Iron Horse Brewery

Independent craft brewery in Ellensburg, Washington, known for Quilter's Irish Death.

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Iron Horse Brewery, an independent craft brewery and brew pub operator, is located in Ellensburg, Washington. By 2019, it ranked as Washington’s sixth-largest beer producer, with an annual output of 22,300 barrels.

Among its beers, Quilter’s Irish Death—a dark ale—earned a rating of 87 (“very good”) from Beer Advocate.

The brewery’s production facility sits just outside Ellensburg’s city limits, spanning 17,342 square feet. This space contains a 30-barrel brewhouse, fermentation and brite tanks, a centrifuge, canning, bottling, and kegging lines, quality control equipment, and cold storage. Beer is shipped from here to bars, restaurants, and stores in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. In 2020, direct-to-consumer shipping began. The facility is open only for scheduled tours.

A brewpub with a patio once operated at 412 N Main Street in historic downtown Ellensburg—the site said to be where the Great Ellensburg Fire started. That location closed in January 2021. A new brewpub opened in Ellensburg in June 2022.

Quick Facts

Location place: 1621 Vantage Hwy
Location city: Ellensburg
Location state: Washington
Location country: USA

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Iron Horse Brewery operates a 17,342 square foot production facility just outside the city limits of Ellensburg, Washington. The facility houses a 30bbl brewhouse, fermentation tanks, brite tanks, a centrifuge, a canning line, a bottling line, a kegging line, quality control testing equipment, and cold storage. The production facility is only available to visit through scheduled tours. Iron Horse beer is shipped from that location to bars, restaurants, and grocery stores in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. In 2020, the brewery started shipping beer directly to consumers.

The brewery also operated a brewpub with a patio in historic downtown Ellensburg at 412 N Main St, a location said to be the origin of the Great Ellensburg Fire. As of January 2021, that downtown location closed. A new brewpub location opened in June 2022 in Ellensburg.

Reader's Guide

Iron Horse Brewery's significance lies in its position as a major independent craft producer in Washington state, ranking sixth in production volume as of 2019. Its flagship beer, Quilter's Irish Death, a dark beer, earned a rating of 87 (very good) from Beer Advocate, indicating a respected reputation among craft beer enthusiasts. The brewery's production facility, located just outside Ellensburg, is a substantial operation with a 30bbl brewhouse and full packaging lines for cans, bottles, and kegs, enabling distribution across five states. The brewery's direct-to-consumer shipping, begun in 2020, expanded its reach beyond traditional retail channels. The brewpub's history is tied to local lore, as its downtown Ellensburg location is said to be the origin of the Great Ellensburg Fire. After closing that location in early 2021, the brewery opened a new brewpub in Ellensburg in June 2022, maintaining a physical presence in the community. The brewery's independent status and production scale make it a notable player in the Pacific Northwest craft beer landscape.