Snohomish legend Sound2Summit brings brews and views to Port of Everett

EVERETT — Sound2Summit’s newest home leans more (Puget) Sound than summit, but it’s got a great view of both.

The Snohomish brewery’s second location on the Everett waterfront not only gives Sound2Summit a foothold in a burgeoning dining and drinking scene, it gives beer drinkers another welcoming spot to tip a pint just shouting distance from Port Gardner.

“We really wanted to connect the brewery to the waterfront and water,” said Doug Milnor, Sound2Summit co-owner. “We’re excited to be down here and part of this community.”

The Port of Everett is equally ecstatic. Looking for an established brewery to anchor its waterfront rejuvenation project, the Port reached out to Milnor to test the waters. He was convinced the first time he visited the proposed location across from the Inn at Port Gardner.

“My first visit here, I knew this would be a perfect spot,” said Milnor. “It just made the most logical sense from an economics of scale point of view. It was a good time for us to make a move and this was a great location.”

The Port, meanwhile, is happy to welcome another great Snohomish County brewery to the waterfront – Scuttlebutt has been pouring beer on the waterfront since 1996, just up the boardwalk at Waterfront Place.

“We couldn’t be happier to have Sound2Summit officially open their doors and add to the growing list of destination experiences – and taps – here at Waterfront Place,” said Port of Everett CEO Lisa Lefeber. “Watching their space instantly transform into a place people come to gather with friends and family is a testament to the vision unfolding here. We thank them for their belief and investment in the waterfront that helped make this a reality.”

Sound2Summit’s new building boasts an open floor plan, a giant wooden bar, a kitchen with an industrial-size wood-fired pizza oven and an expansive patio. Ropes, vintage brass light fixtures and a giant anchor on the patio connect the brewery to its surroundings.

“We did a bunch of research on other waterfront breweries,” said Milnor, who mentioned visits to iconic Northwest waterfront taprooms such as Pelican Brewing and Gig Harbor Brewing.

The 21-foot-long wood bar has a cool story, as well. The beautifully carved piece of hemlock is a sister piece to the one that serves as Scuttlebutt’s bar top at its brewery and taproom just down the street.

It’s another connection between the two breweries, which have also partnered on an award-winning authentic hefeweizen, Bridging the Trestle, over the past couple of years.

“Scuttlebutt has been really welcoming,” said Milnor, adding that the owners of At Large Brewing, just south of the new taproom on West Marine View Drive, have also reached out and welcomed Sound2Summit to the neighborhood. “In fact, they’ve let us use some fridge space during our transition.”

Sound2Summit opened in Snohomish as the town’s first brewery and taproom nearly a decade ago. Over time, they cultivated a strong following and became the flagship hub of an exploding beer scene thanks to their award-winning beer and welcoming atmosphere.

It’s been a circuitous route for Sound2Summit. In 2018, original owners John and Stacey Sype sold to crosstown rival Lost Canoe Brewing. Weighed down by running competing breweries just a few miles from each other — plus the pandemic — Lost Canoe had to sell in 2021.

Milnor purchased the brewery during the pandemic with hopes of taking it to the next level. After a branding refresh, Milnor set his sights on a second location so the brewery could grow. He plans to go from producing 500 barrels annually to more than 2,000.

In late 2021, the longtime Snohomish brewery decided to make the move west and begin construction on a new building. The plan was to make a taproom-only space and keep the Snohomish location open as a taproom and brewhouse. Milnor said staff will be dedicated to each space with some crossover and that head brewer Adam Frantz will continue to do all the brewing in Snohomish.

Longtime local chef Shawn Klaus, formerly of Cunios in Clearview, will head the kitchen, allowing Milnor and Frantz to focus solely on the beer. The menu includes pizzas, grinders, flatbreads, wings, salads and more.

Sound2Summit Everett

1070 W. Marine View Drive, Everett; 425-374-8344. Open noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, go to sound2summit.com/everett-taproom.