The Twin Sisters Brewing Company story began with a desire to create an open, park-like setting in the Sunnyland neighborhood. A place for families to come together, where they could bring their children and dogs, to share a beer with friends.
“That idea evolved into a restaurant and brewery with a spacious beer garden and a rotating seasonal menu [that adds] something really unique to the neighborhood,” says Events Manager Katie Patterson-Hulett. “What’s special is that Twin Sisters has these well-designed spaces: an outdoor, park-like garden setting, and also the indoor restaurant and brewery spaces.”
Since opening in 2018, Twin Sisters has rented those spaces to community members to host get-togethers. “When I first came into Twin Sisters [this past December], I was blown away, because the interior spaces were so thoughtfully designed by artists and craftsmen, and they just had an incredible vision,” Patterson-Hulett says. The main restaurant is an expansive hall with custom wood and metal designs, and thoughtfully placed doorway openings throughout offer indoor and outdoor capability.
Following up on the idea of creating a community space in the middle of a neighborhood, the Twin Sisters crew now looks to welcome groups that devote themselves to important work in our community. “I’ve seen a lot of businesses and individuals host their gatherings here, and we also want nonprofit organizations to have access to these spaces,” says Patterson-Hulett. “To meet and plan, or to rest and celebrate with their volunteers, host fundraisers, auctions, or galas — and to do it in a way that’s doable for organizations that work on tight budgets.”
Patterson-Hulett’s enthusiasm is infectious when she talks about Twin Sisters’ desire to not only host, but also help nonprofit organizations meet their fundraising goals. “We want to directly help nonprofits fundraise,” she says. “For example, this month we’re hosting a casual evening event for Summit to Sound Search and Rescue to help them raise funds to replace a boat they lost in the recent flooding.”
Twin Sisters offers a variety of wonderful rental spaces of varying sizes suitable for all kinds of events or gatherings.
“We have our restaurant, which is spacious and airy, and would be a great place for a gala auction. And then there’s a mezzanine that overlooks the restaurant floor, with a separate staircase entrance, that would be wonderful for something like a silent auction,” says Patterson-Hulett.
One of her favorite spaces is the Twin Sisters taproom.
“It’s the working brewery by day, and at night it turns into a unique, vibe-y, speakeasy-type room, with a beautiful bar, keg seating, barrel tables, and a garage door that can be opened up,” she says. “Right outside is an area we call the triangle garden. If the weather is nice, you could use both spaces — there’s a big fire pit out there that’s awesome for gatherings.”
There are also options that lie outside the main building. “In the winter, we have our big tent set up in the back. It’s enclosed and heated and just massive. It seats something like 150 people,” says Patterson-Hulett. In the spring and summer, the tent comes down and the beer garden opens up.
“Then there’s Picnic Alley,” she says. “It’s a tree-lined space that’s great for smaller gatherings. And there are some new potential spaces to come, that are being worked out right now.”
Booking space typically includes a certain amount of food and beverages figured into the fee, but Patterson-Hulett recognizes that there are ways to make access easier. “We offer nonprofits use of our private spaces on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at a special rate. That includes no room rental fees, a reduced food and beverage minimum, and a food menu that’s designed with the nonprofit’s budget in mind,” she says.
The idea of bringing people together takes on a literal meaning when Patterson-Hulett looks to the future.
“After these two long years of COVID, I think people want to gather and be near one another again, to hug their friends, have a beer and a meal in a beautiful space, and relax a little bit,” she says. “And I really hope that nonprofit organizations feel welcome here. I encourage them to reach out for more information and see how we can help to facilitate that togetherness.”
