Laughing Dog's success brews expansion

PONDERAY — Benjamin Franklin once said “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Fred Colby and Michelle Douglass, owners of Laughing Dog Brewery, would certainly agree.

After all, beer has been very, very good to them.

Not long ago, both Colby and Douglass were thoroughly ingrained in the corporate world, spending their days as dedicated employees of Coldwater Creek. But when the work day ended, Colby moved on to his real passion — tinkering like a mad scientist on his home-brewed beers.

The couple eventually came to the conclusion that their affinity for beer had grown to dwarf their need for corporate security and, in August 2005, they took the plunge into the world of small-business ownership and opened Laughing Dog Brewery.

“It was a big gamble at the time,” Colby said. “It was a huge gamble. We threw everything we had into it, and now we look at it and just go, ‘Wow!’”

The risk paid off, and in less than four years the company has grown into a nationally-respected, awarding-winning brewery that serves more than 10 states on both the East and West coasts.

Laughing Dog is on such a hot streak that it has outgrown its facilities. With their lease ready to expire, Colby and Douglass made the decision to move from their current 4,000-square foot site to a 10,000-square-foot space inside the former Kmart building on U.S. 95.

The move, which Colby said will likely take place in January, will give Laughing Dog the potential to expand annual production from roughly 4,500 barrels of beer to 6,300 barrels.

The production increase is needed to keep pace with demand, but Colby said it will not effect his beer-making process, which relies as much on tender loving care as on high-tech equipment.

“I never want the brewery to go beyond the point where we’re not hand crafting beer any more,” he said. “The day we have to put in a 100 barrel brew house, I no longer want anything to do with it, simply because it’s not a hand-crafted product any more. When you get that big, it’s all automated and you’re just pushing buttons. I like the fact that we still do things by hand here.”

The new location also means a larger tasting room, allowing even more beer aficionados the opportunity to sit down for a pint or two of their favorite brew. Douglass said she also plans on adding dart boards, an outside patio and a high definition golf simulator to the new brewery. And, as always, dogs will be welcome.

One thing the couple will not bring to the new location is a restaurant.

“There are so many other good local establishments that serve food, and we would rather form partnerships with those establishments where they sell our beer with their own food,” Douglass said.

Although it will be much bigger, the company’s tasting room will maintain the laid-back atmosphere customers have grown to love. Their bread and butter has always been hard-core beer enthusiasts, but Colby and Douglass actually based their tap room on a winery, rather than a typical brew pub.

“This winery we would go to, you couldn’t get through the door without someone saying hi to you, and that’s the same here,” he said. “We want a nice, friendly atmosphere here where people feel comfortable.”

Colby and Douglass don’t know what the future holds for Laughing Dog, but their love of beer has not wavered over the years

“I can’t say we won’t ever (try something completely new), but what’s going to make us walk away from this?” Colby said. “We have a passion for this.”

For more information about Laughing Dog, visit www.laughingdogbrewing.com, or stop by the tap room at 55 Emerald Industrial Park Rd.