Black Fleet Brewing is Serving Local History on Tap

[8/22/22] In the heart of Tacoma's historic Brewery District, brave seafarers with a taste for adventure can find the chance the travel back in time. On their journey, they can expect to encounter fearsome pirates, a kraken or two, and some of Tacoma's most delicious brews.

Black Fleet Brewing is a family-owned taproom and kitchen that opened in 2018. Since opening, they have been serving up some of the most exciting local brews in the South Sound. Just this month, they won the People's Choice Award at Tacoma's Brew Five Three annual beer festival for the second year in a row! 

The Black Fleet Brewing team with their two Brew Five Three People's Choice Awards.

But award-winning brews are not all they have to offer. Black Fleet's business team is just as interested in offering guests a journey into local history as a cold pint of beer. The name Black Fleet Brewing was inspired by an infamous French pirate, Jeanne de Clisson  (aka the Lioness of Brittany) who was active in the English Channel in the 1300s. The owners of Black Fleet Brewing drew a connection between this fierce woman of maritime history and a more local legendary woman who made a mark on the South Sound's waterways, Thea Foss. Visitors to the taproom can try a glass of "Thea's Legacy," an ale that pays tribute to Foss herself. The owners felt these homages to powerful and tough women of seafaring history fit perfectly with Tacoma's own reputation for toughness and a little bit of grit. Head Brewer Kyle Maxwell believes these stories and the theme of the Black Fleet fit into a larger narrative of the city: that anyone, regardless of race, gender, status, or otherwise, can make it in Tacoma with enough hard work. 

Laura Byce, one of the founders of Black Fleet Brewing, is always excited to give a history lesson to guests over a pint or two. She, alongside the rest of her family team, sees sharing Tacoma's history as part of the brewery's mission. Not only is Black Fleet's namesake tied to history, but the very building that houses the brewery and taproom is part of history itself. The warehouse building in which Black Fleet Brewing resides was built in the early 20th century and has been part of Tacoma's historic Brewery District ever since. When the founders of Black Fleet moved in and began to renovate for business, they were surprised to find a woman's shoe from decades prior tucked inside the roof. After research, they discovered this shoe was put there by the structure's original builders for good luck, a practice that was common in European culture at the time. The owners decided to leave it where they found it, and observant visitors to the taproom can look up to find the old boot displayed above them. ​

The concealed shoe guests can spot in the roof.

This historical gem is just one of many stories and facts the Black Fleet team is happy to share with their customers. In addition to local history, the owners and staff are passionate about representing the best of Tacoma and sharing it with others. Whether you're looking for a local hike or downtown entertainment, the Black Fleet team will have something to recommend. They say that, in a way, they see themselves as ambassadors of Tacoma who get to help people learn to love what's so great about their city. 

Another passion the team at Black Fleet Brewing has is making local business connections. As a business that opened shortly before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to be creative and think on their feet to make things work. When restaurants and bars had to stay closed for months at a time, Black Fleet continued to brew and sell to customers. Through participating in Tacoma Farmers' Markets, they were able to keep doing what they loved and spread the word about their business to the community. To this day, even though their doors have reopened, Black Fleet continues to be part of the Tacoma Farmers' Market and use it as a chance to make great business connections. 

Partnering with other local businesses is an important part of Black Fleet's model. From the barley and hops that they use to make their beer to the hot sauce on the tables, they love to source locally at every opportunity. Even the barley, once it is done being used to make beer, is given to local farmers for their cows to eat. And these partnerships don't stop with just ingredients. Black Fleet teams up with local businesses like Dazed and ReUsed, an art studio in Auburn, to bring art and craft workshops to the taproom. They are always looking for new opportunities to bring classes, activities, and events to the brewery. 

Laura Byce says that Black Fleet Brewery joined the Chamber to stay connected and learn about what's going on in the local business community. They are also always interested in finding more partners to bring on board the Black Fleet. If you run a local business and are interested in teaming up with this fearsome crew, you can email them at [email protected]. 

The Chamber is excited to have Black Fleet Brewing as one of our members and we can't wait to see what's on tap for them next. 

This Member Feature story is part of a series by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber to promote stronger connections and increased engagement between the Chamber, its members, and the local business community. Member stories are non-promotional opportunities to share members' business stories with the community. If you are a Chamber member interested in being featured for a story, please contact Digital Marketing Outreach Coordinator Audrey Widner at [email protected]