Final Draft Taphouse Turns 7 Years I Craft Beer Connection & Community I Vancouver Wa.
We’re celebrating SEVEN Years Together! Our love of craft beer and craft beer culture, and our journey of meeting our “people” in the craft beer community prompted us to start Final Draft Taphouse seven years ago. We set out to create a place that is welcoming, non-pretentious and focused on creating an atmosphere where people can create connections and come together in community around local, quality independent craft beer!
For seven years, we’ve watched people come together and find their people at Final Draft Taphouse.
We are celebrating seven years together on August 9, 2024 and will come together in celebration with a Ruse/Final Draft Taphouse Collaboration Beer Release, the Right On!, and a party with cake and giveaways and a Right On Cheers! as a huge thank you to all of you who have come together at Final Draft Taphouse and who’ve made Final Draft Taphouse what it is today.
We also wanted to celebrate by sharing SEVEN Stories of Connection!
While we would love to highlight all and KNOW that there are many, here are seven stories to celebrate the power of connection and community and what craft beer is all about!
Thank you to everyone who was willing to share….and Thank you always for your love and support us and always supporting local craft beer!
Jen & Eddie
Where are you from? How long have you been in VanWa/PNW?
We moved here almost 5 years from Austin, Texas.
Tell us a little about your craft beer journey.
Eddie: In college I was introduced to an awesome Belgian Ale called Brother Thelonious and that was my first taste of non Bud-Light/Miller Lite beers. Then my friend started working in breweries and eventually opened his own so my beer journey just started expanding from there.
Jen: The first beer that I enjoyed was Lindeman's Framboise Lambic ale. Before that I mostly drank ciders. My true craft beer journey actually began at Final Draft Taphouse. That's where I discovered my love for sour beers and was able to really broaden my horizons.
How did you discover Final Draft Taphouse?
We live nearby so we would drive by it pretty regularly and after the pandemic restrictions were lifted we just decided to give it a shot.
What happened/what did you experience that made it feel like home for you?
We’ve met outstanding friends! Until Final Draft Taphouse, everyone we knew in the area lived in Portland but now we have awesome friends right here at home. Final Draft Taphouse is just such a comfortable place. It's very easy to make new friends!
Chris & Mercedes
Where are you from?
I'm from Oklahoma, and Mercedes is from the area!
What is your craft beer story?
I got into craft beer super early! Had an uncle and roommate that got me started! Both pushed Fat Tire on me and I never turned back. Mercedes got her introduction through me! We love adventures, and we feel like the culture is very adventurous and encourages us to try new things!l
How did you discover Final Draft Taphouse?
We like adventures, and we saw the tap list so we came to check things out! The service was fantastic, the beers were incredible, and you all made us feel like we'd known each other for a long time. It's very comfortable, warm, and welcoming! We love sitting at the bar and meeting new folks all the time and catching up with the staff and regulars that we know. We appreciate the community y'all have built!
Penny & Roger
Where did you move from? How long have you been in the Pacific Northwest?
From Maine, we moved to here six years ago.
Tell us about your craft beer journey…
I have always loved beer, Roger has always supported and encouraged my love and wanting to try new beer. Our journey began when craft beer was becoming more popular in the late 90's. Any Sam Adam's beer was where I learned that beer had great flavor, compared to any commercial beer that came in a blue can that was popular on the East Coast. When we moved to Vancouver, we discovered many opportunities to try new beer.
How did you discover Final Draft Taphouse and the Couve Brew Bevy?
We lived right behind Final Draft Taphouse and frequented the establishment quite often. We really enjoyed the ability to try different local beers from the area. Mike and Kimberly were like long lost friends right from the beginning. FD became our place! I learned of the Couve Brew Bevy and thought it would be a great place to meet women that enjoy beer like me. Roger traveled a lot at the time and Bevy was my night out. I fell in love with Bevy and all the women I have met and will meet in the future.
What did you experience that helped you find your people?
Final Draft Taphouse has been the place where we have met so many people. I love walking into Final Draft and recognizing so many people we have met since we moved here. Always someone to chat with or meet for the first time. We really enjoy the community feel of Final Draft Taphouse. We’re looking forward to many more years of Right-On Cheers and future forever friends.
Ramona Lupo
How did you discover Final Draft Taphouse and the Couve Brew Bevy?
I had been hearing about a new place going in at the 205 Commerce Center. Since that’s where my store had been in previous years, I was curious to see what/where in the center it was going. The first time I drove by, it was still in it’s build out stages, but it was literally next door to my old spot, so right then, I knew it was going to be my new hang out place. So I just kept waiting for the day it opened. I was there within the first few days and have never left! Likewise, as soon as Kimberly started the Couve Brew Bevy…well the rest is history, and I’ve never left the Bevy either.
Tell us a little about your craft beer journey.
I started becoming more and more interested in craft beer during the “micro brewery” era. At that time I was mostly drinking traditional porters/stouts (still one of my top of list styles). As the craft beer world continued to mature, so did I, and I began branching out and trying other styles. I began drinking a lot more west coast IPA (the hoppier/danker the better), a hazy now and then and gradually enjoying pils and lagers. When I retired from the 9-5 world of working in 2018, I decided to do some fill in/part time beertending as I had become good friends with Final Draft Taphouse and had become very involved with the Couve Brew Bevy. I worked behind the bar helping out whenever needed.
It also inspired me to become a certified Beertender (Cicerone).
What have you experienced at Final Draft Taphouse that makes you feel connected to us?
The moment I walked in the door the first time in 2017, I felt the vibe of inclusion, of friends, of passion, of warmth, of community, of sharing, of stories, of relationships and of the LOVE of people and the love of craft beer like no where else in town I’d ever been. I’ve likened Final Draft Taphouse as Vancouver’s version of “Cheers” (as cliche as that sounds). I’m a solo female and finding a place to comfortably hang out, solo, at the bar can be weird (for lack of a better way to put it). I have never felt that at FDT. No matter when I go, or who I end up sitting next to, I’m sitting with an “old” friend or making a “new” friend. Kimberly and Mike create an atmosphere that is unusually inviting and warm and the camaraderie is contagious. Over the years I have developed the habit of letting the beertender choose my beer for me. It has given me the opportunity to try beers that I might not otherwise choose…I’m rarely disappointed in their choice. As most of my friends know, I am not a big drinker and typically I might spend 3 hours at the taphouse and consume only 1 pint, or maybe 2 smaller pours. That makes me NOT a big spender, but no one (staff or friends) have ever judged me for that, it might help that I’m a good tipper ;o). My $10 tab is as important to them as someone else’s $50 tab.
You've been in the SWWA/Vancouver area for a long time.
What do you think makes Final Draft different/special?
FDT is a local small business. I owned a local small business for 31 years. I KNOW local small business and I relate in ways that others might not because of that. I have a unique perspective of being an entrepreneur. My respect for Kimberly and Mike and how hard they have worked to make FDT our favorite Couve taphouse is immense. The passion they have for building the unique community they have the luxury of serving is profound. The level FDT takes this passion is profound…trust me, I recognize entrepreneurial passion when I witness it. And then…there’s that TAPLIST! Look around, visit all the other spots in town, simply said, you will not find a Taplist comparable to Final Draft Taphouse.
The quality and diversity of the taps is unmatched and has become their legacy.
What do you want others to know about Final Draft and what they can/could experience at Final Draft?
If you haven’t been, get your beer but over there. If you’ve been a FDT friend for a short time or a long time, you already know of what I speak. If you visit, you’ll become a regular. The vibe is irresistible, the beer is irresistible, the friends are irresistible, the stories become intertwined, the relationships become life long. The moments we all share inside those “4 walls” become a part of who we are.
Love y’all, Grazie Mille con affetto! Ramona
Ramona & Kimberly
Mike, Kimberly & Ramona
Serena & Paul + Eric & Carrie
We were initially attracted to Final Draft Taphouse for its impressive tap list and vibrant atmosphere. What we didn't expect was the sense of community and the incredible people we'd meet. With a shared passion for craft beer, we knew we’d always encounter familiar faces. And even if we didn't, the friendly and knowledgeable beer tenders were always ready to chat about beer and life. We quickly discovered that, no matter your background, everyone is welcomed and accepted there.
In 2018, the four of us were among the last few lingering after a Final Draft event. Having seen each other there before, we introduced ourselves and instantly bonded over a double barrel stout. Discovering our shared interests, we bravely exchanged numbers. Since then, we've traveled far and wide for our love of craft beer and adventure, most recently to Sayulita, Mexico for a much-needed friends vacation. We've made lifelong friends!
L to R: Eric, Paul, Serena, Carrie
Kari & Phil
Connection: the act of connecting : the state of being connected Connection can look very different, depending on the person(s) and or place(s). It can be on a very high, generic level, such as a business/customer relationship, or it can be very deep, such as family or romantic relationships. But what about the “in-between” relationships? Those are the relationships you create and nurture, not out of “required” interaction, but of DESIRED interaction. The desire to connect with both like-minded and divergent opinionated people who cross your path. Those people that make you laugh and think. Those people that look forward to crossing paths with each other, because you truly walk away feeling better, enlightened, or just happier. Final Draft has facilitated so many of these connections for us, through both the Bevy and Draft Society, as well as just everyday moments created with strangers over a pint. Not to mention the connections we’ve built with Kim and Mike, the staff and regulars, which have brought us tremendous joy and support. Beer is not only thirst-quenching, but can also be soul-quenching, when enjoyed with those who make your world a better place. Final Draft is one of those better places and we are so grateful for all of the connections that have been, and will be, created there.
Our first date was on 12/24/18 at Final Draft Taphouse and Phil surprised me with a beautiful proposal on October 11, 2019 at Final Draft, with Mike in on it. He wanted to do it at Final Draft because it’s the place that brought us together. Phil and I connected through mutual friends at Final Draft Taphouse and it became “our place”. We also had our engagement photos taken at the Taphouse, by Missy Fant, who I connected with through the Couve Brew Bevy.
Nuwan
I moved here from Minnesota about two years ago. It's my first time in the PNW so I was eager to explore all the natural beauty and meet some cool people along the way. I also love to discover new places through food and drink so naturally beer was on my mind. I've done a bit of homebrewing with various styles of beer and mead. So knowing that the PNW is renowned for IPAs and the brewery culture, I had to try it all! In my hunt for a local watering hole with great beer, I stumbled across Final Draft Taphouse!
First time I came in, I had a wonderful conversation with Kimberly about great hikes and what it's like to move here from the Midwest. Each time I came in, I talked with someone new or was greeted by a familiar face. Final Draft felt like a welcoming environment with friendly folks and a fantastic tap list. It's proven that each and every time I've walked through those doors. From trying my first fresh hop beer to the interesting conversation with all the great people I've met, I got a wonderful dose of the beer culture here and to be a part of the Final Draft community!
