Home Turf Taproom is your new go-to for local beer and seltzer

Parkland has a new beer bar, and the house pours are ones the South Sound will recognize.

The owners of Gig Harbor Brewing, led by John Fosberg, have expanded their footprint with Home Turf Taproom, a laid-back watering hole at 323 Garfield St. with plenty of drafts and packaged beer to-go.

Gig Harbor produces the five house beers, which mirror the brewery’s flagship ales: two IPAs (a standard and a double), a red and blonde, and a stout. Fosberg’s son Max manages the bar, and he will round out the six guest taps with local and regional brews.

Right now, he has one each from Reuben’s, Bale Breaker, Kulshan and Pfriem.

“I’m trying to keep it Northwest,” said Max. “Tacoma is definitely a hub for beer.”

He will add variety through cider from the likes of Locust and Tacoma’s Tin Hat, as well as seltzer from San Juan and Gig Harbor Brewing itself. The brewery experimented this summer with a watermelon seltzer using champagne yeast, which “turned out beautifully” and sold out quickly, according to John. Next up: grapefruit and lime under the brand name Fizzhead Seltzer.

A cooler near the door offers to-go six-packs from Gig Harbor and other breweries, cans of seltzer and small bottles of prosecco.

With this variety and come-as-you-are style, Home Turf hopes to attract residents of the apartments upstairs and their neighbors at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Pacific Lutheran University. Staff there, said John, is particularly excited to have an easy post-work hangout.

“It’s the best-looking block in Parkland,” he said.

Neighboring restaurants include Farelli’s Pizza, Trappers Sushi, Garfield 208 wine bar, Marzano’s and Happy Teriyaki. Home Turf took over the vacant retail lot under the 5-year-old Garfield Station apartments. Fosberg, a longtime graphic designer who created the logos here and for Gig Harbor Brewing, was surprised to learn it had never been leased.

The building owner called him last summer, saying it would be “a great spot for some kind of taproom.”

They negotiated a fair deal and started construction in the fall. Permitting and then the pandemic delayed opening, but they finally threw open the garage door — which leads to a modest outdoor patio — on Sept. 1.

GIG HARBOR BEER ON ITS HOME TURF

Now the Fosbergs have three locations. The original production brewery and taproom on South Tacoma Way and Alder Street opened in 2015, followed by the namesake waterfront bar in 2018. Head brewer Mike O’Hara, previously of Georgetown Brewing, has “made great beers right out of the gate.”

In terms of how Home Turf will play off the two official Gig Harbor taprooms, John added, “I think they’ll be uniquely different.”

For one, each manager has their following; Here, Max, who started working with his dad six months into the brewery, has made his own mark.

“He’s made some decisions that I wouldn’t have,” joked John, “but that’s great.”

Importantly, the Parkland space is large enough that they were able to build out an area for private events. It’s in the front, with sidewalk views and access to the side of the bar for dedicated service.

The Tacoma taproom is small but intimate, said Fosberg. Sometimes they open the production space for private parties, and in Gig Harbor, they have set up barriers to section off half the room.

Looking forward to a somewhat normal going-out world, the Fosbergs hope to welcome guests for trivia, Xbox and watching the game. Of course, the latter is already well underway.

HOME TURF TAPROOM

▪ 323 Garfield St. S., Parkland, no phone yet, facebook.com/hometurftaproom

▪ Details: under Garfield Station; open Wednesday-Saturday, 2-8 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.

This story was originally published September 26, 2020 at 8:05 AM.