Update: Garrison Square is now known as “The Mill.”
As the Vancouver environs quickly become known as Beercouver, it stands to reason that more spots to enjoy locally-crafted suds – as well as microbrews from throughout the prolific Northwest – are on the horizon.
Located in the former space of Ron’s Sports Page at Garrison Square Shopping Center (8052 E Mill Plain Blvd., now known as “The Mill”), Ben’s Bottle Shop recently joined the handful of beercentric establishments with a successful Christmas Eve opening. Co-owners Ben Christly and Timothy Augustin have combined a comprehensive bottle shop, tap room and full-service restaurant under one roof.
Lining an entire wall are 20 cooler doors filled with hundreds of beers by the bottle as well as cider, mead, wine, sake and craft sodas. A U-shaped bar greets visitors to the unique establishment with four large screen TVs and two digital tap list display boards hanging from the 14 foot ceilings. Along the back wall, trimmed in reclaimed wood and accented with repurposed roofing tiles, is the 140-inch projection screen TV. It’s Christly’s vision to use this focal point for some special events.
“We play large sporting events, but one of the biggest reasons we have it (the projection screen) is for brewmaster nights with three course meals and we can do cool educational pieces on the screen,” Christly said.
The owners are also excited to expand their sake offerings and introduce people to really good sake served at the right temperature. They’re pulling from as close as the Portland metro area and farther afield to bring an authentic experience to customers interested in learning more about Japanese rice wine.
Christly and Augustin met when they were both attending college in Springfield, Missouri with vastly different pursuits; Christly is an ER nurse and Augustin holds a master’s degree in non-U.S. history. They both have strong backgrounds in beer, though. Augustin worked at the Brown Derby International Wine Center and as an account manager for a beer wholesaler while Christly’s knowledge and passion was shaped up and down the East Coast, all over Europe and throughout the Baltic and Mediterranean regions during his seven year service in the Navy.
Such is their commitment to provide the most authentic beer experience that Ben’s Bottle Shop employs two Certified Cicerones (sommelier of beer) and all other employees are beer-server certified through the Cicerone Certification Program. Tastings are complimentary and flight trays give people the ability to venture out of their comfort zone and try new beer styles.
The 24 rotating taps include two ciders and something on nitro always runs on one. Three additional taps are reserved for kombucha. Wine lovers will appreciate the selection of 20 different whites and reds including Maryhill, Ryan Patrick, Argyle and Rodney Strong.
Ben’s has struck a balance with their minors policy. Family friendly until 8 p.m., folks can bring their children for a meal and enjoy the same comfortable atmosphere for date night and getting together with friends a little later.
“I’m a family man and we wanted to have something impactful for the entire community without alienating one demographic,” said Christly. “I like to have a beer and take my son to lunch with me and I think a lot of families in the area are like that.”
Speaking of food, Ben’s has that covered, too. Their full kitchen serves up bar snacks, salads, soups, meat and cheese platters, an inspired selection of sliders, a Stout Mac N’ Cheese and even oyster shooters that feature all three flavors of Vancouver’s own Conan’s Island Ju Ju Hot Sauce.
Coming soon will be approximately 500 square-feet of outdoor seating – some covered – accessed via a garage roll-up door to tempt patrons during warmer months.
The addition of Ben’s Bottle Shop to the neighborhood has been met with great enthusiasm by beer fans and longtime residents. As an underserved area in Vancouver for many years, Christly and Augustin did their homework, have raised the bar for other tap rooms and are excited to forge strong relationships with their new community.
