PORT TOWNSEND — Upon entering the newly opened Water Street Brewing and Ale House, the tangy-sweet smell of hops and barley is hard to miss.
The scent is another Skip Madsen masterpiece bubbling away in back, where most of the pub’s beer is made in 100-gallon batches.
Just 15 days since opening, Madsen is hard at work on his 15th batch.
Madsen and his business partners, Nina Law and Mark Burr, sat at a small table in their business at 639 Water St. on a rainy afternoon to talk about their company.
Madsen and Burr sipped a golden-colored house ale as Law occasionally jumped up to wait on customers.
Patrons used to Maxwell’s Brewery and Pub, which previously occupied the spot, will find an entirely new ambiance.
Some regulars are reporting that the Water Street feel is more like the old Town Tavern, which was made famous in the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman,” Law said.