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The Cairn Crew!

Rachel Wood • Apr 07, 2023

Get to know our Awesome Team!

These are the folks behind the bar or behind the scenes, pouring pints, brewing beer, and keeping Cairn up and running!




Alex- Beertender


What’s your favorite Cairn Beer?

Pucker Up Sour or Bill’s Pills are my go-to’s year round. However I can’t stay away from the special release of the habanero Cinco Light Lager!


Where is your favorite place (besides the Cairn Taproom) to drink beer? 

My favorite place to drink (besides Cairn, of course) has to be at sporting events. There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere created when passionate sports fans get a couple of cold ones in them. 


Why Beer?

Beer creates culture. Beer has a way of giving us information about society both past and present. Seeing how different styles of beer found their way to Cairn from all around the world helps give us a more global perspective. Today, beer brings people together to enjoy events like trivia nights and pub crawls which help to make this life a little bit more fun. 


What’s your favorite season for beer and why?

Summer is my favorite season for drinking beer. Nothing can top enjoying a beer outside after 9 pm. Whether in a beer garden or on your front porch, late night beers during the summer can’t be beat.


If you weren’t working in the world of beer, where do you think you’d be?

I’d be a mess… just joking.. kind of. 

If I was working outside the world of beer I would be teaching and volunteering with sports, both coaching and through special Olympics. 




Riley- Beertender



What’s your favorite Cairn Beer?
Spruce Hugger! And when it’s gone… Seaplane!

Where is your favorite place (besides the Cairn Taproom) to drink beer?
Around a campfire!

Why Beer?
It’s delicious, it’s simple yet there are endless varieties for everyone, and it always seems to bring the community together. 

What’s your “win the lottery” dream?
Buy a Ski Resort!

Do you have a Secret Superpower?
Teaching middle schoolers science 




Nic- Beertender


What’s your favorite season for beer and why?

I like the change of seasons more than a particular season. Seasonal changes and beer styles that only come around at certain times! 


If you weren’t working in the world of beer, where do you think you’d be? 

Yikes. Probably somewhere warm. Thailand?


What’s your “win the lottery” dream?

50,000 gallon sturgeon aquarium & a crew to care for it. 


Do you have a Secret Superpower?

Ask me for a schooner of beer and give me 5 minutes. Ok it's not a superpower it's just a fluffy beer head. 


Do you have a pet at home?

Yes, I have some snakes. 


Dinosaurs or Dragons?

Dragons! Are you freaking kidding me. Who says dinosaurs. 





Haakon-Beertender



What’s your favorite Cairn Beer?

Double Take all day!!


Why Beer?

Because I’m a teacher


What’s your favorite season for beer and why?

Winter and spring, when my Zags are playing basketball


What do you do in your freetime?

Watch sports, pet my cat, push teenagers in mosh pits 


Do you have a Secret Superpower?

I have witty comebacks for just about everything 


What would be your dream (as elaborate as you want) Halloween costume?

Rachel Wood




Greg- Beertender



What’s your favorite Cairn Beer?

Connie’s English Bitter


Where is your favorite place (besides the Cairn Taproom) to drink beer?

At the end of the trail


What do you do in your freetime?

When I’m not pouring beer I am at school for IT


What’s your “win the lottery” dream?

To own a small tiny home village to support my dog sanctuary.


Dinosaurs or Dragons?

I am fireborn but dinosaurs evolved into chickens and I do love omelets. So dinosaurs


What would be your dream (as elaborate as you want) Halloween costume?

Haakon Standal dressed as Rachel Wood




Carlo- Beertender, Cellarman



What’s your favorite Cairn Beer?

Midnight Hike in the winter, and Golden Anbessa in the summer!


Why Beer?

It’s a fun reason to bring awesome people together.


What’s your favorite season for beer and why?

Probably summer. I think fall is my wine season. I’m going to try and make this winter a whiskey season. Spring will be a mystery.


What do you do in your freetime?

Traveling with my wife Dorothy, TTRPGs, Home-brewing, Tennis, Golf, and my favorite pastime: wishing I wasn’t allergic to everything so that I could one day have pets at home.


Dinosaurs or Dragons?

Dragosaurs.


What would be your dream (as elaborate as you want) Halloween costume?

Greg Sanders dressed as Haakon Standal dressed as Rachel Wood




Rachel- Beertender, Communications



Where is your favorite place (besides the Cairn Taproom) to drink beer?

Outside on a warm, clear sky, night. Next to a campfire, out in a beergarden, or just literally lying in the grass--I want to look at the stars and sip a beer.


What do you do in your freetime?

I love spending time with my friends trying new cocktail bars. I hike as much as I can in the summer (the North Cascades is my favorite place in the world). I've also picked up solo travel recently and really enjoy the comfort of not having to share a king sized bed.


What’s your “win the lottery” dream?

Travel and obviously multiple vacation homes. Spend a week eating pasta in Florence. Pop over to Nippori, Tokyo to go fabric shopping for a weekend.


Dinosaurs or Dragons?

Dragons. From listening to my dad read The Hobbit as a bedtime story, to visiting the Dragon Cave of Enoshima when I lived in Japan--dragons are definitely my favorite mythical beast.


What would be your dream (as elaborate as you want) Halloween costume?

....I'm not sure how to answer this question at this point.




Jen- Owner, Operations Manager


Where is your favorite place (besides the Cairn Taproom) to drink beer? 

In my backyard, around the fire pit, with a fire and my pup Rosie and my husband the brewer.

 

If you weren’t working in the world of beer, where do you think you’d be? 

In an RV, lost somewhere in a national park.

 

What’s your “win the lottery” dream?

Adopt every rescue dog I can find.

 

Dinosaurs or Dragons? 

Dinosaurs, always dinosaurs. Just like my young friend Lucas.

 

What would be your dream (as elaborate as you want) Halloween costume? 

Greedo, not because he’s good looking or because it’s elaborate—I just think it would be cool to be in Mos Eisley’s Cantina.




Bill- Owner, Brewer


Why Beer?

Because beer is always the answer to everything.

 

If you weren’t working in the world of beer, where do you think you’d be? 

In an RV, looking for Jen in a national park.

 

What do you do in your free time? 

I don’t get much free time, but when I do I can usually be found on Xbox, drinking a beer of course. Gamer tag: PaleAle

 

Do you have a secret superpower? 

I can take any process that is going smoothly, proclaim how well it is going, which will then make it start to go horribly wrong.

 

Dinosaurs or Dragons?  

Clearly dragons. They can fly, breath fire, and turn invisible. Dinosaurs no longer exist.




OktoberFOREST 2023: Healthy Forests mean Great Beer

By Rachel Wood • 27 Sep, 2023
Friends of North Creek Forest and Cairn Celebrate OktoberForest

Meet Our Trivia Hosts

By Rachel Wood • 08 Sep, 2023
Get to Know Our Trivia Hosts!

Taster Policy at Cairn Brewing

By Rachel Wood • 13 Jul, 2022
Donations for Samples at Cairn Brewing

OktoberFOREST 2022: Healthy Forests mean Great Beer

By Rachel Wood • 01 Oct, 2021
Friends of North Creek Forest and Cairn Celebrate OktoberForest

KHS's Fun Photo Contest!

By Rachel Wood • 14 Sep, 2021
Cairn Brewing is proud to sponsor the 7th Annual Kenmore Heritage Society's Fun Photo Contest ! The contest runs from September 12-20th, photographers of all ages can enter their shots of our beautiful Northshore home. From the KMH website: You will have 9 days to create photographic entries based on the subject categories. The contest is all about creative interpretation for each category. Prizes will be awarded for the most original, appealing, and creative entry in each of 7 mystery categories. The categories will be revealed at the VIRTUAL kick-off on Sunday, Sept 12th and will also be available on the Kenmore Heritage Society website and Facebook page. Winners will be announced at an awards event at on Sunday, October 17th at 2:00pm. Location to be determined. Prizes are awarded in each category, with a special Kenmore Camera “Best of Show” award which is chosen from all of the first-place winners from each category.

Goodbye Plastic Cups!

By Rachel Wood • 11 May, 2021
We are pleased to announce that we will be reintroducing a few “before times” elements back to the Taproom at Cairn Brewing: Glassware is back! We are still trying to get a feel for the flow of busing stations in the brewery. Please help us out by clearing your own table to the appropriate receptacle (trash, recycle, bus tub) We will resume filling outside growlers. This includes stainless steel growlers as well. We will only fill cleaned and rinsed growlers as normal. You may now open a tab at the bar! We will require a credit card on file to hold the tab , so cardless payments will continue to be pay-as-you-go. Our Beer To-Go fridge is now self service. Grab the cans you would like and bring them up to the register where a beertender will snap them into a can holder for you. This is a step to normal, but still not “all the way” normal. These things will not change : Face masks are still required to be worn when not seated at your table. We are still following WA State guidelines for reopening. Party size at a table can’t be more than 10. For our taproom, we ask that only groups of 6+ move no more than two tables together. Please ask a beertender for help. We will still not be taking cash at this time. Beverages and food need to be consumed at your table. No drinking at the bar, or wandering around the taproom and beer garden while drinking. Things are looking up! A journalist I admire recently wrote in an op-ed that it feels like this point in our “Pandemic Life” is the five minutes before the dismissal bell. We all just need to hold it together for five more metaphorical minutes, and then we'll all enjoy summer break together. Now that’s a reason to Cheers!

Springing in the New

By Rachel Wood • 12 Apr, 2021
Change is in the Air! It’s here. The days are getting longer, the temperatures are climbing, and nature is starting to bloom again. It felt like an endless winter, but folks: we made it! Happy Spring! On the horizon at Cairn Brewing is a return, maybe not to “normal” but at least to a few familiar things. We want to share with you all some of the steps we will be taking in the near future as we continue to open up. First and foremost, the health and safety of our team and customers is our top priority. We will continue to uphold the current regulations and guidelines outlined by Healthy Washington’s reopening plan. We’re all feeling the Covid-fatigue more than ever, but we hope you’ll continue to enjoy your pints at Cairn responsibly and safely. A nd please, just remember your mask. As a team, we have agreed upon a few things that we are going to phase back in around the taproom. Before any of these changes take place, we want our full team to be vaccinated if they choose to do so. When our team is comfortable , here are a few things that will be returning to the Cairn taproom: Glassware - Goodbye plastic! We will be returning to glass pints and mugs! We are also planning to set up self bussing stations for glassware in the taproom and beer garden. Growler fills - Dust off your stainless growlers! We will soon be accepting outside growlers for refill. Thank you for being flexible with our current exchange system. Tabs - You can still choose to be contactless, but we will resume holding open tabs at the bar. Just don’t forget to close out! We are excited to take these steps back towards normal. Thank you always for your continued support and patience. We are a small team and many of the changes we have made over the past year were for our safety as much as yours. Unfortunately, if we’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that the steps toward reopening make an irregular staircase. Sometimes it’s a bit further between strides forward.

Community at Cairn Brewing

By Rachel Wood • 04 Mar, 2021
One of the most important things for our brewery--maybe surpassed only by making great beer--is to support our community. We continue to be incredibly lucky with our extended Cairn family. Even through the utter stress-storm of 2020, you continued to show up for our beer, and to share a bit of your lives with us. In the first few years of Cairn Brewing, we were quick to say “Yes!” hosting community pints nights for a wide range of causes. Through these Pint Nights, we got to know our neighborhood better, but felt like we could do more. In addition to Pint Nights, we decided to expand our outreach for three main causes. We chose to actively support local nonprofits with a priority to human and animal quality of life as well as outdoor recreation and the environment.

For the Love of Beer

By Rachel Wood • 11 Feb, 2021
Looking over our blog posts from this past year, I was surprised to see how very few mention beer. Shocking, considering this is a brewery blog! Let’s kick-off our second year of Cairn blogs with a post dedicated to some of our newer beers on tap (and in cans) this month.

We're Giving 2020 The Big Bird

By Rachel Wood • 30 Nov, 2020
With the heaviness that 2020 has brought to many of our lives this year, we can all use something fun. As a big thanks to our wonderful community for their endless support to Cairn Brewing, we're bringing out a fun-loving beer. The whole Cairn Team invites you to join us while we give 2020 The Big Bird! Join us on Tuesday, December 1st for the release on draft and in cans to-go.
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