By Kate Bartlett
Ghostfish Brewing Company has been crafting quality gluten free beers in Seattle, WA, since 2015. Ghostfish selects quality ingredients paying tribute to classic styles while expanding the expectation of what gluten free beer can be. The brand recently opened it’s second location here in Westfield, NY; it’s first and only location on the East Coast.
Co-founder Brian Thiel was inspired to develop a gluten free craft brewery after attending the Great American Beerfest in 2012. Having a family member with Celiac’s disease, he noticed a void in gluten free beer on the market at that time. “We couldn’t believe how much of a lack in gluten free beer there was at this national Beerfest. I saw the opportunity and had the epiphany on the flight home that we should focus on gluten free craft brewing.”
Brian and his co-founder imagined it would be a small-scale brewery on an artisanal level. They became a designated gluten free facility and embraced this bold change with integrity. “Our ingredients are selected with the utmost care. We hand select naturally gluten free grains, yeast strains and Pacific Northwest hops that lead to boundary pushing craft beers.”
9 years later, Ghostfish is the largest independent producer of dedicated craft gluten free beer in the United States. Their full-service gluten free brewery and tap room offers light fare along with a variety of year-round, seasonal and limited beer releases in Seattle, WA. None of their products contain the gluten protein, as their facility is 100% gluten free. “We are proud to be a strong brand in the craft beer market, shipping our products all over the country. Ghostfish offers quality taste, flavor and aroma, appealing to the average beer drinker while being 100% gluten free.”
With the growth and demand of their products, the Ghostfish brand has decided to brand out and open a second production brewery, their first on the East Coast, here in Westfield, NY. The brewery held a ribbon cutting ceremony in October, and is currently producing Ghostfish products. “We are excited about the growth of our company, and to be able to make our products more accessible coast to coast. We’re in the process of qualifying our core products, making the same quality products available to this area.”
Ghostfish currently distributes to 19 states across the US with a large amount of customers in the North East, Massachusetts being the largest. “We recognize the potential for Ghostfish to thrive East of the Mississippi,” says Brian. Once the plant is producing on a routine basis, the team will further explore options for a full taproom and gluten free restaurant in the area.
As for the name, it was derived from a phantom ‘ghostfish’ Brian and his friend saw while at his beach property in Seattle. “We were in the process of thinking of a name for our brewery, when my friend saw a flash of something in the water. We dubbed it the ghostfish, and subsequently decided it was a good fit for our brand name. It’s somewhat serendipitous that GF stands for Ghostfish and Gluten Free, we’re one and the same.”
For more information visit https://ghostfishbrewing.com/ and follow on social media for updates.