As a parent, you are always afraid of what the “terrible twos” might bring with your child. Will I survive that year? In great contrast, Pint Nine Brewing Company is turning two and it’s a terrific thing! It has been incredible to see what Pint Nine has accomplished in these first two years. I think they are just starting to hit their stride in the craft beer scene in Nebraska.

I remember when Pint Nine Brewing first opened in June of 2017. I was with some friends and so excited to see that there were two breweries on Portal Road in La Vista, Nebraska! That night when we walked into the taproom, there was a vibe of a place to come hangout, have a beer, and enjoy a conversation with a friend.

The opening showcased four beers on tap that included their IPA, Pale Ale, Session Red Ale, and the Pink Peppercorn Wit. My first was the IPA and is still a favorite of mine! Others in the group had the Pint Nine Red.

It is hard to believe all of the different beers that have come out since Pint Nine Brewing has opened! In order to appreciate the current state of the brewery, you must look into the past to see how Pint Nine came into existence.

In 2005, James (Jimi) Watson one of the owners of Pint Nine Brewing, got a Mr. Beer kit. After making the beer in the kit, Jimi said, “I now know what I want to do when I grow up.” It is funny because when I got my Mr. Beer kit and made the beer, my response was completely different, but I digress.

At the time, Jimi was in the tile business. Jimi and Lea decided that if Jimi was going to make a career change, it was important to get the best training available. The program that was the most enticing was the one at UC Davis. UC Davis offered a very intense curriculum including both a Professional and a Master Brewers program. The Master Brewers certification is the one that Jimi was after. The alumni from this program includes brewers at breweries such as: Deschutes Brewery, Lagunitas Brewing Co., Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., and many others. Jimi started this program in January of 2009.

One of the requirements to graduate was to do an internship at a brewery. Jimi decided that the best way to meet people in the industry was to attend the Craft Beer Conference (CBC). At the conference, he met Mike Hall who was the head brewer at Upstream Brewing in Omaha, Nebraska. Jimi would not only get the internship but in time would go onto being the Head Brewer at both Upstream Brewing locations in Omaha.

The great experience at Upstream Brewing coupled with brewing at Empyrean Brewing Co for three years (2010 - 2013) was all the spark that Jimi needed to want to have his own brewery!

Jimi said that he will always have such fond memories of his days at Upstream Brewing where he got to brew with great people like Dallas Archer and Denny Hynek. About a year ago at this time, I had an incredible time interviewing Denny and his wife Tammy in this blog - Pouring the Perfect Pint.

Denny and Jimi soon realized that together their brewing passion could make an incredible team. Lots of work on business plans and finding the right location would come to fruition in June of 2017!

The interesting thing about being a spectator in the craft beer industry is watching how a brewery evolves. From the beginning, I have seen Pint Nine Brewing as more of a traditional craft beer brewery. What I mean by that, is they approach the core styles like IPAs, stouts, porters, etc. by bringing recipes that will truly showcase the flavor profile of that particular style of beer.

Every beer style that they bring into the taproom and market is developed not only to be taking a tap handle but to be one of the best you have ever had. I have to admit until last fall, I wasn’t really into German beers all that much. My opinion of them quickly changed after having the Kolsch at Pint Nine Brewing. There was something about how the malt flavor of this beer had a soft presence that intrigued you not only from the first sip but until the last drink from your pint glass!

The beauty of what Pint Nine Brewing does when they bring out beers in a different style, is that they don’t go to the extreme. For example, they don’t look to create an IPA that is over the top in IBUs or to create an intensely sour beer.

The Gose style which is a style going back to the 13th century to me is a more difficult style to produce than a straight sour beer. Pint Nine Brewing has created two, one with kiwi fruit and one with aronia berries. The success in the taproom with these two beers was overwhelming!

I asked the question, “Over the past two years, which beer was the biggest surprise for Pint Nine?”

Jimi replied, “Oso Cafe. We brought it out as a seasonal beer in the winter of 2018 and its popularity grew very fast. Matter of fact, it was our taproom patrons, bars, and restaurants that told us we had to keep this one all year around.”

Oso Cafe for me was the first coffee, brown ale that I have ever had. I remember when it first came out and some people were calling it a stout because everyone is always used to associating coffee beers as stouts. The brown ale accentuates the hazelnut coffee flavor whereas a stout would tend to hide it. This is a brilliant recipe!

After your original beers, it has been fun to see some of the names that have come out like:

• Oso Cafe

• Frank Sumatra

• OJ’s Bronco

• Fuzzy Britches

• Sawed Off Brown

Are the names difficult to come up with?

Jimi’s wife Lea answered by saying, “Oso Cafe translates to brown bear which has been our oldest son Mile’s nickname growing up. So this one has a special meaning to us.”

That is really cool!

Jimi said, “Not all names come out right away, especially when you like them to be unique.”

No doubt there are so many breweries and beers that I can imagine how difficult it is to come up with a name that hasn’t been used.

I was intrigued by the name Sawed Off Brown, especially what the Sawed Off meant. Its reference is about cutting off the barrel aging at the right time to give the beer the flavor of the barrel without making the ABV too high. I don’t believe I know any other brewery doing this!

OJ’s Bronco is another very interesting name for a beer. I remember the night it was released. I went into the taproom to try it. I had never had a milkshake IPA before. Orange in color with a nice citrus flavor that was so smooth from the addition of lactose into this beer.

That night was also fun because I met four people from Denver at the taproom. I always have a good time offering beer recommendations. They really enjoyed all the beers that they tried that night. Love to see people from other major craft beer cities like what is going on in Omaha!

Pint Nine Brewing has become a great gathering place in the community. Lea does a fantastic job with events at the brewery. I would say my favorite is the Pints for a Purpose Wednesdays. Each month there is a different charity and Pint Nine donates a percentage of sales from each Wednesday to the named charity.

Another great thing is Pint Nine’s Mug Club. Seeing members coming in and having their own numbered mug is pretty special. It makes you feel as welcomed as well - Norm from Cheers!

The camaraderie of this group is fun to see. I didn’t understand how popular it was until the second year came around and how many people wanted to become a mug club member. Lucky for me, I got in on being a virtual one. I still got the t-shirt and get to attend the parties!

Walking into the taproom you will see a chalk board. This is not your ordinary average board. In fact, I can wait to see my name on the Pint it Forward board for the first time. I know that will make my day! I imagine that is how most people also feel. This is such a great idea. I have done this a couple of times now for friends and I have a lot of fun being on the giving side! The board seems to always be full, which is awesome!

Pint Nine Brewing is definitely a great community space to meetup with friends. I know I have had a couple of groups meet with me in the taproom and really enjoyed it. I like the setup with the long table. It feels like a large family gathering for a meal or celebration.

Even if you come in by yourself, there is no doubt that you will find another patron or barkeeper to have a wonderful conversation with. Pint Nine’s staff is always very friendly and knowledgeable about the beers that they are serving.

I wish Pint Nine Brewing the best for the future. It is great having them in the Nebraska craft beer community. Looking forward to what comes next! I would imagine it won’t be long before we see more of their beers in grocery stores and maybe in the form of a six pack.

Make plans to come out and visit Pint Nine Brewing.

Let them know that turning two isn’t terrible, it is two-rific!

Cheers!