Switch to pilsners, red ales and stouts at this cool new Pierce County brewery

At Top Down Brewing in Sumner, the beer will soon flow from the tanks just how the name implies — from above.

Two couples — Chad Cray and Emily Browing-Cray, Greg and Susan Burd — have leased the corner commercial space at The Main Apartments and Lofts, located just west of the Fred Meyer and Farelli’s Pizza off Valley Avenue.

With more than 400 breweries in Washington state, about five dozen in the South Sound, brewers Chad Cray and Greg Burd — who also operates a winery, Shiloh Estate Cellars, from a residential property also in Sumner — are striving to approach brewing and the business just a little bit differently.

The initial tap list will feature brews that exemplify their style: “classic in style but intense, unique flavor profiles,” as Burd described. That translates to an opening tap list not pounded with IPAs, one with a Czech-style pilsner, a hefeweizen, a red ale and a stout. Naturally, there will also be a pale ale and an IPA.

“We like going to breweries that actually have a collection,” said Cray.

When I mentioned that I’m over hazy IPAs, so juicy and heavy on warm summer days, Burd replied, “Thank you!”

Their goal, they said, is to attract beer aficionados and neophytes alike. They will also build recipes for blending beers, such as a snakebite of local cider and their house stout.

“We’ve changed quite a few minds,” said Burd.

That sentiment will carry through to the space itself, which boasts floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto Main Street, where a few sidewalk tables will offer a view of Mount Rainier on clear days. The lot also benefits from a fenced-in side patio that blends with the outdoor space integral to The Main Apartments’ communal grills and fireplaces.

Upon entering, three long tables will be to your left and a few four-tops to your right, near the door to the patio. The bar centers the space, with seating on three sides; the fourth is reserved for the mash tuns, and the fermentation tanks sit along the back wall.

The star, however, just might be what you can’t see unless you look up.

The industrial space was “just a shell” when they began construction in March, but Burd and Cray have been busy since last year on the project. They initially signed the lease in February 2020 but flexibility due to the pandemic pushed the start date to November.

Given the spatial constraints, project manager Christian Truscinski and principal Ben Ferguson of Tacoma-based Ferguson Architecture hatched the idea of pulling the serving tanks off the ground. Now, a red steel support system looks almost like it’s part of the building itself. They were inspired by the brewery’s name, Ferguson told The News Tribune, and Cray’s home-brewing process since the early 2000s: a converted keg system that flows from the top-down.

“When we laid out the number of tanks they wanted,” said Ferguson, “it basically took up half to two-thirds of the space, and it just wasn’t gonna work.”

The brewers, who discovered a similar setup at Mad Mole Brewing in North Carolina, will transfer finished beer from the fermentation tanks to these lifted, glycol-chilled Mueller tanks, holding the liquid inside disposable bladders, akin to boxed wine — a move that cuts down on time and on chemicals required to sanitize between tank fills. It also eliminates the need for kegs.

“These things are cool — let’s hang them above your head,” said Ferguson, adding that they double as a branding element. “When people are driving on Main, these giant tanks are up in the air and people can see them from their cars. It was a challenging problem that ended up in a pretty simple solution. That’s where good design is rooted.”

In addition to Cray’s home-brewing background, Burd, a physical education and health teacher with the Eatonville School District, brings his wine-making knowledge to the fold. Both graduated from a craft brewing course offered at the University of Washington-Tacoma, which provided consulting from Seattle’s Lowercase Brewing.

“We love Sumner,” said Cray, adding they look forward to pioneering a growing “artisan” district on this side of downtown.

The taproom, with room for about 40 people inside and 30 people outside, will be family friendly, an important detail for both brewers — their spouses are teachers, too.

TOP DOWN BREWING

▪ 15355 Main St. E., Sumner, 253-447-8632, topdownbrewing.com

▪ Details: brewery and taproom opening August 20 at 2 p.m., follow Instagram and Facebook for updates

This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 5:00 AM.