Brewing a Dream: Meet the New Partners of Wildman Brewing
For Chris Goehrung, brewing beer started as a passion and quickly turned into a career. He’d been brewing barrels of beer at Wildman Brewing in Raymond for a year when the owners made an unexpected announcement in June 2024- they were closing the brewery to mark its fifth anniversary. Despite the closure, there was still beer to distribute, so Chris kept working- and ultimately decided he didn’t want to stop making beer. By November, Chris and his wife Amber, who live in Grayland with their son River, made the decision to make Wildman Brewing their own.
Chris and Amber Goehrung behind the bar at Wildman Brewing
Chris brings more than a decade of brewing experience to the table, with stints at Westport Brewing Company, Blackbeards, and Mount Olympus. Amber, meanwhile, complements his craft beer expertise with her two decades of restaurant know-how. You may also know her from Ocosta, where she is a third grade teacher. Together, they’re blending their skills, passion, and a bit of wild ambition to revive Wildman Brewing—and they can’t wait to share it with the community.
It must be a big leap going from head brewer to brewery owner. How’s that going?
Chris: It definitely is a little scary and overwhelming but I've been doing a lot of this work for a while so it kind of just fell into place. I was already handling the distribution for Mount Olympus, and now sales and distribution are just the next steps. Plus, we have a really good partner. Cristian, one of the original Wildman owners, is still on board making his mead (a honey wine) and helping me with all aspects of the business.
Amber: Honestly, this has been a dream of ours for over 10 years- to own a brewery. We’ve been in this industry for a long time- brewing, making connections, interacting with customers- it all feels very natural to us. It's the kitchen part that is a little scary, but lucky for us we have an incredible executive chef on board.
We’ve also had a lot of help from our close-knit creative family. We gave them a lot of freedom. For example, my sister Angela, who owns Evergreen Flower Farm, did the interior decorating and helped us pick out the paint colors. My other sister, Amee, who owns Tokeland Candle Works, redesigned the logo. They’ve helped transform this space, and we can’t wait for everyone to come see it.
What kind of beers do you like and what’s the most exciting part of owning Wildman?
Chris: I tend to lean toward pilsners and lagers when I’m drinking somewhere, but I’m really not too picky- I can usually find something I like about any beer style. I’m open minded to try new things. For example, I made some additions to our Hefeweizen. I made one with pineapple and one with pomegranate and raspberry. I don’t traditionally like fruit beers, but it’s something they do in Germany so I figured I’d give it a go.
Amber: I’m really picky about IPA’s, but I really love all three of ours! Working in a brewery is so different from working at a bar because you're actually discussing beer. You’re discussing flavors, recipes, and styles. I’ll admit I’m a bit of a beer snob.
Have you learned any lessons about yourselves since becoming business owners?
Amber: Oh, definitely. I want to just dive in and do everything to help Chris, but I have to constantly remind myself, I'm a teacher first and a brewer's wife, second. I have to remind myself to put up that boundary because I can't support my husband or my students if I'm burnt out.
Chris: For me, it’s simple. The lesson is patience.
Raymond Light beer
Do you have any signature beers that reflect the area?
Chris: Yes, we have one called Raymond Light. It’s similar to a Coors Light or Busch Light- a classic light American lager that is an easy drinker. We also have a German Pilsner called Pilsquatch.
I’ve also been working on some collaborations.I worked with Jah-C Griffin at Whale of a Cone in Westport and created a jasmine infused IPA and a watermelon mint seltzer. He carries both in his shop.
Amber: We have one called Black Hole Sun which is an homage to the grunge band Soundgarden. It’s creamy, like a stout, but also high in hops like an IPA.
Can you tell us more about mead?
Chris: Mead is a honey wine and one of the oldest alcoholic beverages—it goes back thousands of years. It’s sweeter than traditional wine, which has made it popular with the younger generation. It used to be more of an underground thing, but now it’s becoming more mainstream
We have a classic mead called Nectar of the Gods, along with a blackberry mead and a cranberry one we call Tipsy Bear. If you visit the brewery, you can try all three with a mead sampler.
Wildman makes mead in house at Wildman Brewery in Raymond, WA
Do you offer growlers?
Amber: Yes! We really want to encourage customers to go the growler route. Beer just taste better in a glass container, and growlers are more eco-friendly and economical. I could go on and on about it, because who wants to drink beer out of a can? A growler can be filled just about anywhere that serves beer on tap.
Wildman Brewing will celebrate its soft opening on Saturday, February 1st, from 2–8 PM in Raymond at 203 Duryea St Raymond Wa 98577. All beer lovers and families are welcome at Wildman. On tap, you'll find a selection of beer, mead, and seltzer, while the kitchen serves up freshly made gourmet sausages, beer cheese nachos, and hearty bison chili. Live music from the band TMI will set the vibe from 5–7 PM.
Following the opening, Wildman Brewing’s winter hours will be Fridays and Saturdays from 2–8 PM.
Chris and Amber are thrilled to bring this new chapter of Wildman Brewing to life. You can find their beer on tap at various places throughout Grays Harbor and Pacific County, but be sure to stop in their Raymond location to raise a glass, and become part of the Wildman story. Cheers to new beginnings and keeping the craft beer spirit alive in Raymond.
Where to find Wildman