Tacoma loves beer. We’re pretty good at brewing it and we enjoy drinking it on the regular. But we enjoy more than just the taste, we enjoy the competition and the culture that surrounds it, either it makes you a fan of a company or a naysayer. It helps that Eastern Washington grows some of the best hops in the world and has a natural habitat to do so. It also helps that there are taprooms everywhere that strive to provide the best, newest, rarest and most popular beers out. During the rather short lived Great Notion era and the even shorter lived slushie era taprooms around Tacoma were scrambling weekly to keep up with demand. It was a fun moment but it wasn’t for the beer drinker it was for the non beer drinker. Why would you mask the beer taste if you like the taste of beer??
As a patron of Pint Defiance I never had to deal with much of the hype. True to latter half of their name Pint Defiance stood on their already killer selection and dabbled only briefly as to keep regulars from going elsewhere just to see what all the fuss was about. In the end they were right not to shift strategies and fill up half their fridges with the flavors of the month. I’ve been going to Pint for almost 5 years and the consistency of crowd, employees and product has been unmatched. For where it’s located on Mildred just lights away from University Place it could be more diverse but it makes sense to the location.
The environment is great and I enjoy the way it’s been set up. It’s a smart system that’s easy to remember. The fridges are stocked by category from cider, closest to the door, to beer, closest to the counter and from non-local brews to brewed right here in Tacoma. As soon as you walk-in there’s a fridge to your right and a fridge every step after that until you get to the counter on your left. The counter leads to bar seating and across from the bar is high table seating with moveable bar stools. Behind the bar there’s consistently 10 rotating beers on tap. Along the other wall it’s adorned with ads and signage from beer companies they partner with and stock in the fridge. There’s also a nice chunk of floating shelf space that holds Pint Defiance apparel and accessories along with a few other Washington and beer related items. Much like other taprooms Pint Defiance allows and even welcomes you to bring food to pair with your pours. Its location is amazing for this and another reason it’s been so easy to frequently patron. Next door is really good Thai food, in the same lot across the way there is hibachi or poke to choose from. Across the street there’s plethora of options from DQ to Al’s Hot Chicken and right around the corner a Chick fil A, the options are endless.
But change is afoot. I enjoy stopping by establishments the same day I write about them. Pint Defiance is no different and the day that I went is the day I bumped into their “Under New Ownership” sign. I don’t know if was serendipitous or fortuitous timing but both new owners Gabby Pizano and Jake Leonetti who have been devout Defiance fans like myself for the past 6 years. I chatted with them briefly about what they hope to bring to the space and connecting with community was at the top of their list. So you can expect more activations in the space and outside of the space. They’re looking forward to participating in events specific to the beer community and markets elsewhere around the city. I, for one, will be excited to see the Pint Defiance brand anywhere and look forward to the growth.
Pint Defiance
2049 Mildred St W Tacoma, WA 98466
Sunday - Tuesday 12PM-10PM
Wednesday - Saturday 12PM-11PM
Pint Defiance
2049 Mildred St W Tacoma, WA 98466
Sunday - Tuesday 12PM-10PM
Wednesday - Saturday 12PM-11PM
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