Drink beer with the pup at this old bank, now a taproom with waterfront views

Hal Haase was perhaps one of the first-ever subscribers to a craft beer of the month club. He has been drinking microbrews since the ‘90s when the nascent industry led befuddled friends to ask him, “You joined what?!”

Nearly 30 years later, he has semi-retired from a long career in mortgage lending to open The Beer Vault with his wife Ronda, who continues her work in real estate.

The couple gutted a former Key Bank branch at 14004 Purdy Dr., steps from the Purdy Bridge, revealing original wooden ceiling beams and steel supports. A local who makes live-edge wood furniture in his spare time provided cool bar tops with unique shimmering epoxy.

The vault no longer holds bills but beer — also a valuable asset. You can still see the thick walls in the doorway, though the Haases hauled away the original 2,600-pound vault door because it was untenable to have that thing in the way of kicking the next keg into gear.

In homage to its former self, the new, lighter metal door to the keg room and walk-in cooler was affixed with the original three-spoke handle. The taproom’s black-and-white logo also references the building’s roots.

They put the money from selling that hefty door and some of the leftover safety-deposit boxes back into the business, they said, a journey that began a few years ago while visiting a Sonoma winery run by a retired couple.

It’s one way, said Ronda Haase, of “finding a way to enjoy things that you enjoy,” and they are a sociable pair.

When the initial plan to open a microbrewery fell through, the family embraced the opportunity to provide an easygoing hangout in a growing community. Outside of taprooms in dowtown Gig Harbor — 7 Seas, Gig Harbor Brewing, Hop Pharm (also, incidentally, housed in a former Key Bank branch) — there is little of the sort farther north, they noted.

Since opening Jan. 7, Hal Haase’s taplists have reached beyond the standard local appeals and into a dozen drafts “you won’t necessarily find” in Western Washington.

“There are great Washington beers, and we have some,” he said. “I’m trying to find good beer from outside the area.”

In the first few weeks, they have included brews from Uinta in Utah, Melvin from Wyoming, Oskar Blues in Colorado and Bear Republic in California.

“I wanted to make sure that I put everything on tap that I loved,” he said, with several IPAs at any given time and a mix of other styles: brown ales, pilsners, stouts and porters.

A small selection of wine by the glass and bottle, including minis of prosecco — “We serve mimosas on Sunday!” said Haase — as well as San Jan seltzer and a few regional ciders add a little something for everyone. They are also striving to include nonalcoholic options, currently offering cans from Athletic Brewing out of Massachusetts, considered to be one of the best such options on the market.

Two sizable televisions with surround sound means it’s a fine choice for the big game. Come summer, pending permits, a beer garden will take over the former bank drive-thru and roll-up garage doors facing the spit will offer waterfront views.

Though they don’t serve food, they hope to partner with food trucks (newcomer Harbor Haute Dogs has set up shop in the parking lot a few Saturdays already), and they encourage guests to order takeout from nearby eateries such as Dexter’s Drive-In and Massimo’s Italian Grill.

The Beer Vault is their first bar, and their first joint venture as a couple. Neighbors have offered whatever skills or advice they can lend, they said, and their family has stepped up in unexpected ways.

Drop by and you’re likely to meet their daughters Jori and Hilari, whose husbands Elliott and Cameron, respectively, both assist as well. Hilari has spearheaded design and marketing, while Cameron has tackled all things social media.

“I didn’t know the kids would be so excited about coming down here,” laughed Hal Haase. Added Ronda, “It’s a family-run business, really.” They all bring ideas to the table, and “it’s always ‘we,’” she said.

Hal and Ronda Haase raised their three children here and still live five minutes down the road. Incidentally, this particular Key Bank was often Hal Haase’s final stop on his route during his mortgage days.

Perhaps serendipitous, then, that in the process of moving the leftover safety deposit boxes from the vault, they found a $50 bill.

THE BEER VAULT - GIG HARBOR

▪ 14004 Purdy Dr. NW, Gig Harbor, 98332, 253-514-8426, thebeervault.net

▪ Open at 3 p.m. Thursday-Friday and noon Saturday-Sunday

▪ Details: laid-back bar with 12 taps and waterfront views near Purdy Bridge; dog-friendly!

This story was originally published February 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM.