$1 million brewery with sweeping Tri-Cities views set to open in the Horse Heaven Hills
The Tri-Cities’ newest brewery and taproom opens this month atop a hill surrounded by wheat fields and 360-degree views.
Wheat Head Brewing Co. is the brainchild of Christina “Tina” Miller Phillips and her father, Loren Miller. The family-friendly taproom will double as a wedding venue and will host farmers markets in the future.
Miller, a second-generation dry-land wheat farmer, raised red wheat on Locust Grove Road in unincorporated Kennewick for 40 years before retiring in 2018.
His daughter, Tina, 32, graduated from Kamiakin High and earned an art degree from Eastern Oregon University. She worked as a wedding filmmaker and photographer, filming hundreds of weddings and developing an eye for suitable settings for formal events.
Spying a need for more venues in the Tri-Cities, she contemplated creating one at the family farm. Benton County said no, but offered three alternatives: Brewery, winery or distillery.
5-year journey
She and her father chose brewery, a nod to the wheat growing on their land. They had no experience with brewing when they embarked on the journey about five years ago.
That’s how long it took to create the infrastructure to support a brewery and public taproom on site. Today, they’re on the verge of opening, with a liquor license secured and other licenses pending. Selling parcels helped pay the $1 million-plus cost.
The remote spot meant they couldn’t just apply for permits and get started.
The property had no city utilities beyond power. Wheat Head needed an engineered septic system, a 20,000-gallon tank to hold water for firefighting and a well. Phillips jokes that before building the brewery, the family had to build a mini city.
“That took most of the time and money,” Phillips said.
Picture perfect
The 6,400-square-foot brewery and taphouse is picture-perfect and ready for weddings and other events.
The property includes a 2,500-square-foot taproom, spacious deck that overlooks a future playground, a nod to its family-friendly atmosphere.
There are three hookups for food trucks. A farmers market is planned in the future as well.
It’s the views that sell the property. The Locust Grove spot is about five miles west of Interstate 82, near the intersection with Clodfelter Road. The brewery sits at an elevation of about 1,500 feet. The summit of Badger Mountain to the north is just shy of 1,600 feet.
Wheat fields lap the brewery’s edge and sweeping views take in the Tri-Cities, surrounding hilltops and, on a clear day, the Blue Mountains.
Phillips said she’s looking forward to spring, when the green shoots of wheat briefly give the Horse Heaven Hills a lush Irish vibe before the wheat and everything around it turns gold.
While Wheat Head Brewery is a father-daughter undertaking, Phillips said it involves the entire family. The atmosphere is modern, with nods to the family’s farming history.
Recycled barn wood touches warm up the taproom. Family photos and farming equipment contribute to the atmosphere, another nod to Phillip’s interest in creating art from found materials.
“I just want it to be functional and beautiful,” she said.
Phillips said it’s always been a remote location when she was growing up there. As the Tri-Cities grow, it doesn’t seem as far out as it once did.
It’s 10 minutes to the mall,” she said. while her father retired from wheat farming, she notes her brother operates a lavender farm across the road.
“The family legacy lives on, just with beer and lavender,” she said.
Brewing operation
The brewery is led by Dan Howe, a chemical engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and ardent home brewer. Wheat Head purchased equipment more than four years ago and kept it in shipping containers until the brewery was constructed.
It includes six fermenters and the goal is to offer five to six Wheat Head brews on its 16 taps.
Wheat Head will offer beer along with cider, wine and nonalcoholic beverages.
Wheat Head Brewing Co. is preparing to open in November at 92308 E. Locust Grove Road, Kennewick. Follow its progress on Facebook at bit.ly/3tWcIHS or Instagram at bit.ly/3FXtpFH or its web site, wheatheadbrewing.com
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