Lifelong Battle Ground resident, Troy Steigman, wears his heart on his sleeve when he talks about his latest business venture and he’s not apologizing for it.
“My dream was to set the place and get the place, but now to have products that are really wowing people sure makes me emotional,” said Steigman. “My mom died of cancer a few years ago and she was an inspiration so it’s been nice to kind of bring her back to life doing this. Right when you walk in the door you see her hiking poles and my grandfather’s fishing gear from props to polls to lures. It’s kind of the welcoming table as you walk in.”
He’s referring to Barrel Mountain Brewing, which opened to overwhelming support in Old Town Battle Ground last month in a building his grandparents – Dutch and Millie Bechtold – purchased in the 1960’s. Just as the above-mentioned memorabilia, most of the décor has a story behind it in large part due to his grandfather’s sentimental tendencies to a town he served as mayor from 1964-1974.
The main dining area of this 2,000 square-foot restaurant seats 50-55 comfortably with additional courtyard seating for more than 70. The 2,800 square-foot brew house will accommodate up to 90 guests for special events like movies, concerts and brewer’s dinners.
For the last 20 years, folks could find Steigman working his way up from cleaning floors to taking over operations at Prairie Bar & Grill which his parents, Ronnie and Sandy Steigman, purchased in 1983. He realized he loved the craft beer and wine movement and wanted to provide Battle Ground with a place that residents usually drive over the bridge for.
Steigman’s business model is as personal as his story. The majority of his 11 full-time and 11 part-time staff was hand-picked through connections he’d made over the years in the food service industry.
Head chef, Dan Robayo, came direct from Shanahan’s Pub & Grill in downtown Vancouver. Prior to that, he worked at four and five star restaurants on the east coast, dialing his culinary talents down a bit when he made the trek out west. He now presides over a fully scratch kitchen turning out seafood dishes starring halibut and salmon from the Pacific Northwest only; grown up mac and cheese with roasted pork belly and green beans; and appetizers such as local roasted beets and chevre cheese accented with sea salt and Oregon hazelnuts.
Several local farms have been contacted by Barrel Mountain and it’s their hope to source from as close to home as fiscally and in-season as possible. Steigman continues to establish relationships and work out the logistics of featuring their farm-to-fork ingredients on future menus.
Over in the 15-barrel system brew house, brew master Ryan Pearson is the man responsible for Barrel Mountain’s pale, amber, hefeweizen and IPA offerings. Pearson studied brewing science at Chicago’s Siebel Institute of Technology and Troy flew him up from Palm Springs to tour the heart of the craft beer movement.
“The goal of mine from the beginning – in the kitchen and the brewery – was, if and when I attracted someone with talent, I needed to keep them. Wages needed to come in line but also the equipment and allowing them creativity,” Steigman said.
Barrel Mountain intends to increase their beer selection over time with a single batch program but, for now, they’re filling in the gaps with guest brewers like Backwoods Brewing out of Carson, Washington.
Barrel Mountain Brewing is located at 607 E. Main Street in Battle Ground.
