A place to meet: Neighbor Dudes offers 31 brews on tap

By Kristine Thomas

An appreciation for craft beer is what inspired several friends to start Neighbor Dudes, General Manager Chris Irving said.

“The idea came about in the past year when two of the guys who have farms about 100 acres apart joked about being neighborhood dudes going to get a beer together after work,” Irving said. “We are guys who really enjoy having a beer together.”

Add to that all the craft breweries who aren’t found at the local grocery store and the business partners agreed starting their own taproom would be a great way for other beer connoisseurs to be able to try new beer styles.

The business partners opened the first Neighbor Dudes in Hermiston and opened the Silverton taproom at 701 McClaine St. in April.

“We want to be a place where people can come and enjoy a beer they won’t find at a grocery store,” Irving said. “There are a lot of different microbrews out there and we want to be able to offer them a place to have their beer served.”

With Seven Brides and the Gallon House, Irving said Silverton is a hub where beer is prime. Each place offers a different experience for the customer with Seven Brides being a brewery and Gallon House and Neighbor Dudes being taprooms.

With 31 taps at Neighbor Dudes, Irving said the menu changes several times a month.

“Beer drinking is simple, but the choices are where the fun is for people,” Irving said. “Four people can drink the same beer and have different opinions about it. We want to encourage people to come here and talk about beer or what’s happening in the world.”

Irving said Neighbor Dudes is also a place where people can fill a growler, although he estimates that is 30 percent of the business. Although it does not serve food, Irving said people can get food from a local restaurant or sandwiches from the grocery store and bring them to the restaurant.

Irving said Neighbor Dudes is also a place where people can have a growler – 32 ounce container – filled from a tap. He estimates that is about 30 percent of the business.

Although it does not serve food, Irving said people can get food from a local restaurant or sandwiches from the grocery store and bring them to the restaurant.

The focus of Neighbor Dudes is introducing beer enthusiasts to the great things happening in the brewery world, Irving said.

“There are a lot of small breweries that are brewing in their garages,” he said. “If it’s good beer, we will consider selling it.”

By keeping the taps rotating and creating a relaxing environment, Irving said Neighbor Dude’s business goal is fairly simple.

“We want Neighbor Dudes to be a place where people meet, enjoy a good beer and good conversation,” he said. “This is more than a place for a good beer. It’s a place to remind people that there is more to life than the hustle and bustle and go, go, go.”

Neighbor Dudes is the place where at the end of the day, you meet the people who matter.

“This is a place where you take the time to appreciate the good things going on around us,” he said.