Growlerz hosting final hurrah

Growlerz was taking a back seat to Rockwell’s main enterprise of selling real estate. “I’m finding that I just don’t have time to keep it going the way it deserves,” said Rockwell. “I would love to sell it, to the right person.”

The logistics of running the business were also a factor when deciding to close, Rockwell noted. “Right now we’re just open Wednesday through Saturday 5-10, which is not long enough to make business work financially,” Rockwell explained.

Two years ago the space Growlerz occupies was opening up after a previous wine tasting room closed.

“I liked music and good beer, and when the place became available I popped in and the idea of opening a food bar kept culminating in my brain,” Rockwell explained.

Growlerz catered to locals in Bingen, White Salmon, and the greater Columbia River Gorge area, with 12 rotating taps, including one hard cider and Kombucha. The spot hosted open mic nights on Wednesdays, and live music by local musicians Thursday and Friday.

For now, Rockwell plans on trying to sell the business, which he considers a “cultural center of Bingen.”

The bar is “starting to bar down for now,” Rockwell explained. “I’m going to try and sell for a little bit, then I will sell parts and fixtures if can’t sell the business.” Rockwell estimates the bar containing around $12,000 worth of gear.

The Growlerz name came to him in a round-about sort of way. “When I started it, I was going to call it the filling station,” said Rockwell. “Growler filling stations were a hot item, so I was following that trend. But now everybody sells growlers.” The name stuck with the growing popularity of growlers.

Locals arrived earlier for the final musical performance Growlerz would host under Rockwell’s ownership, and took in the sight of price tag-sticky notes posted to various items throughout the venue.

The bar hosted Eddie and the Lighters for the last time, to celebrate the ending of an era.