The owners of Ice Harbor Brewing Co. in Kennewick have tapped into a business partnership that has lasted longer than many marriages. 

And to recap their almost 30-year relationship would be lengthy.

Neither Mike Hall nor Bill Jaquish ever pictured themselves being involved in the beer and hospitality industry for as long as they have.

Yet here the two owners are, closing in on three decades together as the founders of a brewery that regularly produces award-winning beer that draws legions of fans.

When it comes to Tri-Cities beer, Hall and Jaquish are the old-school legends in this region. 

And they continue to be recognized for their success. 

In late March, Hall and Jaquish were named the Tri-Cities Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Business of the Year for their growth and financial success, community involvement, long-term sustainability and innovation.

“We were both were surprised,” said Hall, as the pair chuckled.

But it should come as no surprise. They’ve worked hard to get where they are today.

Regional chamber contest judges described Ice Harbor as not just a brewery but a cornerstone of the Tri-Cities’ identity: “As one of the region’s original craft breweries, Ice Harbor has continually adapted and grown while staying deeply committed to local jobs, hospitality and community connection. Their presence strengthens the vibrancy of our waterfront and downtown, and their story exemplifies what it means to build a lasting business in the Tri-Cities.”

The beer

Ice Harbor’s draw is the beer. It always has been.

For 15 consecutive years, it’s been named the Tri-Cities’ best brewery in a public poll.

Its beers are sold in basically every grocery store in the region, as well as at some restaurants.

In the most recent Washington Beer awards, Ice Harbor won gold for its Fresh Hop IPA.

The awards have always rolled in.

Hall says the list of awards over the many years exceeds 10 full pages. Many are favorites among the loyal locals.

“For 25 years, the Tangerine Hefeweizen has been the No. 1 seller in stores. It’s on tap everywhere,” Hall said. “Draft-wise, though, the newer Dust Cloud IPA has taken over as the top seller in the pub and restaurant. It’s taken over as top dog on premise here.” 

The long journey

Hall’s and Jaquish’s love of beer brought them together – and it’s kept them together.

Both men worked out at the Hanford area and met in the 1990s as part of the Mid-Columbia Zymurgy Association, a group of regional beer fanatics who brewed their own product. Hall was one of the club’s founders in 1989.

“Mike and I met and started the idea of having a business,” Jaquish said. “We went to two business development classes at Columbia Basin College — one was a feasibility study. The other was to develop a business plan.”

That was in 1996.

Dave Meheen launched what may have been Pasco’s first local microbrewery in 1995, producing Meheen & Collins beer. He also ran a bottling business that began drawing national attention, Meheen had less time to focus on brewing and turned to Hall and Jaquish to produce beer for him to bottle.

As the bottling side of the business continued to grow, Meheen stepped away from brewing altogether, and Hall and Jaquish bought the microbrewery in October 1996.

With the help of a CBC marketing class survey, the duo looked over five different potential names for the new business before selecting Ice Harbor Brewery.

Hall quit his Hanford job in January 1997, while Jaquish stayed with his Hanford engineering position, up until a few years ago.

Growth had the brewery bursting at the seams of the small building near the Pasco Farmers Market over the next few years.

“Luckily, we found a building in 2004,” Jaquish said, referring to the old grain agricultural building at 206 N. Benton St. near the railroad tracks in downtown Kennewick.

They started construction in April and opened in June because they added a small kitchen. “We thought we’d sell a little food,” Jaquish said.

Built in the 1930s, the building back then was worn out. They had options to buy it, but said it was too expensive.

“It changed owners a few times, and each time a new owner came in, the rent kept going up,” Jaquish said. “It got to point where maintenance costs were prohibitive. And we needed more room for everything.”

Brewing in the black

The owners said that in 2006, for the first time, they finished financially in the black. But instead of enjoying the fruits of their labor, they dived in even deeper.

The city of Kennewick said the Port of Kennewick was opening a new building on Clover Island at 350 N. Clover Island Drive, and they asked Hall and Jaquish if they wanted to open a restaurant there.

“They were anxious to have people be on island,” Jaquish said. “After talking around with some people, we agreed to put the restaurant (Ice Harbor at the Marina) in there in 2007. There was no room for brewing operations. It needed a bar and a kitchen.”

They both thought they’d get a lot of support from their regulars, but it turns out, they were different places and vibes.

“The environments were different,” said Jaquish. “The menus were different. They supported a different clientele. It was a real learning experience. We thought we’d get a lot of people from Kennewick and Pasco to go there. What we got was a lot of people from Richland. It was a real eye opener.”

Still, by February 2009, they were again in the black.

Yet rising costs at the main brewery were becoming a problem. 

They looked at options at Southridge and the outlet mall in Pasco.

Before they could make a move, the pandemic hit in 2020. Still, they fought through it.

“We survived that because our many customers supported us,” Jaquish said. “We were selling a lot of to-go beer. We had federal money support. Without that, we’d never survive. But it was the people who came up and bought a case of beer to go. Our guys would come outside with masks on and deliver it to them. Then they’d go out and buy a bag of burgers.”

The duo had just about given up on finding a new place for the pub. Their lease was about to expire, and they didn’t want to re-sign another 5- or 10-year lease. There was talk of just shutting it all down.

Then in stepped realtor and investor Corey Bitton, who had recently bought the old Welch’s building on 10 E. Bruneau Ave. just a few blocks away.

“Corey walks over one day and says he’s got this place with some room,” said Jaquish, who told him they weren’t interested. “But our brewmaster, Russ Corey, said we ought to go look at it.”

The place needed a lot of work. It was 14,000 square feet, almost double what they currently had. But Hall and Jaquish started laying things out.

“Then we started rounding up money,” Jaquish said. “Either we do that or close. Walk away. Blame it on Covid. We’re tired. Walk away.”

One thing stopped them: their loyal customers.

“We built this place because it was an important place for the community, to the people,” said Jaquish. “We scrounged for money, borrowed money, emptied our 401(k)s, took out a loan, equipment leases.”

They did a lot of the work themselves with friends and co-workers and hired for the bigger projects: Bruce Mechanical for HVAC, Absolute Power for electrical, B&B Mechanical for plumbing, and MacRoberts Handyman for general contracting.

On March 31, 2023, Hall and Jaquish shut down the brewery next to the tracks. Three months later, they opened in the new place – and today it thrives.

No succession plan yet

As Ice Harbor looks toward the future, its owners say they’ve reached the point where growth is no longer the goal.

“I don’t think we had a good vision as to how this all ends,” Jaquish said. “There is always more to do. Always some challenges. Always two steps forward, one step back.”

But one thing they both know: there is no more expansion for either of them.

Jaquish just turned 65. Hall is 71.

“We’re done. Us. As an institution, it’s worth keeping,” Jaquish said. “We’re getting older. But we’re done when it comes to expansion. That’s for the next owners.”

Hall agreed: “This business is a young man’s game. The restaurant business is just a hard business.”

They both agree that someday, they will be ready to sell.

“It would be great to find someone local,” Hall said. “Someone that would appreciate what we created.”

But neither one is ready to call it quits just yet.

“I like coming to work every day,” Hall said. “We’ve got a really good team. The people who we have have worked here a long time.”

A large number of the company’s 45 employees – during the summer, with the restaurant on Clover Island, that number jumps to 55 – have been working for Hall and Jaquish for 10 to 20 years.

“We have essentially no turnover,” Jaquish said.

The community

The owners have long been involved in their community. 

There’s Pink Boots beer, which was created with the idea that a portion of the proceeds from its sales go to women working in the brewing industry.

Or their work with Columbia Ability Alliance, where the nonprofit helped can a limited-edition I.P.A. (Inclusion. Potential. Ability.) with them. A portion of the proceeds went back to helping the alliance support people with disabilities.

Ice Harbor just finished a collaboration with Pasco’s Sage Brewing on a new Mexican lager for Cinco de Mayo called Sage Harbor.

“We’ll have it on tap for both places,” Hall said. “We’ll be doing more collaborations.”

But besides the charity work, community means a lot more to both Hall and Jaquish.

“I think the appeal is people coming together,” Jaquish said. “We provide a place for the community come and sit and enjoy themselves.”

Hall agreed: “We have given back to the community in a lot of different ways. We’ve created this community here and at the marina. We have a lot of regulars.

“The place is like ‘Cheers.’ Everybody knows your name.”

Ice Harbor Brewery: 10 E. Bruneau Ave., Kennewick. Hour: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday-Monday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Ice Harbor Brewery at the Marina: 350 N. Clover Island Drive, Kennewick. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Go to: iceharbor.com.