourage sampling a variety of styles.

In addition to beer we will offer liquor and wine with a continued focus on local artisan products – leveraging the bounty of Willamette Valley wineries, saké producers, and the burgeoning Oregon craft distillation movement.

Kickstart Our Capacity!

In our conversations with brewers in the Northwest we heard over and over how the biggest problem is keeping up with demand. So, proceeds from our Kickstarter effort will be used to give us the production capacity we need for the brewery. Primarily this means fermenters and brite tanks. 

The Brewery & Skewery

Our project is underway with a lease signed just before the end of December. Our goal is to open our doors sometime in April and have a great lineup of our beers pouring well before the summer sun makes its appearance. To keep tabs on our progress check out our Facebook page. 

Here's how you can help make sure we don't run out of beer!

DONATE to our Kickstarter campaign!  Not only will you be helping make this project a reality, you'll also get some fantastic rewards.  PLEASE NOTE: we only receive funding if we reach our TOTAL goal.

Follow these easy steps:  

1. CREATE a Kickstarter account. It's simple, all it takes is an email and a password.

2. SIGN IN at Amazon.com - if you already have an account, you're all set. If not, it is an easy set-up as well.

3. PLEDGE at whatever level you like! Your card will only be charged should we reach our full goal by March 1st. 

Spread the word -  tell everyone you know about this cool project!

Thank you for your support, we really appreciate it! 

Oh, and don't forget to watch the video!

Tim & JT