The staff at 1188 Brewing Company will celebrate one year of successful business at a party on Saturday, Sept. 6. The event will include giveaways and specials during opening hours, 11 a.m. to closing.

JOHN DAY – It’s been a successful first year for 1188 Brewing Company.

The microbrewery’s staff will mark the occasion with a party this Saturday, Sept. 6. The celebration will run from 11 a.m. to closing, with giveaways and specials offered throughout the day.

Partners in the thriving venture are Jeremy and Shannon Adair of John Day, and Ken and Jennifer Brown of Bend. Jeremy and Ken are the brewers, with Jeremy also writing recipes. Shannon manages the pub, and Jennifer – Shannon’s sister – is in charge of regulations.

The brew pub includes a lunch and dinner eatery, and onsite beer brewery that operates during closed hours.

1188 offers several different beers, with two to four on tap at any given time. The names – monikers like Rivercamp Blonde, Desert Monk and Black Oak Instigator – reflect significant people or places for the Adairs and Browns.

“We’re selling the beers as fast as we can brew them,” Shannon said.

The menu features a wide variety of choices, with all cooked items either baked or grilled – nothing fried, Shannon said. Soups are made from scratch, and in fact, she said, everything is made from scratch as much as possible. One of the more popular dishes, she added, is the pork street tacos.

So where did the business name originate?

Shannon explained the numbers are a combination of racing numbers that belonged to two best friends and snowmobile racers – her father, Jim Brady, whose number was 11, and Ken’s father, Richard Brown, whose number was 88.

It’s all in keeping with the business’s focus on family and tradition. The motto, “Time Well Spent,” is posted inside over the entrance door, along with a few large family photos, including one of the two snowmobile pals.

Simple but trendy tables and stools, crafted by Rick Callahan, add to 1188’s modern and fresh atmosphere.

It’s a family-friendly place, Shannon said, adding there’s seating for 40, and a flat-screen TV showing sporting events most of the time.

“We wanted to provide something in John Day that’s unique, with a focus on excellent, high-quality food, and not in direct competition to any other business,” she said.

Growlers are available and limited catering services, too.

Future plans include building a brewery in a separate location, which Shannon said would allow them to not only expand their beer offerings, but bring more jobs into Grant County and outside money, too.

They’ve also developed associations with other Eastern Oregon breweries and attended functions such as beer festivals to help spread the word about the “1188” name.

Shannon said 1188 has proven to be a huge draw for people traveling through the area, and added local response has also been positive.

“We’ve received great community support here,” Shannon said.

1188 Brewing Company is at 141 E. Main St., John Day, and open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

For more information call 541-575-1188, or visit 1188 Brewing Company at http://1188brewing.com/, or on Facebook.