Get to South Tacoma’s new taproom ASAP for PB&J beer, Skee-Ball and a friendly vibe

The regulars of Scamp Brewing swapped their usual trip down the street Wednesday night for a road-trip to South Tacoma, where, as of July 22, Arthur Cohn has opened his second taproom — roomier than his Auburn flagship.

They drove from as far as Covington for a soft-opening that felt like a reunion, sipping pints of Buzzed Lightyear, one of three hazy IPAs — with refreshingly varied degrees of bitterness — on the debut taplist; a highly quaffable Citra Hefeweizen or perhaps the one imbued with pineapple; and despite the beating sun, a goblet of Exile in Sibeeria with chocolate, coffee and coconut, subtle and balanced even at 9.4 percent alcohol by volume.

The latter garnered double-gold notoriety in SIP Magazine’s 2021 Best of the Northwest awards — high praise for a small brewery pitted against big regional names like Georgetown, Ecliptic and Bale Breaker.

More than a couple of regulars told The News Tribune they began frequenting Scamp — named after Cohn’s mischievous tabby cat — in Auburn for the friendly feel and all-around “great beer,” said Larry Hauser. Favorites include Cohn’s iterations on a singular style: Also on tap in Tacoma, for instance, is a French Toast edition of that imperial stout.

Get there quick for his PB&J tart ale, which — made with fresh blackberry, marionberry and raspberry — is cumbersome to brew and thus limited in availability. Dabble also in the Demon Puppy, an IPA honoring the owner’s dog Lacey, a chocolate lab and corgi mix who “was a terror for her first six years or so — she had a smile when she was acting up that made her look like the Joker,” he said.

“My tap list will change a lot,” continued Cohn, who has been brewing for about 12 years. “About half of them will be mainstays, and the others will rotate through whatever I’m thinking at the time.”

He has already taken to calling the Auburn location “Scamp North” and the Tacoma spot “Scamp South” so as to not confuse his loyal following of beer drinkers.

Located through the rounded, white brick entryway of 5419 South Tacoma Way, Scamp’s Tacoma taproom replaces the fleeting Main Ingredient Pizzeria. Locals might recognize it as one-half of the long-gone Stonegate Pizza, whose signage has finally been removed from the top of the neighboring space — soon home to Howdy Bagel. Above them, Discovery Cider Co. offers another refuge for fermented liquid gold.

Filled with natural light complemented by high ceilings and emerald green walls, the space is as laid-back as they come, with Skee-Ball in the corner and a shuffleboard table on the way. About 15 bar stools join a handful of tables, prepped for friendly gatherings or solitary moments for work or reading. Framed historical images on the two long walls show scenes of Tacoma, local beer production and Prohibition-era “WE WANT BEER” memories.

Cohn will split his time between the two taprooms, with the help of his father, Jim Cohn, who helps manage the Auburn shop and convinces bars around the region to add a Scamp handle to their drafts.

“Fortunately Arthur makes really good beer,” said Jim Cohn, who worked for decades in record distribution. Focused on kegs, their brews have landed at bars including The Red Hot, Rainier Growlers and Flatstick Pub.

A five-minute walk east on 56th Street, Edison City Alehouse has also been a Scamp supporter. Co-owners Michael Gruber and Sausha Carey, who bought the 7-year-old beer bar last December, are happy to see the beer scene growing in this neighborhood.

“There are some amazing bars and restaurants here, so it’s exciting to have the craft beer industry plant another flag next to ours and continue to bring a fresh feel to South Tacoma,” said Gruber, noting nearby Gig Harbor Brewing Co., serving around the bend of South Tacoma Way.

“It’s such a great beer community,” said Cohn, adding that Scamp definitely targeted Tacoma in its distribution. “I come here to drink beer a lot, too.”

He also plans to keep a few guest beers on tap, starting with Chuckanut’s great Kolsch, Lost Woods’ Long Walker amber and Incline’s marionberry cider. In bottles and cans are more local options, including Cockrell Cider from Puyallup and San Juan Seltzer.

SCAMP BREWING TACOMA TAPROOM

▪ 5419 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, scampbrewing.com

▪ Hours to start: Wednesday-Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 3-10 p.m., Saturday 2-10 p.m., Sunday 1-8 p.m.

▪ Details: taproom with a dozen handles, plus cider and wine; snacks available with plans for regular food trucks; 21+

▪ Enter on STW or through the back door if parking in the lot off 54th Street

SCAMP BREWING CO. - AUBURN

▪ 402 16th St. NE, Auburn, facebook.com

▪ Wednesday-Thursday 3-8 p.m., Friday 3-9 p.m., Saturday 1-8 p.m., Sunday 1-7 p.m.

▪ Details: brewery and taproom, minors permitted

This story was originally published July 23, 2022 at 5:00 AM.