POULSBO—Last month, it was officially certified that some of the best beer in the world was made in Poulsbo. Valholl Brewing brought home a silver medal from the 2025 World Beer Cup in the American-Style Stout category for its Thunderbolt Imperial Stout. The brewery wrote in with a press release about the award from the most prestigious beer competition in the world. The event was established by the Brewers Association in 1996. This year, 265 judges from nearly 40 countries evaluated more than 8,000 entries from breweries around the world, with awards given in more than 100 style categories. Valholl co-owner and brewmaster Don Spencer, quoted in the press release, has brought home multiple World Beer Cup awards spanning his decades-long and decorated career. Another one of his recipes brought home gold this year via Silver City’s Ridgetop Red. But this time around, we had the pleasure of sharing the toast with Valholl’s head brewer Nate Friend, the brewer who was at the helm of the brewhouse for this year’s batch of award-winning stout. In addition to his head brewer duties, Nate also tends bar and spins records at the brewery for their Monday Vinyl Nights. After tasting and talking about the intense, black and roast-y silver medal stout, Nate let us know that the Bremerton record shop Bigfoot’s House of Vinyl will be hosting its first-ever Pop-Up shop at the Valholl Vinyl Night from 4-8 p.m. June 9. In other news at the brewery last month, Valholl also officially changed the name of one of its original flagship beers Brew Bitch IPA to the Poulsbo Viking IPA. Find more Valholl at their poulsbo taproom and online at valhollbrewing.com
BREMERTON—The Save Enetai group—an East Bremerton neighborhood coalition which has been opposing a massive housing development on what they contend should be a protected plot of shoreline adjacent land between Manette and Illahee State Park—wrote in with news in their monthly newsletter that a proposal submitted to amend portions of Enetai into the Illahee Community Plan had been accepted. A community meeting on the matter is planned with State Rep Greg Nance at 3 p.m. June 27 at the Unitarian Fellowship in Bremerton. The Illahee Community Plan was a definitive force in the creation of the Illahee Preserve in the early 2000s, protecting hundreds of forested acres bordered by the Wheaton Way and Highway 303 commercial thoroughfares. In related Illahee news, the project of renovating and repairing the historic Illahee dock is now under construction. And in related Enetai news, a $4.3M salmon recovery grant for Enetai shoreline protection is pending in the 2026 state budget and word has it that the Great Peninsula Conservancy is working towards obtaining the 65-acre estate that is targeted for development. Find more from the conservation group efforts at a new website: Illahee-EnetaiCommunity.org
ALSO BREMERTON—The anticipated new Zen Ramen & Sushi Burrito restaurant opened in the old Hi-Lo’s building in West Bremerton last month. Zen Ramen is a small national franchise chain that began in 2017 in Clemson, South Carolina and has grown to include three locations in Washington and two locations in Georgia in addition to two in South Carolina. In related cuisinews, Umami Kitchen, a Japanese/Korean sushi restaurant across from the ferry dock in downtown Bremerton, recently reopened after years of renovation following many months of closure and restoration after a kitchen fire.
IN OTHER NEWS—The Kitsap Paintball Park, which was shuttered due to the Royal Valley housing development off Highway 303 near Central Valley Road, has found a new space near Camp Wesley Harris in Seabeck. The group started spreading the word late last month, sharing progress photos of the new park layout on its facebook page. MEANWHILE… After breaking ground in April, construction is underway at the Strawberry Hill Bike Park on Bainbridge, the island’s first-ever dedicated bike park. The plan includes 1.5 miles of wooded trails, berms and jumps with areas for bikers of all skill levels over eight acres. PLUS… Go Skate Day, a global event celebrated each year, is coming up in June.. Port Orchard’s Unity Skateshop is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and will celebrate at its annual Go Skate Day event with free BBQ, free live punk rock and hours of skating from 12-5 p.m. June 22 at the Port Orchard Skate Park. <3smokestack
